Emiliano Martinez was Argentina's penalty shootout hero once more as they edged out Ecuador to reach the Copa America semi-finals, despite Lionel Messi's failed Panenka attempt.
The reigning champions survived a huge scare at NRG Stadium, where Kevin Rodriguez's stoppage-time equaliser cancelled out Lisandro Martinez's first-half header to take the last-eight tie the distance.
It appeared La Albiceleste's title defence was in doubt when Messi, back in the side after missing the Peru match with a hamstring injury, chipped the first penalty against the crossbar.
But Emiliano Martinez, who played starring roles from the spot during La Albiceleste's 2022 World Cup triumph, made saves to deny Angel Mena and Alan Minda, before Nicolas Otamendi struck the decisive kick for Lionel Scaloni's side.
Felix Sanchez's Ecuador had not scored in a Copa America quarter-final since 1997, but they made the brighter start in Houston.
Cristian Romero just about denied Moises Caicedo a shot on goal, before Emiliano Martinez came to Argentina's rescue as he blocked Jeremy Sarmiento's effort from a tight angle.
However, the reigning champions took the lead in the 35th minute when Alexis Mac Allister flicked Messi's corner towards the far post, where the unmarked Lisandro Martinez nodded into an empty net.
Ecuador were handed a gilt-edge opportunity to equalise from the penalty spot just after the hour mark, when Rodrigo De Paul was adjudged to have handled in the box.
However, they could not capitalise as Enner Valencia struck Emiliano Martinez's right post with his spot-kick, despite sending the Argentina goalkeeper the wrong way.
But there was to be a dramatic late twist in stoppage time as Rodriguez glanced home John Yeboah's cross, with La Tricolor almost completing a sensational turnaround with Jordy Caicedo heading narrowly wide with the last kick of normal time.
They landed the first blow of the shootout when Messi's attempted Panenka clipped the top of the crossbar, but it proved a false dawn as Emiliano Martinez took centre stage yet again to swing the shootout back in Argentina's favour, before they scraped over the line.
Reigning champions scrape through by the skin of their teeth
Argentina are the first side through to the last four, and their title defence remains on track, but only just.
They broke the deadlock through Lisandro Martinez, who was in the right place to open his senior international account, while becoming the first Argentina defender to score in the Copa America since Victor Cuesta eight years ago.
Emiliano Martinez looked set to earn a fourth clean sheet of this tournament, and become the second Argentina goalkeeper after Sergio Romero to reach that tally in separate editions, but Rodriguez had other ideas with his dramatic equaliser.
Nevertheless, after Messi missed in yet another Copa America shootout - famously doing so in the 2016 final defeat to Chile - the goalkeeper dug his skipper out of a hole with two smart saves eventually proving the difference.
Argentina hoodoo continues as Ecuador pay the penalty
Ecuador knew they needed to rewrite history to achieve a positive result here. La Tricolor had never beaten Argentina in the Copa America, losing 11 and drawing five of their 16 previous attempts, while they had won just five of the 40 meetings overall.
Despite conceding in the opening half for the first time in this tournament, they outshot their opponents (four to three) in the first 45 minutes, but the last of those efforts came in the 16th minute.
Though they snatched a dramatic equaliser, Valencia's earlier penalty miss was a sign of things to come, as the wait for a first semi-final appearance since 1993 goes on.
Nevertheless, Sanchez's side depart the United States having made history. Indeed, at just 17 years and 61 days old, rising star Kendry Paez became the youngest player to appear in a Copa America quarter-final.
Argentina v Canada: Marsch says Copa underdogs need greatest performance yet
Canada must produce the performance of their lives to have any chance of upsetting holders Argentina to reach the Copa America final, acknowledges Jesse Marsch.
Marsch's team will face the World Cup winners for a final berth at the MetLife Stadium on Tuesday, having overcome Venezuela in a penalty shoot-out in the last eight.
They are just the fourth CONCACAF team to reach the Copa semi-finals and the third to do so on their debut, after Mexico (1993 runners-up), Honduras (third in 2001) and the United States (third in 1995).
They face the sternest of tests next up, however, having already lost to Lionel Messi and the rest of Argentina's stars in their opening group-stage game.
Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez were on target in that match as Lionel Scaloni's team triumphed 2-0 in Atlanta, rifling off 19 shots worth 3.02 expected goals (xG) to Canada's 10 (1.16 xG).
While Canada have won plenty of admirers on their run to the last four, Marsch knows they need to step up further on Tuesday.
"Argentina will have to be the best match we've ever played and it still might not be enough," he said. "But whatever. We're going to go for it."
Captain Alphonso Davies echoed those sentiments but pointed out Canada had given Argentina a scare in their earlier game, saying: "It's going to take everything. We played them in the group stage and we played well but didn't get the win we wanted."
Argentina boss Scaloni hit out at the quality of the pitch after that earlier meeting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and Messi says the surfaces have had an impact throughout the tournament.
"The pitch always has an influence. It's a reality that the pitches aren't good," he told reporters, as quoted by The Athletic.
"I think the best one was the one in Miami, which was good from what you saw from the outside at least. It's natural and that's already different. Of course, it has an influence."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Argentina – Alexis Mac Allister
Mac Allister assisted Lisandro Martinez's opener versus Ecuador in the last eight, then held his nerve from the spot as the world champions triumphed in a shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.
The Liverpool midfielder has two assists at this year's tournament. Since such data began in 2011, only Lionel Messi (in 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2021) has ever provided three or more assists for Argentina at a single edition of the Copa America.
Mac Allister has completed 122 of his 135 passes at this tournament, with 70 of those being played in the opposition half. With Canada likely to sit deep, it could fall on him to keep things ticking over and provide service for Messi and his fellow attackers.
Canada – Maxime Crepeau
Crepeau was forced into six saves in Canada's Copa America opener versus Argentina, and he could be busy again here.
However, he has been in excellent form throughout this tournament, conceding three goals from 4.95 expected goals on target (xGoT) faced, with only Claudio Bravo (3.66 goals prevented) and Rafael Romo (2.36) overperforming their underlying goalkeeping statistics by a greater margin.
Only Sergio Rochet and Emiliano Martinez (three each) have bettered his two clean sheets at this tournament. He will have his work cut out to keep another, though.
MATCH PREDICTION: ARGENTINA WIN
Argentina have now reached the semi-finals at seven of their last eight major tournaments, with the 2018 World Cup being the only exception.
They have won their last 10 matches against CONCACAF opponents in official competitions, not conceding a goal in any of their last six such games.
Additionally, the defending champions have reached the last four at five of the last seven editions of the Copa America, and only two of them – Colombia in 2004 and Chile in 2019 – failed to make the final. The omens, then, are not good for Canada.
It will be the fifth time Argentina have faced the same opponents twice at a single edition of the Copa America since the current format was introduced in 1993. Two of the previous four instances included a semi-final meeting (Colombia in 1993 and Paraguay in 2015), with the other two including the final (Mexico in 1993 and Chile in 2016).
La Albiceleste did, however, only win one of those four editions, lifting the trophy in 1993, then waiting 28 years to reclaim their place as South America's finest in 2021.
They are assigned an 84% chance of reaching the final by the Opta supercomputer, with Canada out to cause one of the greatest upsets in the history of the competition.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Argentina – 76.7%
Canada – 9.8%
Draw – 13.6%
Bayern complete Olise signing as Palace winger moves to Bundesliga
Bayern Munich have signed winger Michael Olise from Crystal Palace on a five-year deal worth around £45m plus £5m in add-ons.
Olise ends a three-year stay at Selhurst Park having joined from Reading back in 2021.
The Frenchman, who is currently on international duty with France ahead of the Paris Olympics, made 90 appearances for the Eagles, scoring 16 times, 10 of which came last season.
Olise becomes Vincent Kompany's fourth signing since taking over in May, following Hiroki Ito, Bryan Zaragoza, Nestory Irankunda and Armindo Sieb through the doors at the Allianz Arena.
“The talks with FC Bayern were very positive, and I’m very happy to now be playing for such a big club," Olise said upon signing with the 33-time Bundesliga champions.
"It's a great challenge, and that's exactly what I was looking for.
"I want to prove myself at this level and play my part in ensuring that we win as many titles as possible with our team in the coming years.”
Olise is seen as an integral part of new boss Kompany's plans as he looks to overhaul the side that finished second behind Bayer Leverkusen last season, ending a run of 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles.
Christoph Freund, Bayern's sporting director said: “Michael is quick, tricky, a goal threat and very versatile in attack. His goals and assists stats are already outstanding.
"At the age of 22, Michael is already very advanced, but is also hungry and still has a lot of potential. Fans come to the stadium to see players like Michael Olise.”
Bayern are also set to complete the signing of Fulham's Joao Palhinha in a deal worth £42m plus £4m in add-ons.
Wimbledon: Raducanu stunned by qualifier Sun after injury scare in round-of-16 exit
Emma Raducanu was stunned in the Wimbledon round of 16 as qualifier Lulu Sun claimed a remarkable victory to eliminate the Centre Court favourite on Sunday.
Raducanu needed a lengthy medical stoppage after extending too far and injuring her left knee in the opening game of the deciding set, but was unable to recover as Sun emerged a 6-2 5-7 6-2 victor.
Featuring in the fourth round of a major for the first time since her breakout 2021 season, Raducanu seemed caught up by the occasion as qualifier Sun raced into a 3-0 lead by breaking twice.
Raducanu fought back to break and reduce the deficit to 3-1, though again faltered on her serve as the world number 123 snatched the third break-point opportunity to move 5-2 up and then sealed the first set.
The 2021 US Open champion regained her composure in the second set, yet frustrations were clear when Raducanu failed to grasp two break points in Sun's second serving game.
Home favourite Raducanu channelled those frustrations into her efforts, however, entertaining the crowd with a delicate drop shot before lobbing her opponent en route to levelling at 1-1.
That second-set marathon lasted a mammoth one hour and 13 minutes, and there was cause for concern when Raducanu slipped after stretching to her right, jarring her left knee in the opening game of the decider.
The 21-year-old required a three-minute medical time-out as Centre Court fell into a hesitant silence, but the crowd erupted as the Brit was able to continue, smashing an ace on the first point of her return.
Celebrations were short-lived, however, as Sun broke Raducanu's opening service game and never looked back. She saw one match point come and go, but made no mistake when the second one came around.
The winner plays Donna Vekic, who beat Paula Badosa.
World number 123 Sun is the only qualifier still in the women's singles, and impressed on her Centre Court bow.
Data Debrief: Sun's dream Wimbledon run continues
Sun became the seventh qualifier to make the women’s singles quarter-finals at Wimbledon in the Open Era after Carina Karlsson (1984), Molly Van Nostrand (1985), Alexandra Stevenson (1999), Jelena Dokic (1999), Roberta Beltrame (2006) and Kaia Kanepi (2010).
Sun is also the second-lowest ranked (#123) player in the last 15 editions of the tournament to make the women’s singles quarter-finals at the Championships - ranked higher only than Serena Williams in 2018 (#181).
The New Zealander impressed on her Centre Court debut, scoring 50 winners along with converting five break points.
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