"It is a match that has no importance." Arturo Vidal dodges clichés. Honest, with the Peru's thrashing in his mind, the Chilean used the right words, the ones that anyone who steps in the Arena Corinthians tomorrow could use to define who gets the third place and who finishes fourth in the Copa America.
► Peru in the Copa America final: the dream continues in Rio de Janeiro
► Paolo Guerrero to Brazilian journalist: "If you want, call Brazil the favorite" | VIDEO
That's how indifferent the feeling is that the rain covered this city all day Thursday and the Argentinean national team took refuge in the comfort of their hotel, where they had arrived the night before with the defeat against Brazil and the VAR controversy absent in their luggage.
The training session, initially scheduled by Lionel Scaloni for the afternoon at the Pacaembu stadium (the old Corinthians' home), turned into exercises in the gym. Could the routine have been interrupted if they had a final ahead, which would have been the third consecutive one between them? Of course not.
No one got wet, no one crossed the doors of the Pullman Ibirapuera, not even to spy the largest urban park in this immense metropolis located two blocks from the hotel. No one, either, approached with a flag or a shirt, nor was it necessary to put up a protective fence, even though Lionel Messi was inside.
These are the consequences of scheduling this impossible match, always uncomfortable, almost never competitive. A tradition that only gains value in the Olympic Games, when winning means taking home a medal. That's why going through these four days is not easy for the protagonists, although the Argentinean delegation insists that "everyone wants to be here." But the group's minds are focused on other desires, despite the willingness to continue here: everyone's vacation after the long season, the start of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 in three weeks for River Plate players, the boiling transfer market...
The calendar usually delivers moments of memorabilia this time of year. Yesterday afternoon, while the Chilean national team left Porto Alegre and headed to Sao Paulo, their Football Association's social media remembered with images a victory against Argentina in Santiago: it was the fourth anniversary of their first Copa America won in history. And yesterday, the national team also reached 26 years without a title: it was on July 4, 1993 when they defeated Mexico in the Copa final in Guayaquil, with those goals from Batistuta that are already in sepia tones. So, where to find motivation?
A glimpse of an answer could come from the pocket. Winning or losing won't be the same for the federations, although it won't change the equation for the players. The team that finishes third will receive a check from Conmebol for 8 million dollars, while the fourth will get 7 million of that currency: "The million dollar match" could be a promotional phrase to try to raise the interest of those involved. With the audience, it will be more complex: until yesterday, there were no signs that hardly a quarter of the 47,605 available seats in the stadium could be filled. The same stadium where Argentina was happy twice: they defeated Switzerland in the round of 16 and also beat the Netherlands in the 2014 World Cup semifinal...
Lionel Messi, protagonist of those pictures hugging Di María and 'Chiquito' Romero -heroes of those victories-, was a 17-day-old baby when the Copa America had its first third-place match in history. It happened on Saturday, July 11, 1987, in a deserted Monumental stadium: Argentina had just lost the semifinal against Uruguay there two days before and was facing Colombia, defeated by Chile, to see who climbed the podium. The team had no way to lift their legs after being denied the chance to play in the final of a tournament that Diego Maradona was playing for the first time and would never win. How about Messi? At least the current captain will have a new opportunity next year.
By: Andrés Eliceche
La Nación/GDA