Advertisement

Argentina didn't deserve to lose Copa - Martino

Argentina's coach Gerardo Martino react as as Chile's Mauricio Isla lies on the pitch and Chile's Francisco Silva looks on during their Copa America 2015 final soccer match at the National Stadium in Santiago, Chile, July 4, 2015. REUTERS/Jorge Adorno (Reuters)

By Rosalba O'Brien SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Argentina did not deserve to lose the Copa America final to Chile on Saturday after a match in which both teams "neutralised" each other, coach Gerardo Martino said. Chile won their first ever major trophy, beating Lionel Messi's Argentina on penalties after the two teams drew 0-0 after extra time. "In the 120 minutes, in a very high quality game where the two teams neutralised each other more than play, the one who I think should have won was Argentina," said Martino at a press conference after the game. Martino praised Chile, saying they were "world class" and had played well since the start of the tournament, but felt Argentina should have won the final. The experience for Argentina had been "very positive", said Martino, adding that he saw no need for major changes. "In a short time we have acquired a way of playing and we've been pretty good, but there is room for improvement," he said. (Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Christian Plumb)