Canada, Argentina’s rival in the Copa América: the precedent with Maradona’s victory, Garcé’s alfajores and the recipe for beating Messi

Canada He is experiencing his football spring. It’s a long way from being that rudimentary team that finished last in World Cup in Mexico 1986 with a squad made up of players who, in large numbers, have not played on an 11-a-side pitch. In recent years he has not only returned to the elite after his participation in Qatar 2022but in 2023 he also reached the final of Concacaf Nations League.

With this momentum, this Saturday they beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 and qualified for the Copa América in the United States 2025, where they will have the privilege of being co-stars in the inaugural match against the Argentine national team, reigning champions, in l the impressive Mercedes-Benz Atlanta Stadium. It will also be the opening of Group A, also made up of Chile and Peru.

Canada didn’t have too many problems in sealing the pass for the continental tournament which will be played from June 20th to July 14th and will bring together the ten Conmebol teams and the six Concacaf teams.

In view of Trinidad and Tobagowho was also fighting for his first appearance in the Copa América, 61 minutes of domination were enough for Canada to take the lead thanks to the opening goal from Cyle Larin. The Mallorca forward completed a combination of the Canadian attack with a narrow cross shot.

Already in injury time, the substitute Jacob Shaffelburgwinger from Nashville SC of the MLS who arrived to make Inter Miami go crazy Lionel Messihe finished sealing the ticket by completing a counterattack with a powerful left.

This is a serious rival for Argentina. The figure of him is Alfonso Davisthat plays inside Bayern Monaco. But the speedy left-back is not alone. The team he leads Mauro Biello, a former professional striker, has an interesting squad. He has a good goalkeeper like Maxim Crepeauwho militates in Portland Lumbers of the MLS and experienced defenders such as Kamal Milleralso in the Oregon franchise after being teammates with La Pulga in InterMiami.

But, beyond Davies’ hierarchy, he has good variants in attack. In addition to Larin -plays in the Spanish La Liga- and Shaffelburg -a sprinter labeled as the Canadian Messi-, they are to be feared Jonathan Davidhitch Lille French e Ike Ugbotip of the Wednesday in Sheffieldfrom the English Championship.

Alphonso Davies and the recipe to beat Messi

Hence Davies’ enthusiasm, who warned that they will go to the Copa América with the idea of ​​being protagonists and, why not, making an impact. “It’s an honor, we fought hard, we got the victory and we are happy to have qualified. We are excited and ready to fight,” said the 23-year-old player, son of Liberians, born in Ghana in a refugee camp and came to Edmonton, Canada, to start writing its story.

The left side, one of the fastest footballers today, was excited about the chance to face Scaloneta. “It will be a tough match obviously, they are the world champions. There is nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said about them. They are a top team. We will have to prepare for the occasion and fight hard.”

AND He is even happier to have Messi on the other side of the pitch again., who he indicated on numerous occasions as his great idol. “I’m happy to play against the best player in the world and to have the chance to beat him with my team,” he said from the field of Toyota Stadium, in Frisco, Texas, after the victory over the Trinidadians.

Not a small fact. Davies has a particular record against the best player in the world: he has faced him three times and has never lost. They were fighting for the Champions League and he, obviously, defended the almighty Bayern Munich: in the quarter-finals of the 2020 edition he eliminated Messi’s Barcelona – it was the famous 2-8 in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic – and in 2023 he made his career at PSG, with Leo in the team, in the two matches of the round of 16. On that occasion, the Canadian brought Rosario’s thirtieth jacket for his personal museum.

A victory with the seal of Maradona

June 20, in Atlanta, will be the second time that Argentina and Canada will meet in a soccer match. The only precedent dates back to May 24, 2010.when the North American team Work as a partner of the national team led by Diego Maradona in the last preparation match for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. A farewell party held at the Monumental and ended with a sensational 5-0 with a brace from Maxi Rodríguez and one between Di María, Tevez and Agüero.

The national team formed with Sergio Romero; Jonás Gutiérrez, Nicolás Burdisso, Nicolás Otamendi, Gabriel Heinze; Javier Mascherano; Maxi Rodríguez, Javuer Pastore, Ángel Di María; Gonzalo Higuaín and Carlos Tevez. Clemente Rodríguez, Mario Bolatti, Juan Sebastián Verón, Ariel Garcé, Martín Palermo and Sergio Agüero came on in the second half. Messi didn’t play a minute.

“Garcé, bring the alfajores”

Even that match, anecdotal for the result – Argentina would reach the quarter-finals of the African World Cup, where they clashed with Germany – left a pearl. The popular ingenuity of the fans left a message for history in the Argentine flag “Garcé, bring the alfajores,” dedicated to the former player of River and of Colon which was the big surprise in the list drawn up by Maradona.

I was having a great time, I couldn’t believe that I would travel and fulfill one of my dreams. One of the masseuses always brought me, she brought chorizos from Tandil or she brought alfajores, she told me, and then the thing with the flag in the stadium happened. At that moment, while we were singing the anthem, I saw the flag, but I didn’t understand. Then I understood and It was very witty, it was very good, it was really fun“, the defender said some time later in an interview with Carburetion in 2019.

“There was nothing that obscured the moment I was living: going to a World Cup at 30 years old, bringing friends who had never been to the coast, bringing my mother, my uncles, it was wonderful to live this experience,” he concluded Garcé. .