Lionel Messi news: Barcelona ace blames 'embarrassing' Brazilian pitches for poor performances in Copa America

What's the story?

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has blamed the poor pitch conditions in Brazil for his performances in the ongoing 2019 Copa America, calling them an 'embarrassment.' According to the star forward, the pitch does not allow ball to roll faster.

In case you didn't know...

Lionel Scaloni's men appeared to have improved their performance in the Copa America as they delivered a 2-0 win over Venezuela in the quarter-finals of the tournament on Friday.

The victory marks Argentina's first game at the Maracanã since their 1-0 defeat by Germany in the 2014 World Cup final.

Lautaro Martínez, who found the net in the Albiceleste's decisive 2-0 win over Qatar, scored the opener in the 10th minute before substitute Giovani Lo Celso netted in a loose ball to secure their spot in the semi-finals.

The semi-final will see Argentina taking on Brazil for the first time since 2007, after the hosts beat Paraguay in a penalty shootout on Thursday.

The Albiceleste are looking to break their curse in the Copa America after having lost two consecutive finals in 2015 and 2016, shortly after they lost the 2014 FIFA World Cup final to Germany.

The heart of the matter

Speaking after the game, Messi slammed the state of the pitches in Brazil, calling them an embarrassment.

He said, (via ESPN), "It doesn't help to play the ball fast and you always need some time because it doesn't roll well. In all the pitches, the ball appears to be like a rabbit, it bounces all over the place. It is how it is and we have to adapt."

He added, "We are happy to get to the semifinals. We have Brazil and it will be a tough opponent because they have great players. At a collective and individual level, they're strong plus they are the hosts. Today I believe we gave another step forward."

What's next?

You can catch the highly-anticipated semi-final between Brazil and Argentina on July 3 at 6.00AM (IST).