Canada are one of the feel-good stories in the 2024 Copa America after punching above their weight. In their first foray in the continental competition, Les Rouges defied the pre-tournament SBOTOP Copa America 2024 odds by finishing fourth behind Uruguay, Colombia, and Argentina.
If it weren’t for Luis Suarez’s late equaliser, Canada would’ve won the bronze medal, which is quite unheard of, to say the least.
Not many expected them to do this since there was so much uncertainty leading up to the quadrennial meet, as head coach Jesse Marsch was only hired in May and the team has been hounded by financial problems since last year.
But fast forward to today, and Canada have put themselves on the map. At this point, they could argue that they’re the best football team in North America right now.
Canada got a stroke of luck
Canada’s 2024 Copa America campaign started when they were grouped alongside Argentina, Chile, and Peru in Group A. Argentina were expected to take the top spot, but the second spot was up for grabs.
After a valiant effort in their 2-0 opening loss to Argentina, Canada bounced back with a 1-0 win over Peru. Jesse Marsch’s men had a numerical advantage when Miguel Araujo was sent off near the hour mark, and Jonathan David scored the marginal goal during the 74th minute.
Canada also had a similar experience in the final group stage match, as Chile were reduced to 10 men when Gabriel Suazo was given his marching orders near the half-hour mark. However, they were held to a goalless draw.
With four points in the bag and Chile and Peru having poor Copa America 2024 results, Canada qualified for the next round, where Venezuela were their opponents in the quarter-final.
Meanwhile, their CONCACAF counterparts, Mexico and the USA, failed to get out of the group stage, given their tough outings in Groups B and C.
One could argue that Venezuela were the weakest of the group winners, so Canada took advantage.
Canada jumped out to a 1-0 lead, courtesy of Jacob Shaffelburg, and they had the vast majority of the match’s best chances. While they conceded an unfortunate equaliser in the second half, Les Rouges’ confidence never wavered, as they won in the penalty shootout.
Les Rouges would eventually lose to Argentina to put them out of contention, but they almost stole the bronze medal from Uruguay. Up 2-1, Canada were eventually taken to the penalty shootout, with no thanks to Luis Suarez’s late score.
Canada’s luck eventually ran out, as Alphonso Davies and Ismael Kone missed their spot-kicks, while Uruguay converted all of theirs to win the third-place match.
The players bought in to Marsch
It wasn’t clear just a few months ago who would be leading Canada from the touchline after John Herdman left his post following their defeat to the USA in the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final. Mauro Biello took over Les Rouges on an interim basis, but Jesse Marsch ultimately succeeded him.
Under Jesse Marsch, Canada played with house money in the Copa America. Unlike the USA, which are under immense pressure, Canada played with freedom, which benefited their key players.
Jonathan David and Cyle Larin thrived under Marsch’s high-octane approach, the same playstyle that got him the RB Leipzig and Leeds United managerial roles, while Derek Cornelius and Moise Bombito have formed a strong centre-half partnership, despite not playing much together prior to the tournament.
Of course, there’s still Alphonso Davies, arguably their best wing player, but Marsch has unlocked another wing star in Jacob Shaffelburg, the fearless 24-year-old from Nashville in Major League Soccer.
While loyalty was a priority in John Herdman’s selection, Jesse Marsch rewards players who are in their best form and is not afraid to drop players as he sees fit, which is crucial to building the national squad’s culture.
Canada now have something to build on
Given their unprecedented success, Canada’s higher ups have no choice but to start reinvesting in their football program as a whole, which has been neglected for quite some time now.
The Canadian national football team almost declared bankruptcy at one point in 2023, which only adds to the spectacle of their Copa America run.
On the field, Canada are far from an aging squad since a vast majority of their players are under 30 (except Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Osorio), so look for them to try and take advantage of the window they have in competing in the Americas for the next few years.
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