Who were the 4 biggest surprises of the tournament for Canada at the 2024 Copa America? | VAMOS! Presented by Degree
Canada will play Uruguary for third place at the 2024 Copa America on Saturday, in a match that may be little more than a consolation prize, but continues to offer supporters valuable insight into what the future of this team could look like, too.
Despite a valiant effort, the Canadian men's national team couldn’t eke out a result against the literal world champions Argentina, and in the midst of performances from our top players that didn’t seem up to snuff all tournament long, I think a lot of people were pleasantly surprised at the efficacy of our depth pieces that were often labeled the weakest points on Canada’s team.
That was perhaps most evident against Argentina, against whom Jesse Marsch turned to his bench considerably early on. A tournament debut for Mathieu Choiniere, a slew of Tani Oluwaseyi dashes into open space and a scintillating half-hour from Ali Ahmed hastened Argentina into a conservative shape as the clock wound down.
So, who were the pleasant surprises of this tournament?
Certainly, Jacob Shaffelburg?
Still the standout of the tournament even if he didn’t have the game he wanted against (literal world champions) Argentina. There’s something magical about entertaining players given the freedom to embrace all their eccentricities. Jesse Marsch’s tactics were so closely aligned with Shaffelburg’s sensibilities that it’s no surprise that smile seldom left his face.
“The style of play just kind of fits,” Shaffelburg said of Marsch’s instructions, “He tells me just to run in behind… [and] that’s like all I want to do in general.”
And I think that’s what stood out this tournament. People see Shaffelburg’s blistering pace and assume his game is all about taking defenders on and charging in from deep. He’s good at that, and his best moments prior to this tournament happened to be him doing that. But his pace this tournament has been more of a vehicle for astute, split-second decisions in the final third, best accentuated by his goal against Venezuela.
Canada take an early lead in their quarter final match vs Venezuela!#CopaAmerica2024 #VENCAN pic.twitter.com/t1O9hyMze8
— Stadium Astro 🇲🇾 (@stadiumastro) July 6, 2024
Pace, by itself, is a wonderful asset off the ball. It’s what allowed Shaffelburg to leave Aramburu in the dust for the umpteenth time. Note, though, how Shaff makes the perfect decision once he gets into the right spot. Ferraresi, the centre-back, is justly confused as to why this tuft of blonde is suddenly standing behind him, unmarked.
Shaffelburg slows down just when his priorities are totally skewed - should I be worried that Jonathan David is about to cross over my CB partner, or should I commit to this new externality I’ve only had a split second to process? It’s a difficult question for any defender, and it’s one Ferraresi answers a little too late. It provided the perfect window to receive David’s pass and to poke it past Romo.
If Shaffelburg is something close to the one we’ve seen glimpses of this tournament, and not the one competing with Tyler Boyd for Nashville minutes, I contend it will be his off-ball movement that sets him apart.
Ever-reliable, Derek Cornelius?
I was much too ready to be skeptical about the Derek Cornelius Malmo fans have been lauding, loudly. This being the same Derek Cornelius cast over the ocean, out from the Whitecaps system - this Derek Cornelius suddenly, supposedly too physically imposing to be playing in the Swedish Allsvenskan. My philosophy is generally to listen to the jeers or the plaudits of hometown fans, who have an incentive to be brutally honest about our pet players. And still, I couldn’t help but wonder whether there was something strange going on - whether Malmo’s ridiculous possession numbers were shielding him from adversity - whether he was piggybacking off a steady Pontus Jansson.
To my great delight, Cornelius came essentially as advertised - calm, composed and thoroughly capable of bullying target men off the ball. I’m not sure there’s an easy narrative about how he improved as a defender - in his Vamos! interview with Oli Platt, he was much more keen to speak about his growth as a person than as a footballer.
But he’s absolutely stolen the reins in the central defense.
That isn't to say there aren't some kinks to iron out in the Cornelius-Bombito partnership, even as they complimented each other beautifully. Given his record in the air, even next to the taller Jansson, Cornelius ceded more aerial contests to Bombito than you’d expect. They continually played a dangerous gamble that relied on Bombito’s pace to make up lost ground, that worked until it didn’t against Argentina
Sources tell @TSN_Sports, moves for #CanMNT defenders Moïse Bombito and Derek Cornelius are gaining momentum. French giants Lyon are ready to offer Colorado around $5 million for Bombito. First it was Copenhagen for Cornelius, now French teams are interested, too @TSN_Sports
— Matthew Scianitti (@TSNScianitti) July 9, 2024
In the space of a month, though, they seem to share a chemistry we never really experienced in this Canadian backline, even at our peak in World Cup Qualifying. Cornelius is being linked just about everywhere under the sun - you have to think there comes a point Malmo are offered too many Krona to ignore.
Tani Oluwaseyi, striker no. 3?
It became a matter of time 'til Tani time, 'til half the fanbase wanted him to start against Argentina. If you look at his player ratings on WhoScored or Sofascore, you’ll see a lot of scary colours around some pretty putrid numbers. That’s because Tani generated 1.33 XG in all of 66 Copa minutes and player rating models like to punish you for having the gall to create chances that you don’t convert.
That 1.33 number is bigger, mind you, than the XG Cyle Larin generated all tournament - and I say that, until recently, as chief Larin stan. Tani moves in such a way, with a centre-back draped over him, with the ball stuck at his feet, that it’s no wonder how he’s terrorized MLS in his young professional career.
The question mark, I would argue, has less to do with the whiffed chances and more to do with his involvement outside the final third. We knew his hold-up play was unusual to say the least - with Minnesota he’s reluctant to take the ball, and though his expected and actual assists still inexplicably stand nearly atop the league for strikers, he’s not ambitious in his passing unless he’s confident he can put a brilliant through ball into play.
Even if a pure poacher is all he is, he did an admirable job at poaching with the time he had. If all those green charts weren’t enough to convince you that Tani sure seems like the real deal, I don’t know how you could come to any other conclusion after seeing him here.
Ali Ahmed, on the left?
Do I get to sneak Ali Ahmed in? I’m gonna sneak Ali Ahmed in.
There’s been this strangely pessimistic consensus forming around Ahmed with the Whitecaps that I haven’t understood - that he’s slight and skinny and mediocre defenders can stop him in his tracks by shoving him to the turf. I mean… yeah, they’re trying that, but like…
My version of the story is that Ahmed is still one of the best ball progressors in the league, miscast as a wingback where his crossing hasn’t been great. Play him centrally, or as a fullback, where he has room to roam, and you get something close to his performance against Argentina, where he was probably our most impressive player off the bench.
Ali Ahmed played 35 minutes off the bench for #CanMNT tonight. So it's remarkable that he had:
— Thomas Hewitt (@ThomasHewitt22) July 10, 2024
37 touches
88% passing acc.
3/4 successful dribbles
50% ground duels won
1 interception
1 tackle
1 key pass
All against Argentina's top-tier midfield. STARBOY. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/PSNimOMuzw
And, of note, Ahmed looked plenty more confident and composed when playing on the left vs. when he was utilized on the right. Let's give him a good run of games on his preferred side and really see how things work for him.
