VAMOS! REACTION: Best quotes from CanMNT's Jesse Marsch, Alphonso Davies | Presented by Degree
Canadian men's national team head coach Jesse Marsch and captain Alphonso Davies spoke to the press after Canada's 2024 Copa America opening 2-0 defeat to Argentina, and if there’s one key takeaway here, it’s that the warmth of pyrrhic victories for Canada is perhaps not as strong as it once was.
Davies looked a little startled for a moment when he was called, simply, ‘Captain.’
"First half, we did well defensively," he responded when asked about Canada’s performance. "But at this level, you have to finish your chances. If you make a little mistake, they’ll punish you."
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Alphonso Davies checks in with OneSoccer's Kristian Jack following the #CanMNT's valiant 2024 Copa America opening effort vs. Argentina – and his shirt-swap w/ Lionel Messi after the final whistle
▶️ Watch 𝙑𝘼𝙈𝙊𝙎! POST-GAME, Presented by @Degree on OS YouTube pic.twitter.com/tBVDwyUVyY
That’ll doubtless include that rebound he sent flying over the net off of Stephen Eustaquio’s first-half header. Coach Marsch said something similar: "We’re performing better than I hoped... but we’re making more simple mistakes than I had hoped."
The Numbers System
When he dove further into specifics, Marsch took to his habit of assigning every metric of performance his own personal rating.
"Our organization in all phases of the game was pretty good," he said. "Tactically, the understanding… of how everything fits together was like an 8/10 for me, but it needs to be a 10/10."
What about on defense?
"Some of our aggressive moments where we were closing balls and eliminating space was somewhere like a 7 or 8/10. Our ability to create chances against a good defensive team was also better than expected."
Maybe Canada could’ve inflated those numbers a little by capitalizing on those chances.
HUGE CHANCE 😱
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 9, 2024
Liam Millar nearly catches Mike Maignan with a curling top-corner shot, but the crossbar is no friend to the #CanMNT and we're still level at 0-0 vs. France 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/D0mtRzISbs
"If we could find the lead..." Marsch offered, bemoaning similar missed opportunities against the Netherlands and France, "...we would maybe be able to see how we can hold up in that kind of pressure."
Reclaiming intensity
Marsch expressed some surprise at the energy level of the Atlanta crowd, standing some 71,000 strong.
"The crowd wasn’t as into it as I thought they were gonna be, I think partly because our performance was good," he said. "It took them a while to get into the match because we didn’t give much away. Our defensive stability was one of the reasons why."
Davies attributed this to a striking confidence that could certainly be seen in Canadian spells of possession during the first half.
"We had a lot of confidence going into the game, also playing as well as we did despite losing the game," he offered. "Despite having these little mental breaks and errors in the game, we keep our head high knowing there’s two games to go."
We didn’t get a quote from goalkeeper Max Crepeau, who stared down far too many nail biting Argentinian attacking movements for comfort. The captain sure appreciated him, though:
"Max Crepeau stood on his head for us," Davies said, with a smile. "1-v-1 with one of the top attackers in the world and he did well."
Speaking of which, it was Davies who got yet another Messi shirt to add to his collection.
"Being on the pitch, playing against him was truly a blessing."
What comes next?
Canada will have to wait four more days before they face off against Peru at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.
That gives them an advantageous day of rest over the Peruvians, who have to play Chile tonight at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Make sure to tune in to VAMOS! Presented by Degree on OneSoccer and the OS YouTube channel for more
