Category: Canada

Noted Canadian Drake bets $300k on win over Argentina

Champagne Papi is putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to his country

Apparently undeterred by his track record of cursing sports teams, notable Canadian Drake has bet big on his country to score an upset win over Argentina on Tuesday.

Canada will face Argentina in the Copa América semifinal, as Jesse Marsch’s side aims to continue a stirring run through the tournament with what would easily be its biggest win yet.

The odds are stacked against the Reds, which offers an opportunity for adventurous — and rich — gamblers to make some real money off an upset.

Enter Drake, who if nothing else has proven to be adventurous in his gambling habits, and is most certainly rich.

The rap superstar has put his money where his mouth is when it comes to his country’s national team, putting up a $300,000 bet that could earn him $2.88 million if it pays off.

Drake did seem to acknowledge that the odds are stacked against him with his post on Instagram, saying: “This could get Messi.”

Marsch: Canada needs ‘best match we’ve ever played’ vs. Argentina

Argentina may be mighty, but Marsch says Canada is “going to go for it” in Tuesday’s semifinal

Jesse Marsch has seen few more daunting challenges than Tuesday’s Copa América semifinal against Argentina, but the Canada manager is pretty used to being the underdog.

Marsch even went so far as to announce exactly what it’s going to take for his side to have a shot against the defending Copa América and World Cup champions.

“Argentina will have to be the best match we’ve ever played and it still might not be enough,” Marsch told OneSoccer. “But, whatever. We’re going to go for it.”

Marsch has a point. Argentina won all three of its group-stage games without conceding, and is unbeaten in its last 12 Copa América clashes (a run dating back to July 2, 2019). In major tournament play, Lionel Scaloni’s side has gone 10 straight matches without a loss, during which it has shut its opponent out six times.

Is Argentina vulnerable?

Despite a long run of success, there have been enough wobbles to ponder whether Argentina is truly unstoppable. The champions appeared on the brink of yet another shutout victory at this Copa América on Thursday, only for a stoppage-time goal from Ecuador to force penalties.

La Tri then missed a golden chance even later in the match to score a winner, and proceeded to waste the opening created when Lionel Messi’s panenka attempt floated off the top of the crossbar in first round of the penalty-kick tiebreaker.

While Lautaro Martínez is alone atop the Copa América scoring charts with four goals, Argentina has just one first-half goal in its four matches at this tournament. Scaloni’s side hasn’t managed to score more than two goals in any match at this event.

Argentina’s lone loss at the 2022 World Cup came at the hands of Saudi Arabia, who were largely expected to be cannon fodder. Argentina got its act together from there, but were stressed at times by Australia in the round of 16, and were taken to penalties by both the Netherlands and France.

Notably, Canada opened this tournament against Argentina, falling 2-0. On one hand, Marsch’s side had more chances than most expected, particularly when the match was 0-0. On the other, Argentina underperformed its expected goals total on the day after manufacturing a series of breakaways.

Canada will surely alter its specific tactics against Argentina in some way, but don’t expect Marsch to move away from the frenetic pace and transition-heavy style that he’s espoused elsewhere. Canada will, as Marsch says, “go for it.”

In a way, though, the key part of that quote is “But, whatever.” Canada surely knows that even a B-plus effort from Messi and Co. is probably going to be enough to win the game, even if this is in fact the best performance in Canadian men’s soccer history.

What Canada can’t do is let that knowledge hand Argentina a psychological edge. If Marsch’s approach is going to work, Canada has to be fearless, and to a certain degree will have to embrace the absurdity of the idea that a win over Argentina is possible.

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Shaffelburg pays tribute to injured Buchanan after Canada goal vs. Venezuela

The Inter winger suffered a broken leg in training this week

Canada winger Jacob Shaffelburg paid tribute to Tajon Buchanan after scoring his side’s opener in Friday’s Copa América quarterfinal against Venezuela.

Buchanan is set for a long spell on the sidelines after suffering a broken leg in Canada training this week.

The Inter winger played in all three of Canada’s group-stage matches at the Copa, starting the first game and coming off the bench in the next two.

Shaffelburg put Canada ahead just 13 minutes into Friday’s match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, making a hard run into the box and getting on the end of a loose ball to finish from close range.

Immediately after scoring, the Nashville SC star went to the sideline and was handed a Buchanan jersey, which he held aloft.

It was Shaffelburg’s third career goal for Canada, all of which have been scored in knockout rounds.

Watch Shaffelburg’s goal vs. Venezuela

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Canada coach Marsch ‘disappointed’ by USMNT ‘lack of discipline’ at Copa America

Canada is through to the quarterfinal of the Copa America. The USMNT? Not so much

Amid a successful debut tournament in charge of Canada, Jesse Marsch couldn’t help but get a dig in at the U.S. men’s national team.

Marsch, who was only hired as Canada head coach in May, has guided his side through the group stage at the Copa América. Les Rouges will face Venezuela on Friday in a quarterfinal in Arlington, Texas.

The USMNT, meanwhile, is reeling after suffering a stunning early exit from the Copa América, with its elimination confirmed on Monday in a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay.

The key moment in the USMNT’s tournament, however, may have occurred in the team’s previous game against Panama. With the match scoreless just 18 minutes in, Tim Weah was shown a straight red card for inexplicably punching a Panama player in the back of the head.

That sending off would prove costly, as the USMNT went on to lose 2-1 in a game that it was expected to win.

Marsch made an appearance on “FOX Soccer NOW” on Tuesday night, and expressed his shock at how the tournament unfolded for the USMNT.

“I would love to say I’m just focused on what we’re doing here in Canada, but obviously, I’m paying attention, as always, to the U.S. men’s national team and, like you, I’m sad,” the Wisconsin native said. “I’m disappointed by the performances, by the lack of discipline. There’s a lot of things that I think we’ve tried to be about, about the game in the U.S., and we’ve always believed in this group of players.

“Because I’m not there every day, I don’t have my finger on the pulse of exactly what’s going on but, certainly, it’s not what we had expected before this tournament. And somehow, they’ve got to come up with solutions.”

Marsch and U.S. Soccer have a history

Marsch is not exactly a neutral observer in this case, as last summer he interviewed for the USMNT job before U.S. Soccer eventually opted to re-hire Gregg Berhalter.

After he was hired as Canada head coach, Marsch accused the American federation of not treating him well in the coaching search process.

Now, the former Leeds boss says he is happy about how things worked out,

“I’ll tell you: I’m glad I’m here, man,” Marsch said. “Because the people that I work with and the players that I work with, the things that we know that we can achieve together, the support that we have from inside the country, the support system for this entire national team is so positive, so I think it gives us a real chance to develop something and build something and be ready for a big tournament come 2026.”

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Canada star Tajon Buchanan suffers broken leg in training

The news sounds quite grim for Buchanan and Canada after a “freak accident” in training

Canada star Tajon Buchanan is facing a long spell out of the game after suffering a broken leg in training on Tuesday.

Canada — who had arrived in Texas ahead of Friday’s 2024 Copa América quarterfinal against Venezuela — halted training after an unspecified incident ended with Buchanan in an ambulance.

TSN reported that scans revealed a broken tibia for the Inter wide man, with surgery set for Wednesday morning.

Buchanan’s prognosis was confirmed by Canada Soccer on Wednesday.

Buchanan’s teammate Alistair Johnston called the incident “a freak accident,” adding in quotes published by TSN that it was “a nothing play, just a weird collision.”

Buchanan has played in all three of Canada’s group-stage games, though manager Jesse Marsch had opted to start Toronto FC’s Richie Laryea ahead of him in each of the team’s last two matches.

In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Canada Soccer confirmed only that Buchanan suffered a “lower leg” injury and had been taken to a hospital for “further evaluation and treatment.”

In January, Buchanan made a winter transfer to Inter after success at Club Brugge. After a settling-in period, the Brampton native appeared in eight of the final 10 matches for the runaway Serie A champions.

For Canada, meanwhile, Marsch will likely look to Laryea and Nashville SC winger Jacob Shaffelburg to step in for Buchanan. However, the versatile 25-year-old’s absence will hit Canada in terms of tactical flexibility, speed, and cutting-edge in the attack.

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The Jesse Marsch vs. USMNT showdown is coming in September

The USMNT will face Canada, New Zealand and Panama in three friendlies announced on Tuesday

The U.S. men’s national team has announced three fall friendlies, with matches against two Concacaf foes and one from Oceania.

The USMNT will face Canada on Sept. 7 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, and will then take on New Zealand on Sept. 10 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The USMNT also announced that it will face Panama on Oct. 12 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, with one more October match expected to be announced at a later date.

With the games set for FIFA windows, the USMNT will have the ability to feature its strongest team.

The USMNT has never lost a match at any of the three venues where the matches will take place.

Marsch vs. USMNT the highlight

The highlight of the fall windows is likely to be the game against Canada, which is now led by American manager Jesse Marsch.

Last month, Marsch accused U.S. Soccer of not treating him well when he interviewed for the USMNT job last summer.

Though the game itself won’t have high stakes, there will certainly be heightened interest in the showdown between Marsch and Gregg Berhalter, a coach that Marsch didn’t hesitate to criticize during his time as a pundit.

Berhalter has been under pressure since re-joining the USMNT as head coach last summer, when he beat out Marsch and other candidates to secure his former job.

The Marsch vs. Berhalter matchup could theoretically not happen if the USMNT flames out at the Copa América and Berhalter loses his job — a fate that appears less likely after the U.S. began the tournament with a 2-0 win over Bolivia.

Marsch’s Canada side fell 2-0 to Argentina in the tournament opener, but Les Rouges put together an encouraging performance that will give them confidence ahead of upcoming matches against Peru and Chile.

The U.S. and Canada could also square off before September if they meet at the Copa América — but that matchup could only happen if it were the final.

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Peru vs. Canada: Where to watch 2024 Copa America, TV channel, live stream

Canada will look for its first win under new head coach Jesse Marsch

Peru and Canada will square off on Tuesday night as both sides play their second Copa América group-stage match.

Argentina defeated Canada 2-0 in the tournament opener, but Les Rouges will take heart from a performance that saw them give the defending champions a real test.

Peru, meanwhile, opened its Copa with a scoreless draw against Chile in a physical affair.

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Peru will enter this game on a six-match unbeaten run, and will take confidence from its recent performances at this tournament: La Blanquirroja has reached the semifinals in four of the last five Copas, including a runner-up finish in 2019.

Under new head coach Jesse Marsch, Canada has put together back-to-back strong performances after a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in its opener under the American manager. Les Rouges managed a scoreless draw against France in a friendly before giving Argentina all it could handle on Thursday night in Atlanta.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Peru vs. Canada (Copa America)

  • When: Tuesday, June 25
  • Where: Children’s Mercy Park (Kansas City, Kansas)
  • Time: 6 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: FS1 (Watch FREE on Fubo), TUDN, UniMás, ViX (Watch on Prime Video)

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Canada Soccer ‘disturbed’ over Bombito racial abuse following Messi tackle

The Canada defender was targeted after a second-half tackle on the Argentina star

Canada Soccer has released a statement condemning racial abuse leveled at one of its players following Canada’s 2-0 defeat to Argentina in Thursday night’s Copa América opener.

The federation didn’t name the player who was abused, but defender Moïse Bombito received abuse online, posting on his Instagram story: “My beautiful Canada. No room for that bs.”

The Colorado Rapids also released a statement on their social media in support of Bombito, who plays for the MLS side.

“We’re extending our love and standing beside Moïse Bombito,” the Rapids said. “Discrimination and racism should never find a place in our sport, on social media, or within our society.”

Bombito was targeted after a rough challenge on Argentina superstar Lionel Messi late in the match in Atlanta. Messi was down on the turf for several minutes after a crunching tackle from Bombito, who first got the ball but then followed through Messi’s ankle. No foul was called on the play.

Messi ultimately returned to the match and delivered an assist on a late Lautaro Martínez goal that wrapped up the points for Argentina.

“Canada Soccer is aware of and deeply disturbed by racist comments made online and directed at one of our men’s national team players following tonight’s game,” a statement from the federation said. “We are in communication with CONCACAF and CONMEBOL about this matter.”

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Argentina goalkeeper Martinez calls Mercedes-Benz Stadium pitch a ‘disaster’

The pitch ‘felt like walking on a stage, as if it was hollow,’ according to Canada’s Kamal Miller

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and head coach Lionel Scaloni sharply criticized the temporary grass pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium following their team’s 2-0 win over Canada to kick off the Copa América.

Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez scored in the second half on Thursday night in Atlanta, giving the defending champions a winning start to a special edition of the tournament in the United States.

In order to host Copa games, officials in Atlanta agreed to install a temporary grass surface at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which usually has artificial turf. That switch was made after Saturday’s MLS game between Atlanta United and Houston.

The results, according to Martínez, were far from ideal.

“The state of the pitch was a disaster,” the Aston Villa goalkeeper said. “Very bumpy. We must improve in this aspect, otherwise, Copa América will always appear at a lower level than the European Championship.”

In his post-game press conference, Scaloni echoed the words of his goalkeeper.

“Better that we won, or else it would have appeared as an excuse,” Scaloni said of the field.

“But they knew seven months ago that we’d play here and they changed the field two days ago. It’s not an excuse, but this isn’t a good field. Sincerely, the field is not apt for these players.”

“It felt like walking on a stage, as if it was hollow,” Canadian defender Kamal Miller added.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host just one more game in the Copa América: the U.S. men’s national team’s match against Panama on Thursday.

Prior to that game, the USMNT will also play its Copa América opener on a temporary grass surface when it faces Bolivia on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

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Argentina vs. Canada: Where to watch 2024 Copa America, TV channel, live stream

The Copa América begins with defending champions Argentina facing a determined underdog in Canada

Argentina will get the 2024 Copa América underway, with Lionel Messi and Co. squaring off against Canada in Atlanta on Thursday.

The defending champions will be looking to win a third straight major tournament, and are unsurprisingly among the favorites to lift yet another trophy.

Argentina won the 2021 Copa América, outlasting rivals Brazil 1-0 in a final played during the Covid-19 pandemic. The victory marked a massive moment for Messi, who had never previously lifted a major trophy with the Albiceleste.

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Canada is one of the teams standing in Argentina’s way, alongside Peru and Chile in Group A.

Jesse Marsch’s side will be making its Copa América debut in this match, having never previously participated in CONMEBOL’s biggest event.

However, recent friendlies revealed that the same team capable of holding France to a scoreless draw in Bordeaux could get blown out by the Netherlands.

With newly-appointed captain Alphonso Davies leading the strongest generation of players the nation has ever produced, Canada will have to play closer to its ceiling if it’s to have any chance of starting this tournament off with a stunning result.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Argentina vs. Canada (Copa América)

  • When: Thursday, June 20
  • Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: FS1 (Watch FREE on Fubo), TUDN, Univision, ViX (Watch on Prime Video)

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