HOUSTON — Lionel Messi pretty much ended the United States’ Copa America hopes in less than three minutes.
Argentina’s diminutive dribbling and scoring machine showed the skills, speed and brilliance that made him a five-time world player of the year, exposing the huge gap between the US and soccer’s elite.
Messi set up Ezequiel Lavezzi’s opening goal 175 seconds in, scored on a free kick to break Argentina’s career scoring record and assisted on the second of Gonzalo Higuain’s two goals in a 4-0 rout Tuesday night that put La Albiceleste into the Copa America final.
“We got outplayed badly by a very good team,” US Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said. “Today is a good day to judge where we are in program overall. We’re obviously a long way off.”
Messi flicked the ball over the defense to an open Lavezzi for the opener, then doubled the lead in the 32nd minute with his 55th international goal, his tournament-leading fifth. Higuain added goals in the 50th and 86th minutes, the latter off Messi’s pass.
Argentina had 67 percent possession and outshot the US 10-0 — nine of them on goal.
“Once we were 1-nil down, we had far too much respect,” US coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. “After that early goal, I think just that our players could feel that they are just probably in every position on the field just better than we are.”
US players seemed shocked after their largest margin of defeat in a competitive match since a 5-0 loss to Mexico in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup final.
Argentina seeks its first major title since the 1993 Copa — and its first since Messi’s debut in 2005 — on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, against the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Chile and Colombia.
Argentina will be missing Lavezzi, who broke his left elbow when he fell backward over an advertising sign board in the 63rd minute while trying to chest a pass.
Klinsmann inserted Beckerman and midfielder Graham Zusi into his lineup along with forward Chris Wondolowski because of suspensions assessed to midfielders Jermaine Jones and Alejandro Bedoya, and forward Bobby Wood.
Argentina went ahead when Lavezzi played a short corner kick to Ever Banega, who passed back to Lavezzi sprinting from the corner diagonally.
Lavezzi beat Fabian Johnson to the ball and poked it to an unmarked Messi about 25 yards out, in the center of the field. As the US defense started to come out, Messi one-timed a flick with his left foot over the back line to Lavezzi, who headed the ball from 7 yards over goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
Messi doubled the lead after he was fouled by Wondolowski. Klinsmann yelled at Paraguayan referee Eduardo Cardozo as Messi placed the ball about 26 yards out, closer than the spot of the foul.
Messi bent a beautiful curving drive that went just over Guzan’s outstretched left palm and into the upper corner. It moved him one ahead of Gabriel Batistuta’s career total, according to the Argentine Football Association; FIFA records Batistuta’s total as 56, including two goals in an exhibition against Slovakia in June 1995.
“I’m really happy to have overcome the Bati,” Messi said.
Higuain made it 3-0 when he burst past John Brooks for Lavezzi’s pass, one-timed a shot that Guzan stopped and poked in the rebound. Higuain got the final goal after second-half sub Steve Birnbaum gave the ball away to Messi about 35 yards out.
