Canada meets Argentina for place in Copa America Final

MIAMI – Canada meets reigning FIFA World Cup champions Argentina in the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America semifinals on Tuesday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The two sides met in the opening match of the tournament, on June 20, as Argentina took a 2-nil victory. Julian Alvarez scored in the 49′ and Lautaro Martinez added the second in the 88’.

Argentina went on to win Group A with victories over Chile and Peru and advanced on penalty kicks after tying 1-1 in the quarterfinals with Ecuador. Lautaro Martínez leads the team with four goals, and is the tournament’s leader in the top scorer race.

Canada recovered from its opening loss of the campaign with a win over Peru and a draw against Chile to place second in Group A. The Reds played to their own 1-1 draw in the quarters with Venezuela and advanced 4-3 on penalties.

Goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau became the second Concacaf goalkeeper to save a penalty kick in a shootout in the CONMEBOL Copa America quarterfinals against a substitute player, following Mexican Adolfo Rios, who first achieved this against Ecuador’s Hibrodo Rosero in 1997.

Jonathan David and Jacob Shaffelburg have scored for Canada in the tournament. Shaffelburg’s 12th minute goal against Venezuela became the fastest goal for a Concacaf player in a Copa America quarterfinal, surpassing Mexico’s Jared Borgetti against Uruguay in the 13th minute at the 2001 edition.

Jesse Marsch also wrote his name in the history books as the second United States born coach to lead a Concacaf team to the semifinals of the Copa America. Steve Sampson is the other to do so during the 1995 tournament.

The penalty shootout between Canada and Venezuela was the second between a CONMEBOL and Concacaf team. The other happened in 2001 when Honduras defeated Uruguay, 5-4, in the third-place match.

Friday’s result also guaranteed Canada a sixth match in the CONMEBOL Copa America. A win would send Canada to the final, while a defeat would send the Concacaf nation to the third place match.

Canada is the third Concacaf team to reach the semifinals of the CONMEBOL Copa America in their tournament debut. The other two nations to do so were Mexico in 1993 and Honduras in 2001.

Head-To-Head Canada vs Argentina

They will face each other again in the CONMEBOL Copa América after meeting in Group A on June 20, 2024, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with the current World champions winning 2-0. Julián Álvarez scored in the 49th minute and Lautaro Martínez in the 88th minute. With his goal against Canada, Julián Álvarez became the youngest player to score in a FIFA World Cup and in the CONMEBOL Copa América at 24 years and 142 days, surpassing Uruguay’s José María Giménez who achieved this in Russia 2018 at 23 years and 146 days.

Canada and Argentina first met in 2010 in an international friendly at Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires, with Argentina winning 5-0. Goals were scored by Maxi Rodríguez (2), Ángel di María, Carlos Tevez, and Sergio Agüero.

Bron: concacaf.com

 

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