Reposted!! from goal.com
The Barcelona playmaker could be in for some hostile treatment from the opposition on the weekend, as the Copa America reaches the business end of the tournament
By Salvatore Landolina
Jul 14, 2011 5:05:00 PM
Argentina forward Lionel Messi has been warned he is in for some rough-and-tumble treatment when the hosts face Uruguay in the Copa America quarter-finals on Saturday.
Uruguay striker Sebastian Abreu has set the tone ahead of the game by claiming the only way to stop the Barcelona star is to slaughter him.
The World Cup semi-finalists advanced to the last eight of the Copa thanks to 1-0 victory over Mexico on Tuesday and will now face Lionel Messi and company in Sante Fe.
"How do you stop Messi? You have to slaughter him," Abreu joked in a press conference ahead of Saturday's crunch clash.
Abreu then clarified his statement, saying: "To stop him you need to mark him tightly and not allow him open spaces. We will be playing against the best in the world, and these chances don't come often."
And on the match itself, he said: "I am grateful to God for this chance. There is plenty of expectation and this is a prestigious game for us. We know the value of the shirt we are wearing."
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