Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso progressed to the Copa America semi-finals after Argentina beat Ecuador on penalties within the early hours of Friday morning.

‘Cuti’ returned to the beginning XI for the last-eight tie, having been an unused substitute for his or her remaining Group A fixture towards Peru, and was concerned all through with Gio launched on 78 minutes to characteristic in each recreation as far as it ended 1-1 within the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Central defender Lisandro Martinez had put the holders forward together with his first worldwide objective on 35 minutes however, after Ecuador’s Enner Valencia noticed his penalty canon off the put up simply after the hour mark, La Albiceleste’s defence was breached for the primary time within the competitors when El Tri substitute Kevin Rodriguez’s glancing header equalised in second-half stoppage-time.

With no extra-time on the 2024 Copa America, it went straight to a penalty shootout as Lionel Messi stepped up first from 12 yards solely to see his audacious Panenka try hit the crossbar. Goalkeeper Emi Martinez then denied each Angel Mena and Alan Minda as Argentina transformed their remaining makes an attempt to see them prevail 4-2.

In what was Cuti’s thirty fourth and Gio’s 56th cap for his or her nation, Lionel Scaloni’s facet will now face both Venezuela or Canada on Wednesday 10 July (kick-off 1am UK) for a spot within the remaining.