Canada Soccer, CANMNT, Copa América

Uruguay Wins Thriller as They Claim Third Place in Copa América

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CanMNT Midfielder, Ismael Kone As Uruguay Wins Thriller and Comes From Behind

ANALYSIS – It was a valiant effort by the CanMNT. However, an inability to finish off the game both defensively and offensively played a role in Uruguay tying the game late in stoppage time. Uruguay took care of the rest in penalties and Canada fell just short of making history as Uruguay wins a thriller at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Uruguay Wins Thriller Against the CanMNT

Uruguay Pressed Late in The Game

Uruguay really pressured Canada late in the game, and it resulted in them scoring the game-tying goal that send it to penalty kicks. Luis Suárez timed his rum perfectly to receive the pass from José María Giménez, who put the ball into the back of the net.

There were also other chances including:

  • Derek Cornelius stopped a few clear-cut scoring chances against Uruguay late in the game.
  • There was one play where Suarez failed to score as he missed the target.

Canada was also giving Uruguay lots of fouls late in the game. They were under pressure and were unable to keep compact in the end. Uruguay also did a good job at transitioning with their goals. The corner that led to the first Uruguay goal was from a mistake by rookie, CanMNT teenager, Luc de Fougerolles. The second goal also came from a transition, as Uruguay delivered some fantastic passes that led to Suarez scoring the goal.

This is what head coach, Jesse Marsch said about giving up the game-tying goal late in the second half:

“Yeah, we could have done a better job,” Marsch said. “Once it got to the 90th Minute, we should have been clever. We should have been dribbling the ball to the corner, we should have been taken fouls, we should have been able to shut that game down. But that’s, you know that savviness of understanding how to handle matches, you know, for a young team and relatively inexperienced, we need to develop that, and we will.”

The CANMNT Could Have Scored More Goals

The CanMNT was the better team on Saturday night. Unfortunately, for the Canadians, they did not take advantage of their opportunities. Examples include:

  • Jonathan Osorio’s shot went straight to the goalkeeper, before his header was headed off-target.
  • Tani Oluwaseyi got himself in good positions to score but was unable to convert on his scoring opportunities.

Yes, Ismaël Koné and Jonathan David scored, and Koné was probably the player of the game with his speed and decision-making along with Ali Ahmed. It was a fantastic performance though, and something Canadians can be proud of.

Marsch also mentioned this in a positive way with a lot to improve on with this team in the future (TJ Sports USA YouTube Account):

“And, you know, now for us if we can finish chances, right, we were in the top, I think, three or four, four expected goals in the tournament per match. Right? So, but then we only have four goals in the tournament. So, we’ve got to find a way to win, we have such quality chances to put them away.”

Uruguay Were Perfect with Their Penalties

The reason why Uruguay won bronze was their penalty-kicks. Credit to them as the CanMNT goalkeeper, Dayne St. Clair, guessed right on most of those free kicks. However, Uruguay’s penalties were top-notch, and they never looked like missing.

The miss from Alphonso Davies and Koné are probably going to be highlighted. Koné was fantastic all game long but was not successful with the penalty. As for Davies, he put the goalkeeper, but could not beat the post, and that is how the game ended.

READ MORE: A Fantastic CanMNT Team Effort in Thrilling Win Over Venezuela

This is what Marsch said about Koné and his performance in this tournament (Source: TJ Sports USA YouTube Account):

“(Koné) got us here with his penalty (goal). He’s harbouring a lot of guilt right now because he feels he let the team down. Both him & Phonzie by making their penalties vs Venezuela got us here. I want him not to be so hard on himself. He’s a fantastic player with a fantastic future.”

Other Factors

READ MORE: Canada v Uruguay: The CANMNT Can Make History

A lot of new players played in this game for the CanMNT. They had the better scoring opportunities and was able to trouble the Uruguayan defence a lot of times during the game. Ahmed was a stand-out, as he created several scoring opportunities for his team. Also, de Fougerolles, despite playing a role in Uruguay scoring their first goal, made some great defensive plays and had great chemistry with Alistair Johnston. Lastly, this is what Marsch said about this team and how impressed he was of them (Source: TJ Sports USA YouTube Account):

“Well, they are much smarter than I could have hoped. And, you know, if he looked at the last three games, specifically, I think the way we played the way we challenged the opponents we played against, I thought we set the tone for the pace of the game.”

And, you know, if he looked at the last three games, specifically, I think the way we played the way we challenged the opponents we played against, I thought we set the tone for the pace of the game.
Uruguay’s next two games will be against Paraguay on September 5 and Venezuela on September 10 in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying round. This is while Canada has friendlies lined up against the U.S. on September 7 at 7:00 pm ET and Mexico on September 10.

Photo Credit: Canada Soccer EN X Account and the Canada Soccer FR X Account on July 13, 2024.

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