Football

Defending champions Argentina have secured their place in the Copa America final after a convincing 2-0 victory over Canada in the semi-final on July 9th. The match, held in New Jersey, saw Argentina dominate possession and create numerous scoring opportunities.In the opening minutes, Canada put up a spirited fight, with Jacob Shaffelburg twice coming close to scoring. However, Argentina gradually took control of the game and broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute. Rodrigo De Paul played a through ball to Julian Alvarez, who ghosted between two defenders and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.Argentina continued to press forward, and Lionel Messi had a chance to double their lead in the 44th minute. The Argentine maestro created space in the box with his trademark footwork but fired his shot wide.Canada nearly equalized against the run of play in first-half stoppage time. Jonathan David snuck in ahead of his marker to get on the end of a long throw, but his close-range shot was saved by goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.Messi sealed Argentina's victory in the 51st minute. Enzo Fernandez's shot from the edge of the area was deflected by a Canadian defender, and Messi was on hand to poke the ball past Crepeau. The goal moved Messi to joint fifth in the all-time Copa America scoring charts, level with Peru's Paolo Guerrero and Chile's Eduardo Vargas on 14.Despite their two-goal cushion, Argentina had a nervy finish to the match. Canada substitute Tani Oluwaseyi tested Martinez with a crisp shot in the 89th minute before directing a glancing header wide a minute later.Argentina will now face either Uruguay or Colombia, who meet on July 10, in the final in Florida on July 14.

Argentina's hopes of retaining the Copa America title received a significant boost as head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed that talisman Lionel Messi is fit to play in the semi-final clash against Canada.Messi, who missed Argentina's final group stage match due to a thigh issue, returned to action in the quarter-final victory over Ecuador, playing the full 90 minutes. Despite missing a penalty in the shootout, Messi's presence on the field was a major factor in Argentina's triumph.Scaloni expressed confidence in Messi's fitness, stating, "99 per cent of the time, [Messi] is fit to play. It's never happened to me that he's not fit to play. Every time he's come out on the pitch, he's fit to play. For [Canada], he's fit to play, without a doubt."The coach acknowledged Messi's ability to make a difference even when not fully fit. "When he's fit, he always plays. There are no doubts. Who would have any doubts? I'm the coach, so I have no doubts. I'm the one who decides, and when I see that he's fit to play, even if he's not 100 per cent fit, he's going to play. I take responsibility for that, but I have no doubts," Scaloni said.Argentina, who are unbeaten in the tournament, are just two games away from defending their crown. They will face Canada on Tuesday at MetLife Stadium. A victory over Canada would mark Argentina's fourth final appearance in five tournaments.

The Copa America semi-finals are set to ignite with Argentina, the reigning champions, facing off against Canada, the tournament's surprise package. Uruguay, who stunned Brazil in a penalty shootout, will battle Colombia, an unbeaten force in 27 games.Argentina, led by the enigmatic Lionel Messi, will be the heavy favorites against Canada. However, the North Americans have impressed under coach Jesse Marsch, implementing a high-energy, pressing style that has propelled them to the last four.Canada's confidence is soaring after their penalty shootout victory over Venezuela. However, they acknowledge the daunting task ahead against Argentina, who defeated them 2-0 in the group stage."It's going to take everything," said Alphonso Davies, Canada's Bayern Munich wing-back. "We're going to try to play the way we want to play and see if we can keep it up."Argentina's lineup remains largely unchanged from their World Cup triumph in 2022. Messi, despite a hamstring strain, has yet to reach his peak form, but the team boasts a wealth of quality in midfield and a solid defense.Colombia, under Nestor Lorenzo, have found a new lease of life. Playmaker James Rodriguez has rediscovered his spark, providing creativity and scoring a penalty in their 5-0 thrashing of Panama.Uruguay, buoyed by their victory over Brazil, will be without the suspended Nahitan Nandez and injured Ronaldo Araujo and Matias Vina. However, coach Marcelo Bielsa's direct, hard-running style promises a high-tempo encounter against Colombia, who possess the pace of winger Luis Diaz."The match against Colombia will be just as demanding," said Bielsa. "We are confident we can play on an equal footing with any opponent."The Copa America final will be held in Miami on July 14, with the winner etching their name in the tournament's history.

Canada's historic run in the Copa America continued on Friday as they reached the semi-finals after a thrilling 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Venezuela. The match, which ended 1-1 after regulation time, saw Canada display relentless energy and determination to overcome a resilient Venezuelan side.Jacob Shaffelburg gave Canada an early lead in the 13th minute, but Salomon Rondon equalized for Venezuela in the 64th minute. Both teams failed to score from the spot twice in the shootout, leaving it at 3-3 after five penalties each.Canada goalkeeper Max Crepeau, who had made a costly error for Venezuela's equalizer, redeemed himself by saving Wilker Angel's kick in sudden death. Ismael Kone then converted the winning penalty to send Canada into the semi-finals, where they will face world champions Argentina.Canada's performance was a testament to the team's progress under American coach Jesse Marsch, who took over in mid-May. The Canadians played with high energy and pressing, giving Venezuela little time on the ball.Despite losing 2-0 to Argentina in the opening game of the group stage, Canada has shown remarkable resilience and determination throughout the tournament. Their victory over Venezuela, who won all three of their group stage games, is a testament to their growing confidence and ability.Canada will face a daunting task in the semi-finals against Argentina, but Marsch will believe his team can pull off another upset and reach the final in Miami on July 14.

Canada's Copa America campaign received a much-needed boost with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Peru in Kansas City. Jonathan David, the Lille striker linked to Manchester United and Chelsea, proved his worth once again with a clinical finish that secured all three points for Canada.The match, played under scorching afternoon heat, saw temperatures soar to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The intense conditions took their toll on one of the assistant referees, who collapsed with apparent heat exhaustion just before halftime.Canada, who had lost their opening game to Argentina, took the lead in the second half after Peru was reduced to 10 men. Miguel Araujo was sent off for a reckless foul on Jacob Shaffelburg, sparking a melee between players from both teams.Referee Mario Escobar initially showed Araujo a yellow card, but a VAR review led to the decision being upgraded to a red. This dismissal gave Canada a significant advantage, and they began to press forward more aggressively.The breakthrough came in the 74th minute when David capitalized on a sweeping counter-attack. Cyle Larin found Shaffelburg with a pinpoint pass, and the Nashville forward delivered a sensational cross-field pass to David. The Lille striker took one touch and fired a right-footed shot into the bottom corner past Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.Peru pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau made a fine one-handed save to deny Christian Cueva. He also saved Paolo Guerrero's free-kick in injury time.The result leaves Canada second in Group A behind Argentina, who face Chile later on Tuesday.

Defending champions Argentina kicked off their Copa America campaign with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Canada in Atlanta on Thursday. The match was a tale of two halves, with Canada impressing in the first half but Argentina dominating the second.Canada started the match brightly, pressing high and creating several chances. Alphonso Davies was a constant threat down the left flank, while Jonathan David and Cyle Larin both had good opportunities to score. However, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was in fine form, making several key saves to keep his team in the game.Argentina gradually grew into the match and began to create chances of their own. Lionel Messi was at the heart of everything, and he played a sublime pass to Alexis Mac Allister in the 49th minute. Mac Allister rounded Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau and slotted the ball into an empty net to give Argentina the lead.Canada pushed hard for an equalizer, but Argentina's defense held firm. Nicolas Otamendi, who came on as a substitute in the second half, added some much-needed stability to the backline. In the 88th minute, Messi played another inch-perfect pass, this time to Lautaro Martinez, who made no mistake from close range to seal the victory for Argentina.The win was a hard-fought one for Argentina, but it was a deserved one. They showed their class in the second half, and they will be confident of going all the way in this tournament. Canada, on the other hand, will be disappointed with the result, but they can take heart from their performance in the first half. They have a talented squad, and they will be hoping to make a deep run in the Copa America.