Messi doesn't score but still entertains in Argentina's 3-0 win over Bolivia (Video)

SEATTLE – They came to see a show. Lionel Messi the Showman obliged.

The Argentine superstar had come on as a second-half substitute, much to the delight of the CenturyLink Field crowd of 45,753, and had yet to entertain except for a blistering free kick that grazed the far post.

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So, with the ball at his feet and a persistent Bolivian defender trying his best to mark him, Messi dribbled left, stopped and spun to his right. Then he went left again before changing direction one more time. Except now, Messi stopped and stared into the eyes of his opponent.

The crowd roared. Messi, with his left foot casually resting on the ball, then dribbled to his left, passed to a teammate and ran upfield. He was done toying with the helpless opposition.

The sequence summed up what Argentina has done to the competition in this Copa America so far. Messi and the Argentines have been so superior and so effortless in establishing their dominance and cementing their status as tournament favorite.

Tuesday's 3-0 victory over Bolivia was more formality than competitive match, as Argentina scored three goals in the first 32 minutes to secure the top spot in Group D and a quarterfinal against Group C runner-up Venezuela on Saturday in Foxborough, Mass. Even though La Albilceleste won all three group games by a combined score of 10-1, head coach Gerardo Martino will only talk about improving from the previous game.

That edict even applies to Messi, who missed Argentina's first game due to his tax fraud trial in Spain and has slowly worked his way back into the team. But that was just one reason why Martino was going to have Messi play in a meaningless match.

"People want to see him all over the world," Martino said. "They want to see him and he has to deal with that. Sometimes he has to play and sometimes he has to be on the bench. But he has to fulfill and play for the fans. He understands that and he has to live with that."

The night began with Argentina's other big names grabbing the spotlight. Martino made six changes to his starting lineup from last Friday's 5-0 demolition of Panama, rolling out three new attackers in support of striker Gonzalo Higuain. Two of the three scored in the first 15 minutes to help the Argentines take control.

First, Tottenham Hotspur's Erik Lamela had his free kick deflect off the wall and float into the net past a helpless Carlos Lampe for a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute.

Then, Ezequiel Lavezzi made it 2-0 just two minutes later when he smashed a point-blank rebound past Lampe after the keeper blocked Higuain's header.

Higuain scored a Serie A record 36 goals for Napoli, but it seems he could use a confidence boost while wearing his country's colors. He missed chances at crucial moments in the finals of the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America, and perhaps Martino started him against Bolivia to get his No. 9 in the right mindset for the knockout stage.

Higuain got plenty of time on the ball in the first half,  but the striker still couldn’t score. An Argentina center back did, however.

Victor Cuesta got his first international goal when he got his boot on Lavezzi's hard shot/cross aimed at the far post, directing it past Lampe for a 3-0 cushion. That led to more cheers but also more chants of "Mes-si! Mes-si!" to get the Barcelona star off the bench.

The wish was granted at halftime. Messi came running out of the tunnel with his No. 10 shirt on his back and the crowd went berserk with elation. He came on to start the second half in place of Higuain and elicited more cheers from the crowd with his first touches of the game.

Messi, who scored a second-half hat trick in the win over Panama, had his best chance to get a goal in the 61st minute. He won a free kick just off to the right about 24 yards away, but his power strike missed the top, far-post corner by inches.

Even though Argentina didn't have much to play for, Martino wasn't about to disappoint the fans.

"No, regardless of the result, regardless after the first half, he knew he was going to play for 45 minutes," Martino said of Messi. "He's growing compared to the last game because the last game he played 30 minutes and he played 45 minutes today. He feels more confident."

There's a Bolivian defender who can corroborate.