Defending Champions Argentina Triumph Over Canada in Copa America Opener
Defending champions Argentina began their Copa America campaign with a victory, defeating Canada 2-0 in the opening game held in Atlanta, Georgia.
Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez opened the scoring with a close-range effort just four minutes into the second half. The win was confirmed late on when substitute Lautaro Martinez turned in a pass from Lionel Messi.
This victory in Group A extends Argentina’s unbeaten run in the Copa America to nine matches. Argentina, who won the 2021 edition in Brazil and finished third two years prior, will next face Chile at 02:00 BST on 26 June. Canada, managed by former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch, will meet Peru at 23:00 BST on 25 June.
In the wake of the defeat, Canada Soccer reported that one of their players was subjected to online racist abuse. “Canada Soccer is aware of and deeply disturbed by racist comments made online and directed at one of our men’s national team players following tonight’s match,” read a statement posted on X. “We are in communication with [governing bodies] Concacaf and Conmebol about this matter.”
This year’s Copa America is being hosted in the United States, with a mix of Major League Soccer (MLS) and NFL stadiums selected as venues. The pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home to MLS side Atlanta United and NFL franchise Atlanta Falcons, received criticism from Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni.
The stadium, which usually features an artificial pitch, had a temporary grass surface installed for the tournament. “With all due respect, thank goodness we won,” Scaloni remarked. “Otherwise, it would have been a cheap excuse. We have known for seven months that we are going to play here and they changed the turf two days ago. It is not good for the show. It is not an excuse. The stadium is beautiful and with synthetic turf it must be spectacular, but with today’s turf it is not suitable for this kind of players.”
Argentina will be looking to maintain their strong form as they continue their quest for Copa America glory.
