ANALYSIS – This game was a fantastic CanMNT team effort as they eliminated Venezuela from the competition. Their speed and athleticism played a big role in Canada’s play as they go on to the semifinal round at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
A Fantastic CanMNT Team Effort As They Eliminate Venezuela
The CanMNT Created Many Scoring Chances
Canada’s best performance this year was probably the one against Venezuela. They generated many scoring chances, which included:
- Alphonso Davies set up a play with Jacob Shaffelburg, who passed the ball to Jonathan David, but shot the ball just wide off the goal.
- Cyle Larin had a chance to score in the middle of the box but missed the target.
- Richie Laryea’s shot or pass (based on interpretation) to Cyle Larin, was centimetres away from touching the ball and scoring a goal.
The player of the match was probably Jacob Shaffelburg. The goal he scored against Venezuela in the 13 minute happened because of a pass from Jonathan David. He also had a chance to score a second goal, but his shot was spectacularly stopped by the Venezuelan goalkeeper, Rafael Romo.
A lot of people were impressed by the national team, including Canada’s head coach, Jesse Marsch, who said this (Source: AFP – Agence France Presse):
“We were the better team and we deserved to win,” said Marsch, whose team had been able to push Venezuela “to the limit”.
READ MORE: CanMNT Gets First-Ever Win in Copa América
Some Big Defensive Plays Were Made By The CanMNT
There were some big defensive plays made by the Canadian national men’s team. This was especially true with Derek Cornelius and Alistair Johnston, who both stepped up against Venezuela on Friday.
There were some big defensive plays made by the Canadian national men’s team. This was especially true with Derek Cornelius and Alistair Johnston, who both stepped up against Venezuela on Friday.
- The impressive defensive header by Johnston to prevent Herrera from scoring in the 20-minute might be a highlight reel. He also made other great defensive plays and timely tackles to prevent Venezuela from scoring
- With Cornelius, he was at the right position at the right time to clear the ball or prevent a goal-scoring opportunity from happening. This included clearances with headers and his feet.
Overall, a big-time performance by the defence. Yes, fans can talk about the miscue that led to the lone Venezuela goal scored by Salomón Rondón. However, that had more to do with a high line being used, which head coach, Jesse Marsch admitted to (Source: TJ Sports USA):
The CanMNT Did Just Enough With Their Penalties
READ MORE: Venezuela vs CanMNT: A Big Game For Both Teams
The penalties could have gone either way. The two Canadian players who made a mistake that led to the Venezuelan goal, Maxime Crépeau and Moïse Bombito, played a big factor in Canada winning the match in penalties. In particular, Crépeau made two big saves to keep his team in it, In particular, his save against Venezuela’s Jefferson Savarino was one to remember.
Also, it is important to not forget Alphonso Davies goal, which kept Canada alive in the penalty shootout and sent it to a sudden death penalty shootout. Without that goal, Ismaël Koné could not play hero and score the game-winning penalty to send Canada to the semifinal round of the 2024 Copa América round. This is what Koné said about what it means to advancing to the 2024 Copa América semifinal round (Source: TSN X Account on July 5, 2024):
“See this smile on my face, that’s what it means!”
There also seems to be a brotherhood with this team. Their way to play and work for each other is something Marsch even noticed at the very beginning when he was announced as head coach of the national team only last month (Source: OneSoccer YouTube Account):
Other Factors: Venezuela Defence Had Some Good Points
While Canada’s team was the better team in the first 90, Venezuela did have some good moments. In particular, Yeferson Soteldo was causing problems for Canada’s defence and even drew a yellow card from a Canadian player because of his speed. There was also the save Romo made of Shaffelburg, which he had to be sharp to make. Jon Aramburu also made an excellent defensive play early in the game.
READ MORE: Argentina Wins Thrilling Game In 2024 Copa América Opener
The CanMNT will now play against Argentina on Tuesday, July. 9 at 8:00pm ET. The game will be televised live on TSN/RDS and it will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Photo Credit: Canada Soccer EN X Account and the Canada Soccer FR X Account on July 6, 2024.
