On July 9, the first semifinal of the Copa América was played, where Canada faced Argentina after having met in the first round.
For this match, Jesse Marsch didn't set up the best game plan from the start, as his team was overwhelmed by an Argentina that had high possession and long balls that exploited the back of the Canadian defense.
A challenging match for Canada
This is how Argentina's first goal of the match came about, with Julián Álvarez scoring in the 22nd minute of the first half, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead going into halftime.
Toronto FC players did not have a significant impact in the match. Richie Laryea played 55 minutes, but lacked offensive impact as he played as a left midfielder rather than a lateral, with only 18 touches and poor ball movement. He completed only 7 passes with an 86% success rate.
Best of luck to our boys repping the 🍁 tonight 🫡 pic.twitter.com/e6eiwqLKD2
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) July 9, 2024
Jonathan Osorio came on in the 71st minute for Alfonso Davies, playing 19 minutes with 27 touches and an 83% pass accuracy, completing 20 out of 24 passes and creating a great chance during the match.
However, this was not enough for the Canadian team, as the match ended 2-0. Jesse Marsch's team woke up at the end of the match with several clear chances to score, but they were not able to convert.
READ MORE: The Need for a Strategic Change for Toronto FC
Toronto FC awaits its players to rejoin Herdman's squad
Canada's journey in the Copa América ends here, despite showing some very high points in the competition. Toronto FC players had important minutes for their country and are now expected to be available for the next week of games. John Herdman needs these players to bring their talent to the team and help turn around the negative streak the team has been experiencing.