The Albiceleste won with goals from Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez and started the competition on the right foot.

The Scaloneta is the flag on Flag Day. It has been flying high for some time, when it ended the 28-year drought at the Maracaná, when it turned things around in Qatar when it continued to set the bar high at the start of the Qualifiers with another unforgettable victory in Brazil.

And now it has given yet another example that the appetite of this group has no limits. It wants to win twice on the continent and, for the first time in the coach’s cycle, it started a competition by winning, settling a promissory note of those that weigh . The debut was not easy, but the team showed itself as such, making it clear why the shirt has so many patches.

Led by a record-breaking Messi – he became the player with the most games in the history of the Copa America -, with an Angelito who plays to never retire, with Julián who ended the drought at the right and indicated moment, the National Team pulled off the opening that was as complicated as expected in the run-up.

Canada was a brave team, that tried to press high, to counter the individual and collective power of the reigning champion. Scaloni studied the script well and looked to break through from the outside, which was difficult on the inside and with cross-field balls.

In the first half, Argentina attacked well, but did not retreat in the same way. They could have taken the lead in Di María’s run and in which Leo went wide of the post, but also when the team tired in the middle of the first half, Alphonso Davies created a couple of scares on the right. Argentina recovered, Alexis had a headache, but if everything didn’t end in a headache it was because for there to be a victory there has to be a great save from Dibu (tremendous what he saved from Eustaquio).

The half-time talk had a quick effect . The national team quickly got going to put the ghosts of Saudi Arabia to rest. Messi passed in Messi style, Alexis made a diagonal pass and there was Julián to wake up a sleeping stadium. He shouted for a goal to shake off the bad luck.

He could have finished it off with a touch, with that play by Julián that the goalkeeper blocked and also with that magical run by Leo, which did not end in a goal because the ball hit the back of the rival defender’s neck.

Canada felt alive and went for the heroic. It was close to equalizing several times because the national team retreated badly. Not so much because of individual performances but because the block did not work to stop what the Concacaf team was proposing.

Scaloni began to move the bench when he felt that the result was not certain. First, Lo Celso replaced Di María. That was not enough to stop Canada and, then, he put together a line of five to try to hold on better, so that they would not reach the Dibu Martínez so clean . Argentina changed stick and stick.

As the players of the National Team said beforehand, everyone will want to beat the world champion and this tournament will be super even. What was experienced at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was a sign that the show will be in the imposing stadiums, but to achieve the double, they will have to sweat a lot.

Lionel Messi had his chances and was instrumental in both goals. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Relief came only when Messi pulled another rabbit out of the hat for Lautaro to shout too , to make it clear that the two 9s are on fire. The National Team did what was important: They started off winning. They met expectations and returned the money of the more than 70,000 people who were in the stadium. With the three points in the bag, it will be time to analyze the good and the bad, to continue growing, so that the flag remains high, not only on Flag Day.