Argentina vs Canada Preview & Prediction | 2024 Copa America | Semi-Final
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The defending champions Argentina have an excellent opportunity to make it to yet another tournament final as they take on Canada in their semi-final, albeit there are some concerns over their current performance level.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Wednesday 10th July, 2024 - UK – 1:00am / Tuesday 9th July, 2024 - US ET – 8:00pm / US PT – 5:00pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Premier Sports / US – Fox Sports & TUDN
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Premier Sports / US – Fubo, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue & ViX
ARGENTINA PREVIEW: MAKING HISTORY
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Argentina squeezed through the group stages after losing their opening game to Saudi Arabia and they then required penalties on two occasions in the knockouts. It would therefore be fair to suggest that performance levels at a tournament don’t really matter.
It is all about winning and the Argentinians are doing just that. After scoring five goals without conceding but winning all three of their group games, the world champions then needed penalties to see off Ecuador in the quarter-finals the other day.
CANADA PREVIEW: PLAYING WITH HOUSE MONEY
When Canada started their tournament with a 2-0 defeat to Argentina in Atlanta, the pressure was on for Jesse March’s men with the Canadians looking at an early exit from the tournament. However, they have rallied and Marsch’s extreme style of football is beginning to show.
Canada come into the semi-finals on the back of their own penalty shootout victory over Venezuela at the AT&T Stadium in Texas. They have managed just one win in the tournament inside 90 minutes so far, though, and they now face a team that dispatched of them just a couple of weeks ago.
ARGENTINA TEAM NEWS: NO DI MARIA
In order to get the in-form Lautaro Martinez into the side, Lionel Scaloni opted to sure up midfield with Giovani Lo Celso joining Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul. That meant a stalwart of Argentina’s success, Angel Di Maria, found himself as an unused substitute in the game.
The expectation was, though, that it would be Julian Alvarez forming the front three alongside captain Lionel Messi and the aforementioned Lautaro Martinez. Instead, Nicolas Gonzalez started and is expected to keep his place there.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; De Paul, Mac Allister, Lo Celso; Nicolas Gonzalez, Messi, Lautaro Martinez
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
CANADA TEAM NEWS: THE EMERGENCE OF SHAFFELBURG
Jacob Shaffelburg came into the Canadian starting eleven against Venezuela and opened the scoring, notching his second ever international goal. That was as a result of Jesse Marsch preferring his more industrial talent to replace Tajon Buchanan, who has suffered a broken tibia.
There are question marks around the way Marsch wants to play, as Leeds fans will attest, that it is a very gung-ho and almost kamikaze style of football with Jonathan David in the advanced midfield role but it has got them this far and is unlikely to change.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Crepeau; Johnston, Moise Bombito, Cornelius, Davies; Osorio, Eustaquio; Laryea, David, Shaffelburg; Larin
UNAVAILABLE: Buchanan (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
ARGENTINA VS CANADA PREDICTION
Argentina should win this quite comfortably but there is a little concern they are yet to outright dismiss a team but, as mentioned, bar their semi-final against Croatia in Qatar, they didn’t to win that tournament either. Canada have improved as the tournament has gone on but they, without being too frank, are Canada. They have some excellent emerging talents, and this has been a good staging post for when they co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This should be the end of the road for them, though.
ARGENTINA VS CANADA TIP: ARGENTINA TO WIN TO NIL
