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Jonathan Osorio controls the ball in the first half of the Copa América third place match against Uruguay. (Photo: Canada Soccer)
CanMNT finish fourth at Copa América with heartbreaking shootout defeat to Uruguay
2024-07-13
by
Benedict Rhodes, CanPL.ca Contributor (@BTFR17)
Canada Soccer CanMNT National Teams

Final Score: Canada 2-2 Uruguay (3-4 on pens.)
Goalscorers: Koné 22′, David 80′; Bentancur 8′, Suárez 90+2′
Copa América Third Place Match

A memorable run at Copa América ended in heartbreaking fashion for the Canadian men’s national team on Saturday night, as they fell in the third place game to Uruguay in a penalty shootout despite leading after 90 minutes.

Canada had a decent start in the first few moments of the match, but it was Uruguay who took advantage of an early set piece to open the scoring in just the eighth minute. The ball fell to Rodrigo Bentancur after a corner kick was curled into the box, and the midfielder did well to turn and fire a powerful shot over the head of Dayne St. Clair and into the roof of the net from close range.

Canada battled back and eventually tied things up in the 22nd minute on an incredible goal from Ismaël Koné.

Jacob Shaffelburg sent a high and deep cross to the back post from the corner flag, where Moïse Bombito headed it forward. Koné jumped and masterfully volleyed the ball over his head with a scissor kick that saw the ball sail over the head of Uruguayan goalkeeper Sergio Rochet and into the back of the net — a moment of quality from the best player on the pitch on Saturday night.

A minute after Canada scored, Facundo Pellistri thought he gave Uruguay the lead again instantly, picking out the bottom left corner of the Canadian net after a quick move up the pitch. The goal was called back for offside, however, and both sides got back to work.

Canada went back on the front foot after that scare, coming dangerously close to scoring on a couple of occasions at the end of the half. After making a run across the box, Tani Oluwaseyi jumped to meet a cross from Ali Ahmed. Oluwaseyi’s header sent the ball back across the box toward the direction it came from, but his effort sailed past the top right corner of the Uruguayan net.

Jonathan Osorio beat goalkeeper Sergio Rochet moments later, having an initial effort saved before heading the rebound toward goal, but Nahitan Nández made a great defensive play to clear the ball off the goal line and keep the match tied at one goal apiece going into halftime.

By starting a rotated side, making six changes from the semifinal defeat to Argentina, Jesse Marsch was able to bring some heavy hitters off the bench against a tiring Uruguayan side, including Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, and Derek Cornelius within moments of each other just after the hour mark — all of whom have been regular starters under Marsch to this point in his tenure.

Cornelius made a couple of huge defensive plays just after coming on, including a massive slide tackle to clear the ball off the foot of Luis Suárez, before lunging to block a shot from Brian Rodríguez. Davies tried to pick out the bottom right corner of the Uruguayan net with a driven, low shot from distance, but a slight touch from centre-back José Giménez deflected the ball just wide of the mark for a Canadian corner.

David put Canada in front with ten minutes to go, scoring his second goal of the tournament. Koné was again a factor in a key moment, making a great run to drive Canada up the pitch before hitting the target with a powerful shot. After Rochet made the initial shot, David made no mistake with a low shot that found the bottom right corner before he and his teammates wheeled away in celebration.

Uruguay pushed hard for an equalizer, and St. Clair made a huge save in stoppage time to keep Canada’s lead intact, but moments later Luis Suárez scored an equalizer to send the match straight to penalties. In what could be his final match for La Celeste, Suárez got onto the end of a low pass across the box and picked out the top left corner to tie things up at 2-2.

The Uruguayans were clinical in the shootout, scoring all four of their penalties. David and Bombito scored Canada’s first two, before Koné was unable to find the back of the net. Mathieu Choinière thumped home his effort in the fourth round to keep Canada in it, pumping his fists after it rocketed past the goalkeeper, before Alphonso Davies made a questionable decision to chip Canada’s fifth penalty — which came back out off the crossbar, ending the match.

The 15-time Copa América champions Uruguay, currently ranked 14th in the world, celebrated their dramatic come-from-behind victory, while the disappointed Canadians looked stunned at what had unfolded.

It was a disappointing end to a memorable few weeks for Jesse Marsch and Canada, but they should hold their heads high after challenging several of the best teams in the world en route to a fourth-place finish few people outside Canada thought possible.

 

Box Score

Lineups

Canada: St. Clair; Johnston (Davies 62′), de Fougerolles (Cornelius 67′), Bombito, Laryea; Koné, Choinière; Ahmed (Millar 77′), Osorio (Bair 77′), Shaffelburg; Oluwaseyi (David 67′)

Uruguay: Rochet; Nández, Giménez, Cáceres, Viña (Olaza 66′); Valverde, Ugarte (de Arrascaeta 46′), Bentancur; Pellistri (Rodríguez 61′), Núñez (Suárez 46′), Araújo (Olivera 61′)

Goals

8′ — Rodrigo Bentancur (Uruguay)
22′ — Ismaël Koné (Canada)
80′ — Jonathan David (Canada)
90+2′ — Luis Suárez (Uruguay) 

Discipline

6′ — Yellow: Luc de Fougerolles (Canada)
26′ — Yellow: Matías Viña (Uruguay)
63′ — Yellow: Tani Oluwaseyi (Canada)
78′ — Yellow: Ismaël Koné (Canada)
85′ — Yellow: Rodrigo Bentancur (Uruguay)
Shootout — Yellow: Dayne St. Clair (Canada)

Penalty Shootout

  1. Canada: Jonathan David (GOAL)
    Uruguay: Federico Valverde (GOAL)
  2. Canada: Moïse Bombito (GOAL)
    Uruguay: Rodrigo Bentancur (GOAL)
  3. Canada: Ismaël Koné (MISS)
    Uruguay: Giorgian de Arrascaeta (GOAL)
  4. Canada: Mathieu Choinière (GOAL)
    Uruguay: Luis Suárez (GOAL)
  5. Canada: Alphonso Davies (MISS)

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Ismaël Koné, Canada

This sport can be a cruel one sometimes. Despite missing a pivotal penalty in the shootout, Ismaël Koné was the best player on the pitch on Saturday night, scoring an outstanding goal to tie the match and then playing a key role in the buildup to Jonathan David’s strike that gave Canada the lead. It is no secret that Koné is expected to be a key player for many years to come, and he showed why in this match..

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