Canada vs Argentina: Your Guide to the Historic Copa America Semi-Final

The Canadian men’s soccer team faces a historic test on Tuesday night when it faces Argentina in the Copa America semi-finals.

The game kicks off at 8pm and fans in Canada can watch the game on TSN. Fans south of the border can watch the game on FS1.

This is the first time that Canada will participate in the oldest tournament in the world, which was traditionally contested by the 10 countries of South America before it was expanded to 12 teams. This year, six North American countries were invited to participate, with Canada being the only survivor.

There has been much talk in Canada about Tuesday’s game and the bars are likely to be packed with Canadian supporters.

Here’s what you need to know about the game.

How did Canada move forward?

Canada and Argentina were actually placed in one group and played their opening match of the tournament together.

The Canadians held the world’s No. 1 soccer team at bay for 45 minutes, but after the break attackers Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez both found the net to lead Argentina to a 2-0 victory.

Canada had a bit of luck in the next two games, as both Peru and Chile had players sent off, ultimately leaving only 10 men on the field.

However, the Canadian men were to take advantage of this and they defeated Peru 1-0 and held Chile to a 0-0 draw to advance to the quarter-finals.

In the quarterfinals, Canada faced Venezuela, where Jacob Shaffenburg gave the Canadians an early lead. It looked like Canada would hold on until the 64th minute, when Jose Rondon made a fool of Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Grapeau by firing a shot over his head from long range to tie the score.

But Grapeau made up for his mistake in the ensuing shootout, clearing two Venezuelan shooters to give Canada the win.

How did Argentina progress?

After beating Canada in their opening match, Argentina defeated Chile 1-0 before eliminating Peru 2-0. In their final group match, they rested several key players, including star midfielder Lionel Messi.

When they reached the knockout stage, they played against Ecuador, who were the first team to score against Argentina. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Argentina advancing on penalties.

The controversial opener

During the first meeting between Argentina and Canada, Canadian defender Moises Bombito was inundated with racist comments on social media after he tackled Messi hard towards the end of the match.

Canada Soccer expressed concern over the comments in a statement, saying it was “deeply disturbed by the racist comments made online and directed at one of our men’s national team players following tonight’s match.”

The governing bodies of North and South American football, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, also expressed their support and concern and said they would investigate the matter.

Three stars for Canada

Jacob Shaffelburg – the speedy Canadian brought an explosion of pride to Nova Scotia after scoring in the final game. Canada will need him to continue his combative play if they want to surprise the world’s best.

Alphonso Davies – the captain has led on the pitch with his play and calm demeanor. He currently plays for one of the best clubs in the world, Bayern Munich, but there are rumors that he will move to Spain this summer to play for Real Madrid.

Jonathan David – He is a prolific scorer for Lille, who play in the French top flight, with 71 goals in 146 games. Canada will be hoping he finds the net on Tuesday.

Three stars for Argentina

Lionel Messi – Though he’s slowed down a bit at 37, Messi still gave Canada everything it could handle in their first meeting. He’s still the engine for a team that’s currently the reigning world champion and Copa America champion.

Lautaro Martinez – He currently plays in Italy for Inter Milan. He has scored 103 goals in 206 games for the Italian club, also scoring one against Grapeau in the first meeting.

Alexis Mac Allister – The Liverpool midfielder can be a dominant force in midfield with his clever passing and thoughtful play

The chances

As you might guess when the highest ranked team in the world plays against a team ranked 48th, Argentina is the big favorite.

It is -700 to collect the winnings, which means you need to bet $700 to win $100. On the other hand, Canada is +700 to collect the surprise win.

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