Behind record champion Argentina, debutant Canada has surprisingly secured its ticket to the quarter-finals of the Copa America in Group A. While the world champions, even without the rested superstar Lionel Messi, managed an effortless 2-0 (0-0) win against Peru, the co-hosts of the upcoming World Cup held the selection of Chile, South American champions in 2015 and 2016, at bay with a hard-fought 0-0 draw.
With Messi suffering from a sore adductor muscle, a spectator on the bench and without national coach Lionel Scaloni – who had to serve a suspension because he twice sent his team onto the field too late after the break – Lautaro Martinez once again made the difference in Miami. The striker from Italian champions Inter Milan moved up the scorers’ list with his third and fourth goals of the tournament (47th, 86th).
At the same time, around 250 kilometers north in Orlando, Canada’s captain Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) and his Maple Leafs were celebrating their place in the quarter-finals. The North Americans secured second place in the group with four points and only one goal scored, while Chile failed to score for the first time since 1917 at the world’s oldest tournament of nations and only scored two points. Chile’s Gabriel Suazo was shown a yellow-red card early on (27th).
The opponents of Canada and Argentina, which kept three wins without conceding a goal in the preliminary round, come from Group B. Venezuela will need a draw against Jamaica, who are bottom of the table, on Sunday (local time) to win the group. Ecuador will need a draw against Mexico to advance, with both teams level on points before their duel.
2024-06-30 07:05:42
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