Lionel Messi shines, Julian Alvarez proves worth, Alphonso Davies injured: Winners and Losers from Argentina's Copa America semifinal win over Canada

Argentina's team picks itself these days. Scaloni has mostly the same group of players that won the 2022 World Cup, and with no injuries to contend with, the manager doesn't have many big decisions to make. But the form of Lautaro Martinez - who turned in a number of impressive showings in the group stage - complicated things for Scaloni. Here, he decided to stick with Alvarez, who had played such a crucial role in Qatar 18 months ago. And his decision paid dividends.

Alvarez wasn't relentlessly involved in play. But he made a constant impact. He made all of the right runs into space, fought for loose balls, and hounded the Canada backline. When his moment came, Alvarez pounced, taking his goal well after making a smart run between the split center backs. Scaloni, it seems, made the right call.

The Bayern Munich man faces a number of questions about his future. His contract in Germany is running down, and there is reportedly little talk of a new deal to stay in Bavaria. Linked with a move abroad, Real Madrid has shown immense interest, but nothing has arrived in concrete form.

This summer, then, figured to be something of a distraction - if not an opportunity for a top-tier talent to re-assert himself as a global star. And for three weeks, all looked well. Davies has been integral to this Canada side's surprise success, scampering up and down the left wing with glee.

On Tuesday, though, his luck ran out. Davies enjoyed some good moments, and made important driving runs early on. But early in the second half, his ankle gave out, forcing the captain off the pitch - and seeing his side's slim final hopes fade away as a result.

Post-game, it was revealed he was taken to a local hospital for X-rays on what appeared to be an ankle injury. Marsch was concise with his commentd, leaving much to speculation.

“We’re hopeful he’s OK but we’re not sure," the manager said.

It has been a less-than-perfect tournament for the Argentine in the country he now calls home. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has been short of his usual best for weeks, failing to find the net, and strolling around even more than usual. This was a player who didn't look particularly fit, whose last big moment for his national team may have slipped away.

Of course, that all changed. Because this is Messi, and Messi does Messi things.

His goal wasn't exactly a beauty - he rolled the ball in off a deflected shot from two yards out. But his impact on the game throughout was vital. He picked up the ball in pockets of space, created problems with his movement and threaded passes.

Canada refused to man-mark the Argentine, and felt the impact dearly. Too often, numerous defenders slid towards him, and opened up gaps elsewhere. This was the perfect example of a late career Messi performance - one in which he was seldom on the ball, but made the most of his chances. Another international trophy might await.

Well, the fans got at least one finalist they wanted. Brazil-Argentina would have been a dream rematch (even if the Selecao have struggled of late.) Of course, Brazil were bounced from the competition last week. And the presumptive favorites stayed alive with the win against Canada.

International tournaments tend to be about spectacle. The big teams are supposed to play the big matches in front of as many fans as possible. The Copa America, in other words, needs Argentina in the final. They will have a tough time against the winner of Cololmbia-Uruguay, but they will certainly be considered likely winners in the fixture - an outcome that can only be good for the tournament.

Turns out this guy might know a thing or two about management. For years, Argentina had struggled to find the right coach. They tried pretty much everyone, from established international bosses to beloved Argentina icons - and none of them could deliver.

Scaloni, though, has figured out the formula. He tends to keep things simple. Get Messi on the ball, make sure everyone else works hard, and Argentina probably have a pretty good chance at winning the match.

His side weren't scintillating, but they were immensely professional. This was the performance of a team that knows how to win big games, and could comfortably avoid what would have been a monumental upset.

Yes, Canada had their moments. But they were fleeting, the Argentina manager simply allowing his immensely experienced and well drilled side saunter to a third straight major tournament final.

The United States has coped with the demands of a Copa America fairly well. Most of the NFL stadiums have been adequately converted into soccer venues, with the transition between sports reasonably easy.

MetLife, though, has been a weak point. Players and managers alike have complained about the playing surface in all three fixtures at the ground. It is easy to see why. Throughout the match, the ball was bobbling all over the place, passes short and long taking odd bounces off a clearly uneven turf. The result was a game that often lacked flow, a choppy thing broken up by the turf on which it was played. FIFA will have to figure this out before the World Cup final is played here in 2026.

As it stands, this feels like an unacceptable pitch for a FIFA World Cup final. Figure the grass out.