Despite positive showing in Argentina loss, CanMNT no longer satisfied with moral victories: "We can do better"
It’s a tough feeling to manage - knowing that you’re right there with the world’s best, but just unable to navigate the fine line between competing with the best and beating the best.
At first, that feeling of being right there with the best sides was one that this CanMNT side didn’t mind.
When they reached the 2022 World Cup, for example, they knew those games were going to be a huge learning moment for the team. Having reached there by grinding through a tough slog of Concacaf World Cup qualifying, they knew that a step up in level awaited them in Qatar and that even moral victories could be valuable to them there, helping them in their journey as a team that wants to one day be among the top sides in the world.
And they certainly learned what that top level looks like in that tournament - losing 1-0 to Belgium despite a dominant performance showed the importance of being clinical in both boxes, losing 4-1 to Croatia showed the importance of maintaining tactical discipline, and a 2-1 loss to Morocco was a sign of what happens when you make mistakes against a top side.
With that, while Canada left Qatar without a win in their pocket, they took what they learned in stride and bottled it up as they prepared for what was next for them as a team.
Now, with over 18 months having passed since they left Qatar, they returned to a similar stage this week. Having qualified for the 2024 Copa América, they took on defending World Cup and Copa América champions, world #1, Argentina, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Thursday.
There, however, they ended up getting sunk by some of the same things that slowed them down in Qatar - they weren’t clinical enough in both boxes, they allowed the game to get too stretched, and then they made some mistakes that you can’t afford to make against a team led by Lionel Messi, Julian Alvárez and company. As a result, they fell 2-0 on the day, after having looked likely to surprise the world with a shock result in the early goings, instead being left with another frustrating result to stomach.
“I think we can do better,” Canada’s captain, Alphonso Davies, told OneSoccer’s Kristian Jack after the game. “Obviously, playing against the World champions, it was a tough match. In the first half we did well, and we had a couple of chances, but at this level, you have to finish your chances, and if you make little mistakes, they’ll punish you, and that’s what they did today.”
Is an 0-1-2 start for the #CanMNT under Jesse Marsch reason for optimism when considering the quality of opposition?
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 21, 2024
Or is there concern about scoring alongside almost endless transfer reports ahead of the summer window?
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And Davies is justified to feel frustrated, as his team was right there in the game. Is it harsh considering how his team were able to go toe-to-toe with an Argentinian side with just two losses since the summer of 2019? Absolutely, but as a captain and a leader, as well as someone who has played a lot of games at the highest level, Davies is spot-on with his assessment - it’s reasonable to be frustrated by a lack of execution in a game where Canada had the game right there for them to win.
Yet, that’s a sign of how the mentality of this team is changing. Just over 18 months ago, they were happy to be a team that shared the stage with the best, having not been at a World Cup in 36 years. That they were then able to compete with the best was a huge bonus for them, something they could take away from the tournament and look to grow from.
Now, however, they’re no longer satisfied with that mentality of being there with the best. To them, playing well against the top teams isn’t enough if they don’t execute their game plan and avoid simple mistakes, so to them, that loss with Argentina will sting because they didn’t fulfill those requirements to the level they would’ve liked.
“At the highest level, it's (key) to do simple things, to do them very well and be precise, and to not miss your chances,” Canada’s goalkeeper, Maxime Crépeau, told reporters after making six saves in the match, including a statement stop on Messi in the second half. “This is where you see that next level, they don't allow you to have one bad moment, one lapse of judgment or a lack of concentration, everything you do (wrong), even if it’s one mistake, you're going to pay, and that’s where you see the next level is.
But that shows the challenge that awaits this Canadian team - taking that next step. Before, the next step for them was to compete against the best, but that feels like that’s no longer enough for them - they’ve been there in matches against some pretty big teams now, having played the likes of Argentina, France, Netherlands, Morocco, Croatia, Belgium and more in the last few years.
Now sitting with a record of 1W-1D-7L in the nine games they’ve played against top 25 teams outside of Concacaf since the start of 2022, however, that shows that competing hasn’t been enough for them to win, something they’d like to do against those teams on a more regular basis.
Yet, it’s worth noting that they’re taking positive steps in that regard. For example, it might not mean much to them now, given that they don’t have a win to show for it, but in Canada’s last two games against Argentina and France, the latter of whom they drew 0-0 in a friendly last week, they did well to go toe-to-toe with the top two teams in the world right now.
Given that Canada has been working under a new manager, Jesse Marsch, who was only hired last month, some wondered if Canada might’ve gotten pummeled in those matches as they learned his system, making it positive to see them hold their own in both matches, only losing them by a combined scored of 2-0.
But that’s where it’s important to keep perspective when analyzing this Argentine loss. Frustration is understandable, given that losing despite competing has become an all-too-familiar feeling, but for a team learning under a new coach, just years removed from a reality where reaching the final round of World Cup qualifying was seen as a massive achievement, it’s important to remember how far the team has come to reach this point.
That isn’t lost on someone who has been there for a large part of that rise, defender Alistair Johnston, who played 90 minutes in his 43rd cap for Canada on Thursday and had an interesting answer when asked how to level where his team has come from to where they are now.
“It's difficult because when you’re a competitor and you're playing at this level, you can't help but look forward,” Johnston told OneSoccer. “But it is true, when you look back to just a couple of years ago, to see where we were, to see where we are now - today we're frustrated that we didn't get a result against Argentina at the Copa América - you tell us that three years ago and people wouldn't believe that, but the same time, that's sports, that's football.”
“So we’re excited to be in this position, we know how fortunate we are and how talented this group is, and that's (also) the biggest frustration, but we're still young, we're learning and we can take that next step, but that next step is the hardest step - playing against these top, top teams, and instead of just being out there and going toe-to-toe with them, but then going and getting results.”
“That’s the next step, and it's the hardest step, but we need to find a way (to win), find a way to figure out what that’s going to take, and I think that under Jesse (Marsch) with his system, how he wants to play and how we finetune things, I think we’re going to be in a really good place going through this tournament and leading up to 2026.”
ON LOCATION 📍
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 21, 2024
Kristian Jack signs off from Atlanta as the #CanMNT 🇨🇦 kicked off the 2024 Copa America with a commendable showing vs. Argentina 🇦🇷 – and with plenty to be proud of after 90' ✨
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Plus, as Johnston acutely noted afterwards, it’s worth noting that this team is in a completely different place now than it was at the World Cup, too.
Marsch has stressed that since his arrival, insisting that he wants to raise the standards for this team, as he wants losses like this to sting.
Despite having every reason to suggest that his team is learning a new system against top teams, he’s instead insisted that this challenge has provided his side with valuable lessons, as they’ve now gotten a glimpse of what his system can look like at its best, while also seeing what happens when it's not executed properly against top teams.
“I think it's exactly what we needed,” Johnston said of his team’s difficult onboarding process. “Because this system is one where I think that if you're using it against the minnows of Concacaf, I'm not sure that we’d be getting the true understanding of what the system entails because you can get away with cheating or maybe taking some shortcuts, versus when you play against these top teams, you realize that if you don't do it things at 100%, if you're just 1% or 2% off, or if one guy is not completely committed, it can really go to s*** quickly, pardon my language.”
“But that's what we understand now, and it’s been really good, you can see it in all the matches, when one guy is off it, or someone is leaning on the more passive side rather than the aggressive side, all of a sudden, yeah, you can take four against the Netherlands, you can take two against Argentina, and that's what we've learned, and that’s been the biggest thing for us, is that when playing against these top, top teams, you realize (our system) works against the top teams, but also if you come off it for a second, it can get ugly, but that's world-class football.”
“We want to be playing in these matches, and kudos to Canada Soccer for sorting those games out with these friendlies before, because it prepared us mentally and physically for this tournament, so now it's about taking those next steps and hopefully getting out of the group.”
Because of that, look for this Canadian side to take what they’ve learned from their first three games under their new head coach, and apply it to what’s next for them, and that’s two crucial group stage games against Peru and Chile. If they’re to get out of their group, as is their goal, at least one win in those games will be needed, if not two, which won’t be easy against two veteran-savvy teams.
As a result, they’ll need to continue to embrace Marsch’s aggressive tactical style and take all of those key lessons to heart.
But as they continue their tactical growth, especially defensively, there is one area of focus that stands out after this Argentina game, and it’s one that has haunted them for a while now - scoring goals in big games.
Despite a strong offensive showing that saw them generate 1.16 xG, two big chances and a few more looks that could’ve been recognized as key opportunities, Canada left this game with no goals to show for their offensive efforts.
For those who watched them at the World Cup, it was a game eerily similar to their performance against Belgium, where they generated over 2.4 xG and even had a penalty but somehow left that game without scoring, as they lost a game they shouldn’t have just won, but won dominantly, too.
In this game, it wasn’t quite as extreme - Canada weren’t as dominant as they were in that Belgium game, as Argentina put in a much better performance than Belgium did - but this game was there for the taking if Canada could have scored.
Especially in the first half, where Canada left with an edge in xG (0.77-0.44) and were even in shots (7-7), scoring then could’ve completely altered the game. For example, if Stephen Eustáquio didn’t have a dangerous shot blocked or another one saved, or if Tajon Buchanan sorted his feet out on another attempt, Canada could’ve set themselves up for a cagey second half, which would’ve played to their favour.
Instead, their lack of goals allowed Argentina to regroup at half time, leading them to open the score just three minutes after the break. From there, Canada had to open up the game as they chased an equalizer after doing well to sit compactly in the first half, and that led to near-disastrous results, as Argentina eventually found their second and could’ve scored several more, as they had 2.58 xG and a whopping seven big chances in the second half alone.
It's over - the #CanMNT fall 2-0 to 🇦🇷 in the Copa América opener
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) June 21, 2024
Once again, 🇨🇦impresses by going toe-to-toe with a giant, but once again, they're also let down by their own finishing
That's the next step against big teams - taking chances+turning strong showings into points
Had Canada scored in the first half, they could’ve kept things tight and looked to hit on the counter, but instead, they were left to open up the game against a team with the weapons to hurt them.
Yet, this isn’t a new issue - in those aforementioned nine games against top 25 non-Concacaf opposition, Canada now has scored just five goals despite generating 10.35 xG, giving an idea of how significant their woes in front of goal have been in big games.
That’s key because, in games at the highest level, it’s crucial to take your chances, which Canada has struggled to do.
Canada’s got players who should be able to thrive in big games - Jonathan David and Cyle Larin have poured goals in for this team over the years, Davies has played and scored in massive games for club and country, Tajon Buchanan loves the big stage, and there are names off the bench who can also help out. But of those names, Davies is the only one to score in those nine games against top 25 non-Concacaf opposition - Steven Vitória, Lucas Cavallini, Junior Hoilett and an own goal are Canada’s four other scorers in those matches - none of those three names are even in this current squad.
But that shows Marsch’s big challenge - trying to get his key offensive pieces going in these games. Be it a tactical tweak, a personnel change, or something else, it feels like he may have to try something new to get them to shine in those big games.
At the same time, he’s also preaching patience, even as his side chases their first goal under his tutelage. As most coaches will say, he’d rather have his team miss chances than not create any at all, as typically teams who generate chances turn them into goals over time, so Marsch does also feel his team is close to turning a corner, and he’s not the only one who feels the same.
“I'm not too concerned about not finishing,” Marsch said. “I know that over time when you create those kinds of quality chances, you're going to score enough goals. We have enough quality on the pitch, we’ve got to focus on the details of how to tactically be sharper and cleaner and not to give away such easy chances. It felt like it was a match where we had to work and earn our opportunities, and we sometimes gave them things that were too simple and too easy. So if we can clean that up a little bit, then we’ll have better control of matches, even against the best teams.”
“My guys know exactly what to do,” Crépeau confidently added. “I think once we put one in, it’s going to flow.”
The #CanMNT are being made to WAIT for that first goal under Jesse Marsch, my goodness
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) June 21, 2024
Now, it's Jonathan David who misses a chance that he'll want back after a perfect cross from Jacob Shaffelburg
But now, Canada won’t have too much time to dwell on what they learned from this Argentina game as they get set for their next test, which comes against Peru in Kansas City on Tuesday.
Having now survived their three-game gauntlet to begin Marsch’s tenure, with Netherlands, France and Argentina in the rearview mirror, there’s no reason why they can’t take a big step forward now.
They’ll have to be careful against Peru, but if they can maintain the level they showed against Argentina, and maybe even turn it up a notch, there’s no reason why they can’t win that game and put themselves in a good position to potentially reach the knockout stages.
And based on how Marsch sees his first three games in charge, it’s hard to imagine this Canadian team slowing down in their pursuit of that next level, so now, it’s up to prove they can get closer to the place they want to be by learning from their mistakes against Argentina, cleaning them up in time for that Peru match.
“In general, we wanted to be stronger, I've tried to set high standards for the team in terms of what it's going to take to be good, and to develop into the team we want to be,” Marsch said of his first three games in charge. “These three opponents have shown and proven to our team that what I'm telling them is valuable and valid. And so we have to use it in all of the right ways. The key for us with where we sit right now is to focus on Peru, to learn from what we can from these matches, but not think that just because Peru's not in the top 10 in the world, this game is going to be easy, because it won't. So we have to prepare for another real fight and make sure we can be even better.”
“We have a lot of confidence,” Davies added. “Going into the game we had a lot of confidence, and playing the way we did, despite losing the game, despite having these mental breaks and errors in the game, we’ll keep our heads high, we know there are two games to go and hopefully we can get some results.”
