Lionel Messi
Argentina's Messi is challenged Costa Rica's Valle and Salvatierra in the first round of the Copa America soccer tournament in Cordoba. Reuters

Argentina bagged their first win in the Copa America on Monday with a deserved 3-0 win over Costa Rica to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Sergio Aguero bagged a brace and Angel Di Maria scored the third as the hosts progressed into the next stage along with group winners Colombia. It leaves Costa Rica with an anxious wait to see if they will progress as one of the two best third placed teams.

A further boost for the La Albiceleste came from Lionel Messi who banished his critics with a clinical performance. He created a string of chances throughout the game, and the scoring should have been opened in the early stages had Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain and Aguero managed to finish opportunities created by the Barca man.

The opener finally came at the stroke of half time when Aguero was the first to a drop by Costa Rica keeper Moreira, who couldn't hold on to Fernando Gago's blast. Seven minutes into the second half, Messi set up Aguero for the second, before Di Maria rounded off the scoring in the 63rd minute after capitalizing on another opportunity created by Messi.

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