Argentina batters USMNT, advances to Copa America Centenario final

Let the autopsy begin.

On Tuesday, the United States men's national team was given a reality check on American soil, as Argentina outclassed the USMNT from start to finish at NRG Stadium and progressed to the Copa America Centenario's final by virtue of a 4-0 victory. Gerardo Martino's men will take on the winner of Wednesday's battle between Colombia and Chile, looking to bring an end to a trophy drought that stands at 23 years.

Argentina was, simply put, too good for the USMNT, who at no point could hold on to the ball and ended the fixture without a single shot to its name.

Any suggestions that the USMNT would benefit from an extra day's rest were extinguished by the match's third minute, when Lionel Messi was given acres of space and Ezequiel Lavezzi headed a chipped through ball into the back of the net, forcing Jurgen Klinsmann's side to chase the game immediately.

Then, with a chance to make history, Messi produced a moment of brilliance that was, even by his extraterrestrial standards, from another world, rocketing a free-kick past Brad Guzan to tally his 55th international goal and surpass Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's all-time top scorer.

Related - Watch: Messi becomes Argentina's all-time top scorer with beautiful free-kick

Things only got worse for the USMNT after the interval, as the Argentinian domination hit another level. Gonzalo Higuain scored twice, first pouncing on a rebound and then finishing a counterattack following an outstandingly bad giveaway from Klinsmann's side in its own final third.

Any post-mortem of the USMNT will determine the same cause of death. While the suspensions to Bobby Wood, Alejandro Bedoya, and Jermaine Jones didn't help Klinsmann's side, the team just wasn't up to the task. The decision to start Chris Wondolowski was an awful one, evidenced by his inability to do anything with the ball and the foul he committed that led to Messi's free-kick.

Wondolowski, along with Michael Bradley, are examples of the disparity that exists between Major League Soccer and the leagues in which Argentina's starting XI play. There's a reason why the USMNT defeats opponents that the team's expected to defeat but consistently loses to superior opponents, and there's a reason why the USMNT will be unable to shake its underdog status in the foreseeable future. There is a gap that can't simply be bridged by hiring Klinsmann.

Argentina, meanwhile, will be hoping that the fourth time is the charm when La Albiceleste takes the pitch at MetLife Stadium on Sunday in the Copa America Centenario's final.