Argentina 2-0 Peru: Injured Lionel Messi watches from the bench but the show goes on Lautaro Martinez’s brace fires Albiceleste to third victory of Copa America

The air in Florida was full of anticipation – long with the humidity – on Saturday as Miami, home of Lionel Messi, provided the perfect stage for Argentina’s group stage Copa America final against Peru. The only problem? The star of the show didn’t show up.

Messi – the talisman behind Argentina’s successes – was forced to watch his unbeaten country’s victory over Peru from the bench after suffering a groin injury against Chile earlier this week.

But even without their best man, the Argentinian show continued as usual. Lautaro Martinez scored two goals to give the Albiceleste victory and an unbeaten place at the top of Group A.

If Argentina were discouraged by the absence of their talisman, they showed no sign of it. Within the first ten minutes, they launched attack after attack in rapid succession.

Angel Di Maria tested Pedro Gallese before Nicolas Tagliafico forced the Peruvian goalkeeper into action again just seconds later, leading to a corner that flashed wide.

Argentina continued to threaten the Peruvian defense. Another free-kick, this time from Leandro Paredes, was almost tampered into the goal by Gallese 26 minutes before Giovani Lo Celso should have scored when Gonzalo Montiel played the ball to him in the center of the penalty area just before half-time.

The reigning champions outplayed, outplayed and outclassed their opponents with forward thinking and a midfield authority that Peru could not match.

But Gallese stopped the Albiceleste time and time again and held firm against the barrage, allowing Peru to go into half-time 0-0. That score certainly did not reflect the one-sided nature of the match.

However, the discordant scoreline did not last much longer. It lasted barely two minutes into the second half when Di Maria Martinez played on. This time there was no doubt. The Argentine fans were already celebrating when the Inter Milan forward shot over Gallese and into the goal.

A second felt inevitable but was out of reach. Tagliafico had an effort disallowed, while Paredes’ 72nd-minute penalty bounced off the post. It finally came in the 86th minute in the form of a double from Martinez.

Argentina’s dominance should have brought more reward than their two goals, but if that was to the fans’ disappointment, they didn’t show it.

Every time Messi flashed on the big screen, a roar echoed through Hard Rock Stadium – even for a microsecond. The biggest cheer of the night, and all for sitting on a bench.

But it was his replacement who deserved the praise on the pitch. Alejandro Garnacho, who replaced the injured Messi on the left, shone. His explosive bursts down the wing and his wavering dribbles into the penalty area were reminiscent of the icon – all that was missing was the finishing.

No football fan wants to think about life after Messi. For the Argentinians it is an unbearable thought. But for those who witnessed humid Miami, Argentina’s fate was in good hands.

Messi wasn’t the only absence. Even if the maestro had played, it would have been without his conductor. Argentina were also without manager Lionel Scaloni, who was suspended earlier this week for his half-time antics.

His stand-in Walter Samuel oversaw a starting XI that was also without Alexi Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Marcos Acuna and Julian Alvarez, a testament to Argentina’s depth and future.

If this really is Messi’s ‘Last Dance’ on the international stage – as the man himself expects – Argentina proved on Saturday that the show must go on.

In the sweltering heat of Miami, under the fierce gaze of the relentless scrutiny and heavy pressure of both the World Cup and the Copa America, Argentina were more than just a star; they were a constellation.

Messi will have had nine days between matches to recover when Argentina play either Ecuador or Mexico in the Copa America quarter-finals in Houston on July 4.

With his return combined with Scaloni’s arsenal of talent, Argentina will surely fight their way through. The Miami crowd may have missed the Messi show on Saturday night, but how about a rain control for the final on July 14?