ANALYSIS – The CanMNT earns their first-ever win in the Copa América competition at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. It was not easy, but Canada was able to get the job done with a large of that because Peru’s Miguel Araujo got a red card.
Analysis: CanMNT Earns Big Win Over Peru
Maxime Crépeau Comes Up Big Again for Canada
Canada could not have gotten this win without Crépeau’s performance. He was the player of the game against Peru as he made four saves for the team, including two big saves that he had to make late in the game. Along with the video shown above, he also made a save on:
- A free kick from Paulo Guerrero.
- A diving save was made to stop Piero Quispe in the 28-minute.
Overall, after these two games, Crépeau has been the best player for Canada. His ability to make saves in tough situations is reminiscent of what Milan Borjan did for Canada in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. He will be needed for yet another big game on Saturday as they face Chile.
Jacob Shaffelburg Stepped Up for Canada
Shaffelburg played a big role in the win against Peru. Just moments after coming into the game, he drew a red card from Miguel Araujo. He then created many scoring opportunities including:
- Assisted in Jonathan David’s game-winning goal.
- Shaffelburg’s cross in the 72-minute was great, but Tajon Buchanan could not get to it.
Shaffelburg also created one or two more chances for his team (like with his cross in the 89-minute when Tani Oluwaseyi could not get to the ball).
He was very modest about his performance against Peru, but gave props to Marsch for using him effectively (Source: Waking the Red Staff):
Jesse Marsch Earns His First Win with the CanMNT and Canada Makes Some History
In his fourth game with the national team, Marsch wins his first game as the head coach of the CanMNT. It was also Canada’s first-ever win in the Copa América tournament as Marsch said this (source: Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic of OneSoccer):
“Yeah, I look at the result and I know that the guys are excited to make history,” Marsch said after the match. “So that was a big moment. But I look at it more as the situation that the team was in. It was hot. It wasn’t easy. First half we have a good start. But then Peru started pushing us and, you know, I said to them at halftime that, you know, we were in a difficult match and we knew that.”
David also talked about what this game meant for Canada (Source: The Canadian Press):
“This win means a lot. It means that we have everything to fight for in the last (Group A) game (against Chile) to make it out of the group stage,” said David. “It was a difficult game, but we managed to get the three points.”
The game also marked the first game a goal was scored by Canada since Marsch took over. David is now on the record books when someone asks who scored the first goal under Jesse Marsch’s tenure with the CanMNT.
Other Factors: Some Key Defensive Plays By The CanMNT
Derek Cornelius made some big plays on the defensive end and Stephen Eustáquio made a big defensive play against Andy Polo to prevent a dangerous scoring opportunity for Peru. Also, Alphonso Davies and Oluwaseyi used their speed to get out of their own end and get some pressure off the Canadian defence.
READ MORE: Argentina Wins Thrilling Game In 2024 Copa América Opener
Canada did not look as sharp as they did against Argentina or France. However, they did get the job done and that is all one can ask for. Also, with Chile losing to Argentina, the Canadians have a big chance to qualify for the quarterfinal stage of the tournament against Chile.
A win will automatically get them through with a quarter-final win. However, a draw could also work in Canada’s favour unless Peru finds a way to beat Argentina on Saturday. This is while Peru and Chile will need to win to give themselves a chance of advancing to the quarterfinals as Argentina has already qualified for the next round.
That is why Argentina might rest some of their big players on Saturday against Peru, which is something both Canada and Chile must be aware of.
Games Coming Up For Both Teams
READ MORE: 2024 Copa América CanMNT Roster Reveal: Ugbo Not in The Lineup
The CanMNT will play against Chile at Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida while Peru will go up against Argentina at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida. Both games will take place on Saturday, May. 29 at 8:00pm ET. Both games will be televised nationally in Canada on TSN/RDS.
Photo Credit: Canada Soccer EN X Account and the Canada Soccer FR X Account on June 25, 2024.
