Canada, the tournament's Cinderella team, takes on tournament favorite Argentina in a rematch of the opening game. Can Canada pull off another upset and advance to the final?
As the first Copa América semifinal takes shape, the tournament's opening game will be replayed as tournament favorite Argentina faces off against an upstart Canada squad.
Argentina, led by the legendary Lionel Messi, is the defending Copa América and World Cup champion and is aiming for its third consecutive major international trophy. Canada, on the other hand, is making its first-ever Copa América appearance and has become the Cinderella team of the tournament.
Cinderella Canada Faces Goliath Argentina in Copa América Semifinal
Canada's success can be attributed in part to the leadership of head coach Jesse Marsch, who was hired in May. Marsch has instilled a high-flying, aggressive style of play in Canada in just six matches.
In the quarterfinals, Canada upset Group B winner Venezuela on penalties after a 1-1 draw. The Canadians' performance in that match, which featured an action-packed, free-flowing style, was reminiscent of their opening game against Argentina, where they combined for 28 total shots.
However, Argentina will likely be better prepared for Canada's style of play this time around. In the opening game, Messi's squad did not pull away until the second half.
Despite the challenge they face, Canada has a key advantage as a team with nothing to lose and having already faced the intimidation of going against a team of Argentina's stature on the pitch.
Canada coach Jesse Marsch is known for his "all gas, no brakes" approach, but he is unlikely to try the same strategy against Argentina on Tuesday. He understands the caliber of the opponent and the need to respect Argentina's best players.
Former players Jimmy Conrad, Melissa Ortiz, and Wes Morgan believe that Canada can pull off another upset if they can use their familiarity with Argentina to their advantage and if they can learn from their mistakes in the first game.
"I think now that Canada has faced Argentina in a Copa América match, now those nerves are set aside," Ortiz said. "They're finding their identity more, game by game. Now they know what they've experienced in these last matches, especially against Venezuela, where they can press and push up high — but they can't get caught too high. And that's especially [true] against Argentina. So there's gonna be a lot of tactical work in these next few days leading to the [semifinal]."
Morgan added, "I can't see Jesse doing that [using the same strategy as against Venezuela]. I think he understands the caliber of the opponent. The approach he went for in the Venezuela game, surely he won't go for the same approach with Argentina. You have to respect Argentina's best players. He won't take them for granted. But at the same time, I'm sure he wants to impose himself on the game, not sit back and absorb pressure and hope to nick something. Today was a good example of what they're capable of going forward, the first half in particular."
While Argentina is the favorite heading into the semifinal, anything can happen in football. Canada has already proven that they are a team to be reckoned with, and they will be looking to pull off another upset and advance to the final.
