2024-07-15 10:55:02
Canada cut short Venezuela’s hopes by eliminating it on Friday on penalties 4-3 from the 2024 Copa América and will once again meet Argentina, the current continental and world champion, in the semifinals.
The American team surprised with the opening near the beginning, at minute 12, with an attack by the dangerous forward Jacob Shaffelburg, but the scorer Salomón Rondón achieved equality at minute 65 with a precise long-distance shot, which took the definition to the penalty series.
Rondón’s excellent goal renewed the jubilation of more than 30,000 Venezuelans who gave a festive atmosphere to the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where they had arrived with the boost of the unprecedented streak of the Vinotinto that accumulated three consecutive victories in the Copa América.
However, despite the offensive attacks in an emotional finale, Venezuela could not define the match in the 90 minutes and stopped its streak in penalties.
The Canadian team, which based its strategy on great physical display and speed, was ultimately more efficient in defining penalties.
“This is incredible, Copa America semi-finals! I think everyone has to be aware of the respect this country deserves,” said the Americans’ goalkeeper, Maxime Crepeau, the hero of the qualification after stopping penalties from Jefferson Savarino and Angel Wilker.
Although they lost 2-0, with that distinctive trait Canada created many headaches for the albiceleste in the debut of the Cup, last June 20 in Atlanta.
They will meet again next Tuesday, this time at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, near New York, but this time for a place in the final on July 14 in Miami.
– Physical play, a problem for Argentina –
In the quarter-finals on Thursday in Texas, Ecuador presented a similar match to the world champion, who only advanced to the semi-finals also on penalties (4-2).
Canada was the most prominent representative of the countries that will co-host the 2026 World Cup, as the other two, the United States and Mexico, did not advance beyond the group stage at the Copa America.
“We’ll have to play the best game we can against Argentina and even then it might not be enough, but we’re going to go for a result no matter what (…), we want to play the game of our lives,” said Canada coach Jesse Marsch.
The Venezuelan team, led by Argentine Fernando Batista, is undergoing a process of growth, despite Friday’s setback, with the idea of shedding the nickname of South American Cinderella.
As a central part of this complicated process, the Vinotinto team also aims to stop being the only South American team that has never qualified for a World Cup.
“I’m angry for losing on penalties, without losing a match in 90 minutes, but I’m proud of my players, who had a tremendous Copa América,” Batista said in a press conference after the match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Venezuela is fourth with 9 points in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, which have six spots for the next major event and the possibility of a seventh ticket to be decided in a play-off.
On Saturday, Colombia and Panama will face each other in Glendale and Uruguay and Brazil in Las Vegas in the other two quarter-final matches, in a classic that closes this stage.
The 2024 Copa América final will be played on July 14 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
bur-ol/ma
© Agence France-Presse
