By Paul Tenorio, Felipe Cardenas and Joshua Kloke
The journey through an international tournament is rarely easy.
Argentina doesn’t have to go back very far in its history to remember this. Two years ago, en route to World Cup triumph, Argentina lost their opening match to Saudi Arabia. What happened Thursday night in Atlanta wasn’t as alarming as the defeat in Qatar. But Argentina had to roll with the punches and fight through their misses to secure a 2-0 victory over Canada at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Both teams had their chances throughout the match. Angel Di Maria and Lionel Messi missed breakaways at the net. In Messi’s case, two. Canada had several good looks at the goal that they couldn’t put away. Ultimately, Julian Alvarez’s second-half goal – spurred on by a through ball from Messi to Alexis Mac Allister – provided an early boost. Lautaro Martinez sealed the result in the 89th minute thanks to an assist from Messi.
Both teams will take something positive from this match, whether it’s Canada’s fight or Argentina’s ability to get a result despite a lack of lethality in big moments. Overall, it was an entertaining match in front of a raucous crowd to kick off the Copa América in the United States. If the hope of this tournament is to put on a spectacle not only for the world, but also for the American public, the first evening was a success.
Did Argentina need halftime mind games to beat Canada?
Argentina wasn’t slow in the first half, but they were cautious at times, which is not typical of them. Canada’s mid-block forced Argentina to swing the ball sideways. Spaces opened up, but when passing to Di Maria on the right or Marcos Acuña on the left, Argentina rarely took that chance.
It seemed that midfielder Leandro Paredes and defender Cristian Romero knew that Di Maria would not outrun Alphonso Davies. Acuña was the best option and Messi often found him. Argentina’s respect for the speed of Canada’s transition resulted in some rather conservative play from the world champions. Missed chances from Messi, Di Maria and Mac Allister kept the first 45 minutes even in Atlanta.
Argentina delayed their return to the field after halftime, while Canada waited patiently on the field. This has become the norm for Messi and Co. Let’s be clear. It’s a game and maybe it worked. Three minutes into the second half, Paredes sent a long ball diagonally to Di Maria, forcing Davies to backtrack. Shortly after, Argentina scored the opener through Alvarez, after pushing Canada deep into their own half.
Canada head coach Jesse Marsch addressed the halftime delay after the game.
“When they were waiting, I knew they were watching video and analyzing how they wanted to play against us. Now, once again I would like the referees to achieve this. If we were five minutes late, we received a fine. There would be a big problem. Let’s see what happens with Argentina,” Marsch said. “But in the end, I just made sure the players knew they were going to come up with a new plan and they rotated a little bit more to the three, but we still dealt with that.”
Marsch continued with a big smile on his face: “Argentina should be fined. ALL RIGHT? Fined. Write that down. Olé. The Nation.”
Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul argues with Canada’s Stephen Eustaquio. (Photo: Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Was Canada the better team in the first half?
It would not be fair to say that Canada was the better team in the first half, but given the disparity in expectations and talent, their performance stood out more. Yes, Canada took a few hits and needed some big saves from Maxime Crépeau, but when they moved forward, they did so efficiently.
In the 30th and 32nd minutes, they broke through on the left side thanks to Davies. On one play the ball found Tajon Buchanan at the far post and his desperation kick did not put Argentina in danger, but Jonathan David was arriving late and, had the ball been pushed away, he would have had a good chance . to test the lens. Two minutes later, the Argentinian defenders were scrambling to block shots in the box.
The best moment came in the 43rd minute when Buchanan shook off his defender and crossed into the box. Stephen Eustaquio rose for an open header, but his close-range attempt was saved by Dibu Martinez. The crowd chanted the goalkeeper’s name in thanks for his save.
It was admirable of the Canadians to put up a fight against Argentina, but considering the ability of David (101 goals over the last six seasons in Belgium and France) and Cyle Larin (43 goals over the last four seasons in Turkey, Belgium and Spain) they must find ways to end their chances. And when you don’t finish your chances against quality teams like Argentina, it usually comes back to bite you.
Was Maxime Crépeau the right choice as Canada’s goalie?
For years under Milan Borjan, Canada’s longtime goalkeeper and often captain, Maxime Crépeau waited patiently for his opportunity. He waited – agonizingly, mind you – through the 2022 World Cup when a broken leg in the MLS Cup final forced him to forgo the chance of a lifetime.
He even waited until Marsch’s first match against Canada when the new head coach chose to start Dayne St. Clair against the Netherlands.
Yet with notable saves against Argentina, Crépeau stepped into the spotlight and showed why Canada’s goal is now his and his alone.
The 30-year-old has remained in the background throughout Canada’s camp in Atlanta. And yet, when it counted, he showed the aggressiveness necessary to succeed in Marsch’s system. Crépeau was the Canadian who stood out the most, running away from his goal to surprise the Argentine attackers with important saves.
How many Canadians – no, how many international goalkeepers – can claim to have stopped Messi at point-blank range like he did in the 65th minute? How many can say they had the courage to storm out and cut Messi in his tracks, forcing a shot wide in the 79th minute? How many others can say they stopped Di María on a two-on-none to keep their team in the game?
Between overcoming any hesitation that may arise when returning from a broken leg or the frustration that might arise from not getting a chance, Crépeau deserves praise for giving his Canadian teammates a chance in the game. A massive effort from a player who will wake up Friday morning with thousands of new supporters at home.
Crépeau prevents Messi from scoring. (Photo by Omar Vega, Getty Images)
What did Marsch say?
Canada’s head coach on the overall performance: “I think we had a good performance, especially when we were able to execute our tactical plan. We made it very difficult against Argentina and we really could have scored a few goals – we could have taken the lead.
On his lack of finishing: “I’m not too afraid of not finishing. I know over time when you get those kinds of quality chances, you score enough goals and we have enough quality on the pitch. The focus is more on the details of how to be tactically sharper and cleaner and not pass up such easy opportunities. It felt like it was a game where we really had to work and earn our opportunities and sometimes we gave them things that were too simple and too easy. So if we can clean that up a little bit, then I think we’ll have better control of the match, even against the best team in the world.
What did Lionel Scaloni say?
On the temporary playing surface at Mercedes-Benz Stadium: “They knew for seven months that we were going to play here and they changed the surface two days ago. For the show, it’s not good. I’m sorry. It’s not an excuse, but it’s not an appropriate area. The stadium is magnificent and with the artificial turf it must be spectacular. But with today’s grass. Honestly no. No, this is not suitable for this type of player.
What’s next for each team?
Chile vs. ArgentinaTuesday, June 25 at 9 p.m. ET (MetLife Stadium, Easter Rutherford, NJ)
Peru vs. CanadaTuesday, June 25 at 6 p.m. ET (Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS)
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(Top photo: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)