Messi sent off as Argentina beat Chile 2-1

Lionel Messi was sent off before halftime as Argentina beat Chile 2-1 to win a scrappy and bad-tempered third-place playoff against Chile in the Copa America on Saturday. The match was 34 minutes old when Chilean captain Gary Medel shepherded out a ball near his own goal. Messi challenged him from behind and Medel reacted angrily, pushing the Argentine and raising his hands. The Paraguayan referee showed both Medel and Messi red cards, prompting boos in Sao Paulo's Corinthians arena. It was only the second red card of Messi's career. The referee also showed seven yellow cards in a match that was broken up with 37 fouls. Hosts Brazil face Peru in the final on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro.