Canada has secured a spot in the knockout stages of the Copa America for the first time after a tense 0-0 draw against a 10-man Chile. The two-time Copa America champions, Chile, needed a win to advance to the last eight, but their chances were severely hampered when Toulouse defender Gabriel Suazo received a second yellow card for a foul on Richie Laryea in the 28th minute.
Despite having a numerical advantage, Canada struggled to create offensive opportunities and instead focused on maintaining a clean sheet after Argentina’s victory ended any chance for Canada to finish as Group A winners.
“We could have made life so much easier on ourselves by finding a way to finish it off, but we knew Argentina scored at the beginning of the second half, so the key was to not give anything away,” said Canada’s coach Jesse Marsch. “I tried to encourage them to stay stable and balanced. It’s not just the goalkeeper and the defenders – the entire team has been very organised tactically, and disciplined.”
Marsch praised his team for being “very difficult to play against” and expressed his admiration for their progress. The result means Canada, competing in their first Copa America, has qualified for the knockout stages on their debut.
Chile, who won the tournament in 2015 and 2016, failed to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in 24 years. Canada will face the winner of Group B in their quarter-final clash on Saturday at 02:00 BST.
Argentina Finish Group Winners
Meanwhile, Argentina continued their perfect run in the group stage with a 2-0 victory over Peru. A brace from Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez ensured the World Cup holders finished five points clear of Canada at the top of Group A.
Martinez opened the scoring two minutes into the second half, netting for the third consecutive game. He secured his second goal three minutes from time after midfielder Leandro Paredes missed a penalty.
Lionel Messi missed the match due to a thigh injury but is expected to be fit for Friday’s quarter-final clash against the runners-up of Group B.
