Defending champions Argentina claimed victory against Canada 2-0 in the opening match of Copa America 2024 in Atlanta on Thursday. It was slow but action-packed match. Lionel Messi assisted Julian Alvarez score a goal in the 49th minute, then Lautaro Martinez in the 88th.
The Canadian side had many opportunities but failed to convert it into scores. Canada’s goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau made some impressive saves, stopped Messi twice and also saved a freekick. But he couldn’t stop Alavarez and Martinez’s shots.
Argentina is now ahead with three points in Copa America 2024 tournament, while Canada took defeat in its first Copa America match in history with zero points. Argentina will next face Chile on June 25 in New Jersey, and Canada will take on Peru in Kansas.
Canada Learnt a Lot From Argentina in Its First Copa America Match
Canada coach Jesse Marsch took in the team’s loss saying the game slipped away but added that the team learned that it can play. He said they learned a lot from the match and realized that they can play with big teams like Argentina.
Alphonso Davies, Canadian captain, expressed disappointment. He said the team needs to look at what it did wrong throughout the game and fix it as soon as possible. Vice-captain Stephen Eustaquio acknowledged that the Canada team went after the game and lost out the chances it had.
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Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni said the team generates goal situations and defends like lions. He highlighted that the important thing to note is that the Argentina team always responds no matter what the game is like. Scaloni acknowledged that Argentina also left a lot of chances. He said the team will analyze it in detail later. The Argentina coach added that winning always reinforces a lot of things.
