Jesse Marshselector Canadadid not endure praise this Monday for Argentinahis opponent in Tuesday’s Copa América semifinal, and said they couldn’t mark the man Lionel Messi. “We didn’t do well enough with Messi in the previous match (the opening game of the tournament). He was able to run too freely towards our goalkeeper. We won’t man-mark him (in the semi-final), but he’s definitely going to be an emphasis on how we defend and our ability to go after him is going to be very important,” he said at a press conference at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, which will host Tuesday’s semifinal.
“We have some things we’re going to try to do to make it difficult for him. We know limiting his space is the number one priority. But we all know he’s the best to play football. With the respect we have for him , it’s always a privilege to play against “a player like him and our players look forward to it. They are excited and the challenge is great. We will see if we can do a little better than the first game,” he added.
After sending Venezuela home on penalties in the quarterfinals, Canada will be looking to make a splash on Tuesday and get revenge against Argentina, who beat them 2-0 in their Copa América opener.
The Albiceleste, clear favorites in this semi-final and probably the majority of fans in the stadium on their side, won that match 2-0 with goals from Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez, but Canada left good sensations despite the defeat. “I don’t want to reveal too much about our game plan, but we have to be very good,” Marsch said. “We have to be very compact and make sure to limit their spaces, with the ball we have to play with security and we have to be dynamic and use our speed and strength,” he argued.
In any case, the coach said he is aware of the tough challenge they face against the current World Cup and Copa América champions and he bows to the talent and play of Scaloni’s students. “I love the way they play. They are aggressive. They go after the opposing team, they make you feel uncomfortable. They challenge you physically and compete for every pass on the field. They are good at pressing, incredible at set pieces . winners, champions…”, he listed.
“I love their team, I love their team. And I’m very excited that we have the opportunity to be challenged in such a huge way against such a great team,” he concluded.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
