Peru vs. Canada
Copa América 2024 — Group A
June 25, 2024 at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas
Watch Live: OneSoccer & TVA Sports

The Copa América group stage continues for Canada on Tuesday evening in Kansas City, where the men’s national team will take on Peru in search of their first major tournament win.

Despite a losing start against Argentina, it’s easy to believe Canada will walk into this game with a great deal of confidence. They may have fallen 2-0 to the world champions in the tournament opener, but Les Rouges turned a lot of heads in that match, which could have unfolded very differently had they been able to finish one or two of the quality chances they created. Of course, they also required some disciplined defending as well as a few world-class last-ditch saves from Max Crépeau to keep Lionel Messi et al. from finding the net more than they did.

The time has come for real victories to replace moral ones, though, and Canada are desperate for their first win under Jesse Marsch, not only to prove they can turn a performance into a result, but also for the more concrete reason that they remain legitimate candidates to advance to the knockout stages from Group A.

So too, however, are Peru. Jorge Fossati’s side are the second-highest ranked team in Group A by the latest FIFA world rankings, sitting 31st — ahead of Chile in 40th and Canada in 48th. Their Copa América campaign, however, began with a somewhat frustrating 0-0 draw against the Chileans, where neither side was able to score but they certainly took a chunk out of one another, with a combined 37 fouls in the match.

That result was a good one for Canada, who now know for sure that a win and a draw in their final two group stage games would get them into the knockout rounds, as long as Argentina can also win their next two.

The Peruvians are currently on a six-game unbeaten streak, although they sit at the bottom of the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying table with an 0-2-4 record and just two points after the first six games. They managed draws against Paraguay and Venezuela last autumn, but have lost the rest, including once to Chile.

Perhaps similarly to Canada, it’s been a slightly disappointing last two years for Peru, who were surprise inter-confederation play-off qualifiers from CONMEBOL ahead of the 2022 World Cup — although they were deprived of a trip to Qatar by Australia, who won the play-in match on penalties.

Since then, Peru have made two coaching changes, as Juan Reynoso lasted just over a year before they landed on Uruguayan manager Fossati who has led them since late December 2023.

Canada have played Peru twice before, but didn’t score in either. They drew 0-0 in Lima back in 1988, and the Peruvians won 2-0 at BMO Field in a 2010 friendly.

For Canada, Marsch has already begun to make an imprint despite only working with the group since the beginning of June. Helping them become a stronger tactical unit so quickly has been the consistency in his lineup; the same 10 outfield players have started all three matches under Marsch, the only change being Maxime Crépeau taking over in goal — which he will not be relinquishing anytime soon after his outstanding performance against Argentina.

It’s therefore very likely that Canada go with the same starting XI against Peru. That said, there are a couple players on the outside making cases to be included, most notably Jacob Shaffelburg, who was excellent when he came on last match. Tajon Buchanan hasn’t been in the best of form on the right side of the pitch recently, but it still seems unlikely he’ll be dropped just yet — although the leash may be short, with Shaffelburg ready to explode off the bench.

Although Canada have looked good in their games against the top two teams in the world, this will be a very different, scrappier kind of test where they’ll have to be ready for an ugly fight. They have to prove they can score against more evenly-matched opposition, and that they have what it takes to put together results in tournament football.

It’s not as flashy a test as Argentina, but it’s no less important for Canada.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Peru: Gallese; Araujo, Zambrano, Abram; Polo, Pena, Cartagena, Quispe, Lopez; Flores, Lapadula

Canada: Crépeau; Johnston, Bombito, Cornelius, Davies; Shaffelburg, Eustáquio, Koné, Millar; David, Larin

ALL-TIME SERIES

Peru wins: 1 || Canada wins: 0 || Draws: 1

Last meeting:

Sept. 4, 2010 – Canada 0-2 Peru

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Mario Escobar (GUA)
ARs: Luis Ventura (GUA) & Humberto Panjoj (GUA)
4th Official: Augusto Aragon (ECU)
VAR: Juan Soto (VEN)