CanMNT looking to continue growth amid challenge of facing Argentina in Copa América opener: "We know it's going to be difficult"
It’s been quite the challenge for Jesse Marsch to take on in his first few weeks in charge of the CanMNT - how does one onboard a new tactical game plan while playing matches at the highest level?
To start, it looked to be something that might take time. A 4-0 loss to the 7th-ranked Netherlands in Marsch’s first game in charge suggested that might be the case, as despite showing well to start the match, they quickly lost control of proceedings en route to a heavy defeat.
But then quickly, those ideas started to take hold in time for Canada’s next match, a clash against 2nd-ranked France in Bordeaux, in which Canada were able to claw out a surprise 0-0 draw. Not only that, but they did that while looking organized off the ball and filled with more ideas of when to push the play forward, too, after looking out of sorts in all of those areas for portions of the game against the Netherlands.
A New Beginning | On Guard: CANMNT | EP3 | Presented by @CIBC
— CANMNT (@CANMNT_Official) June 16, 2024
The third CANMNT episode of the Canada Soccer Originals series "On Guard", follows the team during Jesse Marsch's first camp, in friendlies against Holland and France.
Link to full episode below 👇
With that, it showed that this process might not take as long as expected, which is great news as they get set for their biggest test yet - the start of the 2024 Copa América, which kicks off this week when Canada takes on defending World Cup and Copa América winners, Argentina, at a sold-out Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, on Thursday.
The first of three group stage matches that await them in this tournament, as they’ll then play Peru on June 25th, before rounding things off with a match against Chile on June 29th, this Argentina game represents quite the test for this Canadian side, one unlike many they’ve faced before.
To play a team of that magnitude, in the opening game of a competitive tournament - these are the exact sort of matches this Canadian team has long dreamed of playing in, but haven’t always gotten the chance to do so, so they want to make the most of the opportunity to continue their growth under their new coach on such a stage.
“We have such a high level of respect for their team,” Marsch said of Argentina. “We know about the quality of their players, we've done a lot of preparation individually, so our players know a lot about the qualities of their players now, too.”
“Now, we've tried to educate them on what that looks like as a team, to make sure that we understand what our approach is, what our tactics are and what our match plan is.”
“When he first came in, (Marsch) had a game plan for us in Europe to try to execute,” Canada’s Alphonso Davies, who was named this week as the latest CanMNT captain, added on his end. “Playing against the Netherlands, it didn’t go so well, but against France, we started to learn more and more about his tactics. This is a competition we want to win, we know that it’s going to be difficult, but the boys are invested in what he’s telling us, and are ready to go.”
Certainly, Marsch’s approach to this game reflects those sentiments. Disappointed not to get more time with his team between their match with France on the 9th and this match, as his players had a pre-planned break before meeting up in Atlanta later that week, he made up for that time lost with an intense week of preparation leading into this Argentina match.
From tough fitness sessions to competitive drills (the former of which drew a dry smile from Davies when asked just how much fitness he’s done this week) hardly a detail has been spared to ensure Canada is best prepared for this match.
Having learned some valuable lessons in those matches against the Netherlands and France, such as the importance of their fitness to how they play, knowing when and how to press, when to stick together defensively, and being decisive in transition, there’s no better way to test all of what they learned than in this match.
At the same time, they know what awaits them in these matches, too. Not only will they be three tough games due to the talent of the three sides they’ll play, but also in terms of the intensity at which they’ll be played, as all three teams will be expected to fight tooth and nail for anything, such is the nature of playing in a tournament like this.
“Yeah, I think the training sessions have been harder,” Marsch offered. “We've been together more, we had to put everything together quickly before the (Netherlands) match, we had some MLS players arriving late, and there were many new themes and topics (to broach) such as tactics and leadership. But I think they responded well, they’re eager to try to learn as we move forward in our ability to execute, which has grown in the time we’ve been together.”
“Here, we've pushed the fitness, we've pushed our mentality, and we've pushed our level of training, because we know that that's what we require for a tournament setting like this where we’re playing three South American teams who we know are experienced, who we know are savvy, who we know are difficult to play against and physical, so our mindset has been to make sure that we’re prepared for what these opponents will provide."
Training Uncut | CANMNT prepare for Copa América opener against Argentina
— CANMNT (@CANMNT_Official) June 18, 2024
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Training Uncut | CANMNT se prépare pour son match d'ouverture de la Copa América contre l'Argentine.
Link to full video below👇 //
Lien vers la vidéo complète ci-dessous👇
And that will be on full display in this Argentina match. Not only will they be an incredibly tough test for Canada due to the talent at their disposal, but due to their mentality as a group, as that’s arguably been the big reason for their recent run of success.
At the same time, there’s also one key factor worth noting, and that one will be at the top of Canadian minds when this game kicks off - how to stop Lionel Messi, Argentina’s captain, best player and global superstar, who is regarded by many as the best player to have played the game, and for good reason as his list of accomplishments is dizzying enough to make one faint.
Because of that, it’ll be fascinating to see how Canada deals with that sort of threat, as it’ll be unlike anything they’ve ever dealt with. Yet, there’s no easy answer to how they might be best suited to tackle the challenge of stopping Messi, as it’s been one that many teams before them have tried and failed to do.
If you try to mark Messi tightly, he’ll dribble past you. If you give him too much space, he can tear you apart with a shot or pass. If you triple-team him, he’ll find his open teammates.
Safe to say, it means there’s no perfect way to stop him, unless he has an off day, of which he doesn’t have many, making it interesting to see which tactics Canada chooses to employ to try and slow him down.
For what it’s worth, having seen him first-hand in the past, Marsch has some ideas of his own, and he spoke about that when asked.
“Yeah, I think the challenge with Messi is not just with his quality, but his ability to move around in the game - he doesn't just show up in the same places all the time,” Marsch said. “He’s very clever about coming underneath, and how he moves off the back line. Then, anytime he gets on the ball, the way he can create combinations, provide confidence (to his teammates), pause (the game), and then show his quality, it’s very unique, right? This is what makes him the best player to ever play the game.”
“So there are clear things we need to address with him. But the key is to be always aware of where he is and make sure that he's not left in open space, and that we're able to close down his space and try to make things difficult for him. I've coached against him a few times and had some success, but then he still always finds a way to make a difference, because his quality is so amazing. So that will be the big challenge for us.”
“Overall, we know that there isn’t just (Messi), there’s the whole team, too,” Davies added. “They have dangerous players, so we’re going to defend well as a team and then try and win our one-on-one battles, for sure.”
Despite the challenge of playing Messi and company, however, that doesn’t mean that all of Canada’s preparation will be on nullifying Argentina, as they’ll continue to focus on their own growth, too.
And there, they know that a lot of work lies ahead if they’re to become the team that Marsch thinks they can be in the future. But given that this Canadian team is only about to play their third game under their new manager, that’s not surprising and provides some important context worth remembering - their growth may still take time, even if the recent France draw provided a sign that things were ahead of schedule. 
Because of that, look for them to continue that growth, as they’ve got areas of their game where they want to see more of.
For example, with Canada yet to score in their two games under Marsch, getting going offensively will be a big priority, as they’ll need to score goals if they’re to reach the knockout stages of this tournament. Given some of the names they have offensively, from Davies to Jonathan David, Tajon Buchanan, Liam Millar, Cyle Larin and more, they’ve got the weapons to pour in the goals, but are still working on how to put things together, as that showed.
Yet, that’s just one of the many things they’ll look to tighten up in their game, as they continue to push towards their final form as a team.
Calm before the ⛈️ //
— CANMNT (@CANMNT_Official) June 19, 2024
Le calme avant la ⛈️#CANMNT #CopaAmerica pic.twitter.com/dWaWYapW23
Now, they’ll look to build on what they’ve shown so far under their new coach and make the most of this opportunity against Argentina, knowing how valuable it can be for a team like themselves to push forward.
It may end in triumph, or it may end in disaster, but they’ll at least give it an honest go, and then go from there.
“In both matches, we had some good moments of possession,” Marsch reflected. “It’s not a full departure, what we're trying to do with the ball, from some of the things that have been done here in the past and the foundation that's been laid. So that transition into what we want to develop as we move forward has been relatively smooth. Certainly, we're trying to be more aggressive and effective in transition moments, against the French in the second half, specifically, if we could have been a little bit sharper in a couple of moments, maybe we could have found a way to get the lead with a goal and then maybe get a win.”
“But I know that with the offensive quality we have on the pitch, and the dynamic players that we have, we will score goals. So everything has been about (building) the structure and the connection of what we're trying to do, and then understanding how to execute it at a high level. That’s where these opponents have been challenging for me, at least in terms of how to create a standard for what's necessary for us in our pathway, but also for the players to execute.”
“But I’ll tell you that based on our first two matches, it was much better than I could have hoped for going into this process, so now I think we’re stronger for it, I think there's a high level of belief, and now we have a chance to face a big test once more and see how we hold up, see if we can execute, and I believe that we'll have a good match, a good start and that the team will show confidence in an incredibly difficult situation.”
