3️⃣ things we learned as Argentina's class beats resilient Canada | OneFootball

Argentina beat Canada 2-0 on Thursday as Copa América 2024 officially kicked off in the United States.

Here is what we made from the magic at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Holders up and running

The pressure it heaviest on the heads that wear the crowns, but Argentina truly wouldn’t have expected this.

La Albiceleste are the best in the world for a reason, yet they had to put in a shift against a resilient Canadian side.

It took Lionel Messi and company some 50 minutes to finally crack their opponents when Julian Alvarez saw the ball fall to him at a tight angle.

Argentina will be happy he took that chance, having missed a handful of ones during the first half. On paper – they would have expected this match to be a walk in the park.

A late goal off the bench from Lautaro Martinez (assisted by Messi) eventually eased any nerves but if the Canadians had a finishing touch, this could have been a different story.

Regardless, a win is a win and that’s what this classy side does best. So the Copa América holders are up and running in their title defence.

Thursday was also Messi’s 35th Copa América match, breaking Sergio Livingstone’s record for the most in competition history. What a start to their tournament!

Canada’s intentions strong but execution poor

This was always going to be a massive challenge for Jesse Marsch’s side.

After a ho-hum World Cup campaign, Canada needed to prove they could compete against the elite. And that they did. But they still have plenty of work to do.

Canada played every pass in the first half with the right intention. But easy efforts sometimes went wayward, either too fast for the intended recipient or misplaced entirely.

The same could be said in the second half for their attacking runs. A handful of opportunities displayed real fluidity and caused headaches for Argentina. At times, their midfield was left dizzied as the Canadians lunged forward.

But again, the Canucks were without a finishing touch. They are yet to score under Marsch and it’s a theme that has haunted them in the past.

Canadian fans will be pleased by what Alphonso Davies and company showed against the world’s best. They were confident, brave, intentional, and oh so close. But that’s not enough at this level where you must deliver.

An unlikely star of the show

Things could have been much, much, different if Maxime Crepeau wasn’t at his best for Canada.

As expected, Argentina sent wave after wave forward. And while Canada’s defence sometimes opened the door, their big man at the back rose to the occasion.

Within seven minutes, Angel Di Maria was expertly denied by a rushing Crepeau, while Julian Alvarez, Alexis Mac Allister and Lautaro Martinez also had their efforts stifled.

He later saved a one-on-one effort with big man Messi not once but twice, leaving the Inter Miami man with his head in his hands.

New boss Marsch alternated between Crepeau and his competition, Dayne St. Clair, during his first matches in charge.

But after this showing against the world’s best, the Portland Timbers man has no doubt cemented himself as first-choice.