An American is in the Copa America semifinals, but he’s not playing for the U.S. men’s national team. He’s the coach of Canada.
In one of the tournament’s matches so far, Canada and Venezuela battled it out in a 90-minute penalty shootout for the right to advance to the Copa America, with Jesse Marsch’s Canadian team ultimately emerging victorious.
Canada took the lead in the first half through “Messi of the Sea” Jacob Schaffelburg, but Venezuela’s veteran captain Salomon Rondon took advantage of goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau standing 18 yards outside the goal to tie the game with a long-range shot in the 64th minute.
The teams traded shots throughout the game, which went to a shootout, with Canada winning on a final shot by Ismael Koné. The prize? A semifinal rematch against reigning champion Argentina, who looked faltering in their shootout victory on Tuesday in New Jersey.
Josh Kloke, Melanie Anzidei and Jeff Rueter explain how it all happened.
How did Canada win?
An early goal for Canada. A long-range chip kick from Venezuela to tie the score. 90 minutes of hard work. Laser-like play. Calm, collected finish.
Canada showed a tenacity that’s so familiar in North America on Friday, an intangible that has historically been missing from the U.S. men’s national team, but with the U.S. eliminated in the group stage, it was Canada that filled the void.
Canada beats Venezuela in penalty shootout to reach Copa America semifinals (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Few things in nature are more fascinating than perfect symmetry. Unfortunately, in the sport of soccer, few things are more unnatural than a penalty shootout, where a match is often decided by a split-second switch but instead becomes a series of separate events.
And yet Venezuela and Canada presented a shootout with strange symmetry: The first kickers from each team scored. Both second kickers missed the target. The third kicker went back in, the fourth shot was blocked by the goalkeeper and on target. When the fifth kicker smashed a shot into the top corner, even Wes Anderson would be impressed by the balance.
Of course, it all goes to waste if a player not in a team’s first five choices ends up standing in the penalty box. Both teams selected a late substitute as their sixth choice, a rare opportunity for both coaches to have a direct influence midway through a game. Wilker Angel had a shot saved by Crepeau’s comeback, but Ismael Koné scored the goal to send Canada into the Copa America semifinals.
Just a few months ago, Canada was in danger of losing all of that magical momentum it had going into the 2022 World Cup. The team was without a head coach and players were frustrated by stagnation. Now Marsh can conjure up not only the dogged determination that defined the John Herdman era, but also more consistent chance creation and a clearer team structure that could eventually produce a more credible threat.
Jeff Rueter
Who stood out in Canada?
As expected, it was the player on Canada’s left wing who provided the key moment – and not Alphonso Davies.
Marsch opted to start the team’s face, the 23-year-old Davis, at left-back, a role he has played for years since moving to Bayern Munich. This not only takes the pressure off Davis, but also provides a more aggressive approach by including the team’s best players (i.e. the wide attackers) in the lineup.
Very little in Schaffelberg’s career has come easily. The “Messi of the Sea” grew up in Nova Scotia and then came through Toronto FC’s academy. Most clubs would have welcomed a home-grown attacking player and wanted him to stay, but Toronto’s willingness to spend money on attacking roles meant Schaffelberg wasn’t needed, and he was traded to Nashville SC in MLS’ Eastern Conference.
His strong showing has helped him secure a place in the tournament squad for a struggling Nashville team, and a key goal in a Copa America qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago helped his progress, proving that this hustler also has a bit of the ability to score in big games. And it came in handy again on Friday, when Schaffelberg was the only Canadian with more chances in the first half.
Schaffelberg plays in a perfect position for Marsh’s still-developing system: the right-wing defender will fear any involvement from Davis more than Schaffelberg, while the backline anchor will stay central to neutralize Jonathan David and Cyle Larin rather than shifting focus to a greasy mullet cutting into the half-space. A calm first-touch finish was a well-deserved reward for one of North America’s hardest-working players.
Jeff Rueter
How did Venezuela tie the score?
Venezuela came into the second half knowing they needed to be more aggressive on offense if they were to have any chance of beating a powerhouse Canadian team known for its defensive strength. Venezuela stepped up the pressure, with Yeferson Soteldo and Jose Martinez dominating on either wing, relentlessly breaching the Canadian defense.
But it was Venezuela’s captain Rondon who provided his team with much-needed relief in the 64th minute. With Crepeau off his line, Rondon took full advantage of a long punt, lofting a long-range ball over the goalkeeper’s head and into the back of the empty goal, bringing almost the entire Venezuelan crowd to their feet. The stadium erupted in roars. La Vinotinto was back in the game and continuing their historic run.
Rondon scores the equalizer for Venezuela (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Venezuela kept up the pace and dominated the offensive end, but like the rest of the match, it was a fairly even contest between two nations with everything to prove. With time running out, and coach Fernando Batista frantically orchestrating his players, Canada slowly began to settle.
La Vinotinto’s fairytale winning streak has come to an end, their dreams of winning their first Copa America title suddenly dashed. Their run of victories in the tournament was truly historic, and brought joy to a country that has suffered so much in recent years.
Going deeper
Baseball is Venezuela’s national sport, but the 2024 Copa America shows why that might change.
Venezuela and Ecuador are the only CONMEBOL countries yet to win South America’s top prize, and for a country not known for soccer, it’s a promising milestone for a country seeking to qualify for its first World Cup.
Melanie Angiday
What happened to Tajon Buchanan and how did Canada honour him?
Canada suffered the kind of blow that would derail many teams during a training session on Tuesday when star winger Tajon Buchanan, Canada’s 2022 World Cup Player of the Year and Inter Milan’s new signing, broke the tibia in his leg. Canada canceled training following the incident as Buchanan was taken to hospital.
Once the extent of the injury became clear and it became clear Buchanan would miss not just the remainder of the tournament but four to six months, the mood in Canada changed. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, the Canadians were clearly rooting for their teammates.
Jacob Schaffelberg celebrates the team’s first goal and gives credit to Tajon Buchanan (Charlie Trivallo/Getty Images)
Fans visited him in the hospital after surgery, gathered outside the team hotel to applaud his return, and the soccer world saw just how well he resonated with the team when Schaffelberg scored Canada’s opening goal, running over to the Canada bench and showing Buchanan’s jersey to the crowd of 51,080.
There were questions about what Canada would do without Buchanan, one of its best offensive players, but the intangible emotion his absence evoked seems to be what’s propelling them forward.
Josh Croke
What do these results mean for Canada?
Canada’s team had been a bright spot for years. The players were young but incredibly talented. They had played in Europe and looked capable of doing well outside of it. Wins over Mexico and the United States in World Cup qualifiers gave hope, but Canada stumbled in every crucial match of the tournament, including the knockout stage and group stage. They never learned how to take control.
But with a crowd overwhelmingly in favor of Venezuela and against the team that had won their own group, Canada now had a commanding victory.
Winning in the knockout round of a major tournament shows that the core members of this team are capable of treating themselves as a next-level team. They controlled their emotions, closed games defensively and performed when they needed to. And even if Venezuela didn’t take advantage of their chances, Canada didn’t lose.
With this win, Canada has become exactly the team they have strived to be for years.
Josh Croke
What does the future hold for Canada?
Argentina vs. Canada, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, Tuesday, July 9, 8 p.m. ET.
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(Top photo: Getty Images)
