Jessie Marsch says Canada showed "incredible potential" by finishing fourth at the Copa America, even if he believes they threw a bronze medal away against Uruguay.

Ismael Kone and Jonathan David scored as Canada fought back from 1-0 down to lead Saturday's third-place play-off in North Carolina, but Luis Suarez levelled after 92 minutes.

Kone and Alphonso Davies then failed to convert in the penalty shoot-out as Uruguay emerged as 4-2 victors, becoming the first nation to win multiple shoot-outs at two editions of the tournament (2024 and 1999).

Canada, meanwhile, fell short of becoming the third CONCACAF nation to get on the podium at the Copa, after Mexico (1997, 1999 and 2007) and Honduras (2001).

While Marsch was disappointed with the way Canada let that achievement slip away in the dying moments, he was full of pride when discussing their campaign overall, particularly as they build towards a home World Cup in two years' time.

"The players are disappointed in the way that we gave the match away, but I was very positive with them," Marsch said.

"We've been together for a little over six weeks. We came into this match, put some new players on the pitch, played against one of the best teams in the world and dominated.

"We're still a young team. If you look at their team, they have experienced players across the board, players playing at big clubs, a lot of experience in understanding how to handle moments. We're still developing that."

Marsch only took the reins in mid-May but navigated a route through a challenging group containing Argentina, Chile and Peru, then oversaw a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Venezuela in the quarter-finals.

"The beauty was the clarity with which the way that we're playing was executed by the new players that came in," he added.

"It's not easy to build a tactical model in such a short time and under such big stresses against good opponents and then perform and execute at such a high level.

"So, again, what a positive sign. What a great group of guys. What incredible potential we have with this team."

Jesse Marsch rubbished links to the United States men's national team, insisting his commitment remains with Canada.

The former Leeds United manager is preparing Canada for their third-place play-off at the Copa America against Uruguay on Sunday.

Canada's next fixture after that will come against the USA in September, with suggestions Marsch may have had a say in setting up the meeting.

Yet the 50-year-old offered an emphatic denial for any links to the USA coaching role, from which Gregg Berhalter was sacked this week after a woeful Copa showing on home soil.

"I'm not leaving this job," Marsch said. "I have no interest in the U.S. job. And to be fair, unless there's a big shift in the organisation, I don't think that I'll ever have an interest in that job in the future.

"I'm really happy here. I couldn't be happier, actually, in terms of what it's like to work with the leaders in this organisation and what it's like to work with this team."

Marsch has previously hit out at the USA for their treatment of him when the national side were looking for a new manager in 2022.

The Canada head coach was thought to be the leading contender after the 2022 World Cup when Berhalter's contract expired.

Berhalter was unexpectedly rehired shortly after, however, as Marsch said he "wasn't treated very well in the process" in discussions over the managerial vacancy.

Marsch has somewhat had the last laugh, though, with Canada reaching the semi-finals at the Copa while the USA were dumped out in the group stages.

Jesse Marsch feels Canada have been "treated like second-class citizens" as he took aim at Copa America officials, claiming "this tournament has not been professional".

The Canucks will bring their maiden campaign to a close when they face Uruguay in the third-place playoff on Saturday.

Their opponents' players were involved in a post-match brawl with Colombia supporters following their semi-final defeat, after violence erupted near to where family members were located.

After the CONMEBOL announced they had opened an investigation into the incident, Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa insisted his players should receive an apology rather than be sanctioned.

Marsch believes the incident highlighted severe problems within the tournament, after a Canada player was subjected to racial abuse online following their Group A defeat by Argentina.

And while the Canada head coach empathised with his Uruguay counterpart, he feels there would have been a stronger punishment incurred had it involved his side. 

"For me, this tournament has not been professional," Marsch told reporters at his pre-match press conference. "There are too many gaps in the way.

"I watched what happened after the match, and certainly I don't know all the details, but certainly we wouldn't want anyone's families or any player's families to be put in harm's way.

"But I know if our team responded like this, that there would be heavy sanctions because of the treatment that we received in this tournament. We've been treated like second-class citizens."

Marsch also criticised the officiating after Alphonso Davies was forced off injured in their semi-final defeat by Argentina following a heavy challenge by Gonzalo Montiel, with the referee not even awarding a foul.

"You give me another opportunity to talk about how poor the refereeing was for the tackle on Alphonso," he added.

"If you were to turn it over and put that against the biggest player from the other team, specifically from South America in this tournament, the behaviour and the treatment for such a tackle in such a situation would be very different.

"So, we were lucky that we avoided any big injury with Alphonso, but we're not totally certain if he'll be available tomorrow. And one of the main jobs of a referee in any match is to protect the safety of players, and that was not doing his job."

Jesse Marsch hopes Canada's memorable Copa America debut changes the trajectory of football in the country, as they look to cap their campaign with a bronze medal against Uruguay.

Canada's first appearance at the tournament saw them reach the semi-finals, a memorable penalty shoot-out victory over Venezuela teeing up a meeting with Argentina.

Marsch's team gave a solid account of themselves against the holders but were beaten 2-0 with Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi on target, sending them into Saturday's third-place play-off.

Marsch, who was only appointed a few weeks before the tournament began, hopes their campaign will be a catalyst for further improvement ahead of a home World Cup in 2026.

"We want to inspire the nation," Marsch said one day after Canada's semi-final defeat. "We want to develop the sport in this country.

"We want people to remember this as a moment in time that changed the trajectory of what this sport is in Canada.

"We're establishing things at some high levels. But in order to be a real team that can hold up to the biggest moments and biggest matches, there's more work to be done.

"Physically, mentally, intellectually, we've got to find a way to develop players faster."

Marsch added he will make changes to his lineup in North Carolina, with Alphonso Davies a doubt after he suffered an injury to his left foot.

Marsch will come up against his Leeds United predecessor Marcelo Bielsa on Saturday, after his much-fancied Uruguay side were beaten 1-0 by 10-man Colombia in their own semi-final.

Daniel Munoz was sent off on the stroke of half-time after Jefferson Lerma had headed Colombia into the lead, but Uruguay were outshot seven to six while a man up despite enjoying 73% of the possession.

Bielsa believes La Celeste would have been better off against a full complement, saying: "When they have 11, Colombia are a team that plays to play, and so are we. 

"In that context, we created scoring chances and the ones we conceded were generated by some concessions from us. 

"Eleven against eleven, for us, it was easier to attack, and we had to defend. In the second half, playing with an extra man, it was much more difficult to attack, and we practically didn't have to defend."

Uruguay's defeat was marred by scenes of crowd violence involving the families of some Celeste players at full-time, prompting CONMEBOL to open an investigation. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Canada – Jonathan David

Canada had 25 touches in Argentina's penalty area in their semi-final, 12 more than the world champions, yet they only managed five shots from inside the box to their opponents' seven.

If they are to cap a historic campaign with a medal, they may need David to make some of those openings count.

David has underperformed his expected goals figures at this tournament, netting once from chances valued at 1.58 xG. No Canada player has attempted more than his seven shots, three of which have hit the target.

Uruguay – Darwin Nunez

Nunez has attempted more shots (20) than any other player at this edition of the Copa America, with his total of 2.59 xG only bettered by Argentina's Lautaro Martinez (2.91).

While the Liverpool man has two goals to his name, they both came in the group stage, and he has only hit the target with five of his 20 attempts.

Among all players to net at this year's tournament, only three have a worse shot accuracy than Nunez's 33% (excluding blocks), but a profitable game here could even put him back in the race for the Golden Boot. 

MATCH PREDICTION: URUGUAY WIN

Uruguay have participated in the third-place play-off at the Copa America on three previous occasions, beating Colombia 2-1 in 2004, drawing 2-2 with Honduras in 2001 (then losing on penalties) and suffering a 3-1 defeat to Mexico in 2007.

A victory in North Carolina would make this Uruguay's joint-second best Copa campaign of the 21st century, after they won the title in 2011.

They have only lost four of their 15 Copa America matches against Concacaf opponents, though they are winless in their last three such games in the knockout rounds, losing 3-1 to Mexico in the the 2007 third-place match, and drawing 2-2 with Honduras in the 2001 edition after losing 2-1 to Mexico in the semi-finals.

Canada are aiming to become the third Concacaf country to finish third in the competition after Mexico (1997, 1999 and 2007) and Honduras (2001). 

A victory would make this the second-best campaign by a non-CONMEBOL Copa America debutant nation, after Mexico took silver on their 1993 bow. However, Marsch's men are big outsiders.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY 

Canada – 13.2%

Uruguay – 70%

Draw – 16.8%

Jesse Marsch is "very proud" of what his Canada players achieved in the 2024 Copa America as their tournament ended with defeat to Argentina.

The competition debutants finished second to Argentina in Group A before defeating Venezuela on penalties in the quarter-finals.

After defying the odds to reach the last four, Canada's dream run was ended on Tuesday as they lost 2-0 to Argentina in New Jersey.

Canada will co-host the next World Cup along with the United States and Mexico, with that tournament now very much in Marsch's sight.

"What I said to the team afterwards is I know that they're very disappointed, but I'm very proud of them," Marsch told reporters. 

"We've put together some incredible performances and we're just starting our process. We need to find a way to expand our player pool. 

"We need to continue to challenge our group to come together and be able to perform in moments like this.

"But in general, we've had a wonderful five-six weeks together and it's gone way better than any of us could have scripted. 

"There's still a lot of work to do, but we've built a really good foundation."

Marsch only took over as Canada head coach two months ago but his style of play was already clear to see across the tournament.

Canada now have a third-place play-off against either Colombia or Uruguay to come on Saturday, with Marsch planning on making changes.

"I'm trying to really build and develop every single player in this pool so that we can have a real 26-man squad when it comes to 2026," he said.

"So the match on Saturday will also be vital for that because we'll make some changes. 

"We'll get some new faces on the pitch and challenge them to be able to see if they can hold up in these kinds of matches."

Canada started the better against Argentina at the MetLife Stadium and squandered chances prior to Julian Alvarez's 22nd-minute opener.

Lionel Messi added a second for the reigning world champions early in the second half, but Canada can still be pleased with their run.

"They're the best team in the world, but we had our chances in the beginning of the game," midfielder Stephen Eustaquio told TSN.

"If we scored one of our chances, the story of the game would probably have been different. 

"To get here, the last four of the Copa America, it's a big achievement."

Jesse Marsch is keen to show off Canada's growth as they bid to reach the Copa America final by beating Argentina on Tuesday.

Canada were the lowest-ranked side in Group A but advanced as runners-up ahead of Chile and Peru.

They were then held to a 1-1 draw with Venezuela in the quarter-finals but won on penalties to set up a second meeting with Argentina in the semi-finals.

Having already exceeded expectations in their debut Copa America, Marsch believes a re-match against the reigning champions is the perfect chance to make history.

"What an incredible opportunity to continue to show further growth," Marsch told reporters.

"It's not about how we can beat Argentina as much as how can we honour our development path and where are we trying to go and test ourselves at a very high level.

"Argentina is the best team in the world, and you can see how aggressive and sharp they are, how good [Lionel] Messi is.

"There are things we did well when we played against them. I think knowing their level and quality will be an advantage for us.

"My mind is wrapped totally around giving our team a chance to not just have a special experience, but a real special victory."

Les Rouges lost 2-0 in their tournament opener against Argentina, with Messi involved in both goals without finding the back of the net.

This time around, Marsch urged his team to make big improvements in their handling of the Albiceleste's talisman.

"We didn't do well enough with Messi last match, and he was able to run free at our goalkeeper too much," Marsch added.

"We won't man-mark him, but he will be an emphasis in how we will defend and our ability to keep track of him will be really important.

"We have certain things that we'll try to do to try to make it difficult for him, but we know that limiting his space is the number one thing.

"We don't want him free and running at our back line, and running at our goalkeeper like last game, where that was not good enough, but we all know he is the greatest player to ever play the game."

Canada must produce the performance of their lives to have any chance of upsetting holders Argentina to reach the Copa America final, acknowledges Jesse Marsch.

Marsch's team will face the World Cup winners for a final berth at the MetLife Stadium on Tuesday, having overcome Venezuela in a penalty shoot-out in the last eight.

They are just the fourth CONCACAF team to reach the Copa semi-finals and the third to do so on their debut, after Mexico (1993 runners-up), Honduras (third in 2001) and the United States (third in 1995).

They face the sternest of tests next up, however, having already lost to Lionel Messi and the rest of Argentina's stars in their opening group-stage game.

Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez were on target in that match as Lionel Scaloni's team triumphed 2-0 in Atlanta, rifling off 19 shots worth 3.02 expected goals (xG) to Canada's 10 (1.16 xG).

While Canada have won plenty of admirers on their run to the last four, Marsch knows they need to step up further on Tuesday.

"Argentina will have to be the best match we've ever played and it still might not be enough," he said. "But whatever. We're going to go for it."

Captain Alphonso Davies echoed those sentiments but pointed out Canada had given Argentina a scare in their earlier game, saying: "It's going to take everything. We played them in the group stage and we played well but didn't get the win we wanted."

Argentina boss Scaloni hit out at the quality of the pitch after that earlier meeting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and Messi says the surfaces have had an impact throughout the tournament.

"The pitch always has an influence. It's a reality that the pitches aren't good," he told reporters, as quoted by The Athletic.

"I think the best one was the one in Miami, which was good from what you saw from the outside at least. It's natural and that's already different. Of course, it has an influence."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Argentina – Alexis Mac Allister 

Mac Allister assisted Lisandro Martinez's opener versus Ecuador in the last eight, then held his nerve from the spot as the world champions triumphed in a shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.

The Liverpool midfielder has two assists at this year's tournament. Since such data began in 2011, only Lionel Messi (in 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2021) has ever provided three or more assists for Argentina at a single edition of the Copa America. 

Mac Allister has completed 122 of his 135 passes at this tournament, with 70 of those being played in the opposition half. With Canada likely to sit deep, it could fall on him to keep things ticking over and provide service for Messi and his fellow attackers.

Canada – Maxime Crepeau

Crepeau was forced into six saves in Canada's Copa America opener versus Argentina, and he could be busy again here.

However, he has been in excellent form throughout this tournament, conceding three goals from 4.95 expected goals on target (xGoT) faced, with only Claudio Bravo (3.66 goals prevented) and Rafael Romo (2.36) overperforming their underlying goalkeeping statistics by a greater margin.

Only Sergio Rochet and Emiliano Martinez (three each) have bettered his two clean sheets at this tournament. He will have his work cut out to keep another, though.

MATCH PREDICTION: ARGENTINA WIN

Argentina have now reached the semi-finals at seven of their last eight major tournaments, with the 2018 World Cup being the only exception.

They have won their last 10 matches against CONCACAF opponents in official competitions, not conceding a goal in any of their last six such games.

Additionally, the defending champions have reached the last four at five of the last seven editions of the Copa America, and only two of them – Colombia in 2004 and Chile in 2019 – failed to make the final. The omens, then, are not good for Canada.

It will be the fifth time Argentina have faced the same opponents twice at a single edition of the Copa America since the current format was introduced in 1993. Two of the previous four instances included a semi-final meeting (Colombia in 1993 and Paraguay in 2015), with the other two including the final (Mexico in 1993 and Chile in 2016).

La Albiceleste did, however, only win one of those four editions, lifting the trophy in 1993, then waiting 28 years to reclaim their place as South America's finest in 2021.

They are assigned an 84% chance of reaching the final by the Opta supercomputer, with Canada out to cause one of the greatest upsets in the history of the competition.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Argentina – 76.7%

Canada – 9.8%

Draw – 13.6%

Jesse Marsch has praised Canada for their "willingness" during a "fast learning curve" after they booked a place in the Copa America semi-final.

Les Rouges earned a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Venezuela after Salomon Rondon had cancelled out Jacob Shaffelburg's opener as the match finished 1-1 in normal time.

Maxime Crepeau then saved two penalties before it went to sudden death, and Ismael Kone scored the decisive spot-kick to send them into the next round.

After a poor string of results at the start of Marsch's tenure, Canada were tipped to make an early exit during their maiden Copa America.

However, they have defied the odds, and the American credited the spirit of his squad for pushing them forward.

"All the things that I know about them now, I sensed back then; their commitment, their desire, their willingness to learn," Marsch said.

"All of that has led to bigger belief and self-confidence.

"It's a very athletic team. It's a very fast team. I've tried to build in the right kind of aggression for them to go after opponents, to go after big games and to believe in how we're building this.

"Their commitment to try to learn, their belief in what I'm doing with them is very, very high. They're capable because they're athletic, because they're strong, because they're young.

"We've seen an incredibly fast learning curve, but it's because they're excited about playing this way, and they're excited about what we're trying to achieve together."

Captain Alphonso Davies was one of the players who stepped up during the shoot-out as he picked out the top corner with the penultimate penalty, knowing a miss would have sent them home.

After seeing a tame penalty saved in a defeat against Belgium in the 2022 World Cup, Davies was pleased to replace that memory with something more positive.

"Obviously, I had flashbacks to the World Cup, but I did not let that get to me. I knew where I wanted to go before I walked up to the ball," Davies told Canadian broadcaster TSN.

"It's going to take everything. We played them in the group stage. We played well but didn't get the win we wanted."

Canada will face Argentina in the semi-final at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday, having lost their tournament opener to the Albiceleste 2-0.

Ismael Kone sent Canada to their first Copa America semi-final as they overcame Venezuela 4-3 in a penalty shootout to edge a classic encounter. 

Jacob Shaffelburg opened the scoring for Canada, only for Salomon Rondon to net a stunning long-range equaliser to take the quarter-final the distance. 

With 32 shots shared between the two sides, penalties would decide who would face Argentina at the MetLife Stadium next week. 

The decisive miss came from Wilker Angel, with Kone's stuttering run up allowing him to coolly slot the ball beyond Rafael Romo to secure the victory. 

Despite the nerves of playing in their first-ever knockout fixture at the Copa America, it was Canada who would strike the decisive blow early on in Texas.

Having seen appeals for a penalty waved away moments earlier, Shaffelburg dusted himself down to open the scoring, squeezing home Jonathan David's cross at the near post in the 13th minute. 

Jesse Marsch's side had opportunities to double their advantage, as Shaffelburg saw his effort saved while David fluffed his lines with only Romo to beat as a pulsating first half came to a close. 

Canada's dominance continued after the break but Cyle Larin was unable to hit the target, and their wastefulness in front of goal was punished spectacularly. 

A long ball up front saw Rondon win a tussle with Moise Bombito, taking aim from just inside the Canada half to lob Maxime Crepeau for a goal of the tournament contender. 

David continued to threaten for Canada, chipping the ball in behind for Tani Oluwaseyi who could only find the roof of the net in the final chance of normal time. 

Both sides would miss two spot-kicks as the encounter reached sudden death, but Angel saw his effort saved by Crepeau, handing the responsibility over to Kone, who clinched a landmark victory for Marsch's side. 

Venezuela's young guns can be proud of their efforts

Fernando Batista can count his team unlucky following their gut-wrenching exit from the tournament, but his young squad can take pride in their performances at the tournament. 

Venezuela battled an onslaught of Canada pressure, but fought back with their own attacking talents, with Rondon's strike their fourth consecutive goal at the Copa America, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of five games in June 2015. 

However, hopes of reaching a first semi-final since 2011 were dashed. 

Nevertheless, Venezuela can leave the tournament with their heads held high, having equalled their highest goal tally (seven) in a single edition of the tournament. 

Canada through, but must improve in front of goal

Marsch said he wanted to build something special with Canada, and his side's run in the Copa America has been nothing short of sensational. 

Canada started brightly through Shaffelburg's early strike, with all three of his international strikes coming in knockout matches. However, it should have been more. 

From their 16 shots on goal, only seven were on target, with 12 of their efforts coming inside the box. Marsch's side underperformed their expected goals (xG) by 0.84, and had four total big chances compared to Venezuela's 0. 

Despite those underlying statistics, Canada will be hopeful of keeping their fairytale run in the competition alive against Argentina, who they lost to in the group stage of the competition. 

Jesse Marsch believes Canada can build something special as they prepare for their Copa America quarter-final against Venezuela.

Canada are playing in their maiden Copa America and finished second in Group A behind defending champions Argentina after a win over Peru and a draw with Chile following their opening-day defeat to Albiceleste.

They now know that beating the Group B winners will set them up for a rematch against Argentina in the semi-finals if they win on Friday.

Marsch says he knew it was going to be tough when he took the job earlier this year, but has praised the “positive” support that has spurred the team forward.

"I was thinking, 'Why did I take this job with those three opponents [coming] up?'" Marsch said. "I knew when I took the job that the schedule was going to be very difficult, and by the way – put Peru and Chile in there as well – the first five opponents I knew were going to be very difficult.

"But I thought that it would give us a chance to create really high standards for how we wanted to play and that these games would show the players that we need to uphold ourselves to very high standards. I felt that if we could execute, then we could have some success.

"There's real excitement in Canada about the team and the way we've played. That comes with, I think, a real hunger to keep this thing moving forward."

"I'll tell you: I'm glad I'm here, man. Because the people that I work with and the players that I work with, the things that we know that we can achieve together, the support that we have from inside the country, the support system for this entire national team is so positive.

"So, I think it gives us a real chance to develop something and build something and be ready for a big tournament come 2026."

Canada have done better than their 2026 World Cup co-hosts USA, who crashed out in the group stage after winning just one match in Group C.

Asked about his home country's performance at the tournament, Marsch admitted he was disappointed by what he saw.

"I'd like to say that I'm only focused on what we're doing here in Canada, but obviously, I'm paying attention to the U.S. men's national team as I always do, and like you, I'm sad," he added.

"I'm disappointed with the performances, the lack of discipline. There are a lot of things that I think we've tried to embody about the game in the U.S., and we've always believed in this group of players."

Jesse Marsch believes Canada can mount "something special" as they aim to build towards the 2026 World Cup, starting with the Copa America.

Marsch's team somewhat surprisingly made it through Group A behind Argentina, at the expense of Chile, who won back-to-back Copa America titles as recently as 2015 and 2016.

In their maiden Copa America, Canada will now go up against Group B winners Venezuela for a place in the last four.

And looking ahead to the next World Cup, which Canada will co-host along with the United States and Mexico, Marsch thinks the sky is the limit.

"I was thinking, 'Why did I take this job with those three opponents [coming] up?'" Marsch joked in an interview with FOX Soccer NOW, with his team having played pre-tournament friendlies against the Netherlands and France.

"I knew when I took the job that that the schedule was going to be very difficult, and by the way – put Peru and Chile in there as well – the first five opponents I knew were going to be very difficult. 

"But I thought that it would give us a chance to create really high standards for how we wanted to play and that these games would show the players that we need to uphold ourselves to very high standards. I felt that if we could execute, then we could have some success.

"There's real excitement in Canada about the team and the way we've played. That comes with, I think, a real hunger to keep this thing moving forward."

Canada have fared better than their 2026 World Cup co-hosts USA, who crashed out in the group stage.

"I would love to say I'm just focused on what we’re doing here in Canada, but obviously, I’m paying attention, as always, to the U.S. men's national team and, like you, I’m sad," Marsch added.

"I'm disappointed by the performances, by the lack of discipline. There’s a lot of things that I think we've tried to be about, about the game in the U.S., and we’ve always believed in this group of players.

"I’ll tell you: I'm glad, I'm here, man. Because the people that I work with and the players that I work with, the things that we know that we can achieve together, the support that we have from inside the country, the support system for this entire national team is so positive, so I think it gives us a real chance to develop something and build something and be ready for a big tournament come 2026."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Venezuela - Salomon Rondon

Rondon has scored two goals at this tournament for Venezuela.

Only three players can better Rondon's 1.98 xG across the tournament so far, while the 34-year-old has had 13 shots, which matches the total of the tournament's leading scorer Lautaro Martinez.

Canada - Jonathan David

Canada might have made it through, though they did only score one goal across their three Group A games. They are the fourth team to advance from the group stage in the Copa America despite scoring only one goal, following Mexico in 2001, Uruguay in 2007, and Colombia in 2015.

That came from Jonathan David, who is Canada's key attacker, and if they are to reach the last four, he is likely to be crucial.

MATCH PREDICTION: VENEZUELA WIN

Marsch's confidence is not shared by Opta's model, which fancies Venezuela to win in Arlington.

Venezuela have lost only two of their last 10 matches played in the United States, including friendlies, winning six of those games (D2). Additionally, La Vinotinto kept a clean sheet on seven of those occasions (W5 D2), with Colombia, Italy, and Ecuador being the only teams to score against them.

One more goal will match Venezuela's highest scoring tally in a single edition of the tournament, having scored seven goals in the 1967 and 2011 tournaments.

Venezuela are also unbeaten in their last four matches against teams from CONCACAF in this tournament (W3 D1).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Venezuela - 48.7%

Canada - 26.9%

Draw - 24.4%

Jesse Marsch and his Canada team are not satisfied with their achievements so far after reaching the Copa America quarter-finals.

A goalless draw with 10-man Chile on Saturday was enough to send Marsch's side into the last eight.

Canada finished second in Group A behind Argentina, and will now face either Venezuela, Ecuador or Mexico in the quarters.

The Reds became the third team from outside CONMEBOL to reach the knockout rounds in their first Copa America appearance after Mexico (1993) and Honduras (2001), but former Leeds United boss Marsch is not done yet.

"We are not satisfied. The group is not satisfied. They want to keep going," Marsch said.

"They know, no matter who our next opponent is, it will be a difficult match. But they believe in themselves. We're excited for this next challenge.

"I'm challenging them to grow and get better, to be more savvy professionals, more mature players.

"I've been incredibly impressed by them, from the first training session. I'm enjoying being their coach. I'm proud of this accomplishment. But again, we're not satisfied."

With their numerical advantage, Canada kept Chile at arm's length at Inter&Co Stadium, restricting the two-time Copa America champions to just 0.52 expected goals (xG).

Alphonso Davies revelled in Canada's first ever Copa America victory, insisting he and his team-mates will savour their narrow 1-0 win over 10-man Peru.

Jonathan David scored the only goal in Kansas as Jesse Marsch's side boosted their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages from Group A.

The Lille striker struck 16 minutes from time to move the Canucks up to second place behind reigning champions Argentina, who beat them 2-0 in their opener, with 26 of his 27 international goals coming in competitive matches.

It gave Canada only their third victory over a South American opponent, and first since a 2-0 win over Colombia in the 2000 Gold Cup final.

They also kept their first clean sheet against a team from the CONMEBOL region since holding Brazil to a goalless draw in the 2001 Confederations Cup.

"We're going to enjoy the moment, but know the work isn't done," skipper Davies told Canadian broadcaster TSN.

Stephen Eustaquio added: "We were too naive in the first half, but played more direct in the second half."

Canada's first Copa America victory came in their second match, with Panama the only CONCACAF nation to achieve their maiden win in their opening match in the competition - doing so eight years ago.

Marsch's side face Chile in their final group encounter on Saturday, when a draw may be enough to take them through to the quarter-finals.

"We have everything to fight for in the last game," David told TSN.

Lionel Messi continues to amaze Canada head coach Jesse Marsch after inspiring Argentina to victory in the opening game of the Copa America.

World champions Argentina triumphed 2-0 over Canada in Atlanta, making an impressive start to their title defence in the tournament.

Messi had a hand in both goals as Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez struck in the second half on Thursday.

The Martinez goal saw Messi rack up his 17th Copa America assist. Since 2011, he has registered over three times as many goals created as any other player in the competition, with Angel Di Maria and Alexis Sanchez ranking second on five each.

Messi turns 37 on Monday, and has a stunning 20-year professional career under his belt, but that does not mean he does not continue to stun and surprise his opponents, including Marsch.

Marsch felt his team did what they could to remain compact, but Messi, who created a game-leading five chances, proved the difference on his record-breaking 35th Copa appearance.

The Canada boss explained the task of having to face Messi was amazing and awful in equal measure, with the forward having a massive impact even though the coach felt his gameplan to try and limit the Argentina star had been implemented reasonably well.

"Yeah, with Messi we talked a lot about our compactness and then identifying the spaces that he likes to show up in," Marsch said after the game.

"We talked about not diving in because it's hard to win tackles from him.

"What happens is if you eliminate yourself or if you start diving in for tackles, he's really good slipping and moving and getting back again and making little final plays.

"This is what I say about Messi: I have coached against him several times and I feel like we have had a good match plan and we have executed a lot of good things.

"But he is so good, he is that good that he still makes plays. The two balls he makes on the two goals I think are world class. 

"Amazing, it's awful. It's amazing."

Inter Miami star Messi had a game-leading six shots, getting three of them on target, and also led the match for touches in the opponent's box (nine) in an all-action display.

Despite the challenge of facing Messi, Canada captain Alphonso Davies felt his side should have done more to follow up on a battling first-half performance that meant the game goalless at half-time.

"We have to change our attitude towards the game," Davies said to TSN.

"The first half we played well, but in the second half we let every long ball bounce. 

"It was a disappointing result, we need to look at everything we did wrong in the game and fix it as soon as possible."

Argentina return to action against Chile on Tuesday, which is also when Canada will hope to pick up their first points of the campaign against Peru.

Copa America holders Argentina made a winning start at the 2024 tournament as Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scored in a 2-0 win over Canada.

The 2022 World Cup winners did not have things all their own way against Jesse Marsch's competition debutants, who missed a couple of glaring chances through Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David.

But on the day he became the Copa's outright leading appearance-maker, Lionel Messi was the catalyst for both goals, splitting the Canada defence in the build-up to Alvarez's opener then assisting Martinez's late clincher.

The Inter Miami star missed two great chances to get on the scoresheet himself, but it was of no consequence as Lionel Scaloni's men started with three points.

They take on Chile, who beat them in the 2015 and 2016 finals, in their second match on Tuesday, while Canada will look to bounce back versus Peru.

Canada refused to sit in and their approach left them open at the back early on. Leandro Paredes curled a 25-yard effort narrowly over the top, then Alvarez saw his shot smothered by Maxime Crepeau after a lightning break took him clean through on goal.

Despite Argentina dominating possession, Canada should have gone ahead on the stroke of half-time, Emiliano Martinez making a reflex save to deny Stephen Eustaquio before Davies miscued on the follow-up. 

They were made to regret that miss four minutes into the second half. Messi's pinpoint throughball found Alexis Mac Allister, and though the midfielder was wiped out by Crepeau, Alvarez was on hand to convert into an empty net.

Messi should have made it 2-0 after 65 minutes, but he saw an angled drive parried by Crepeau before Derek Cornelius made a fine block to deny him on the rebound. 

Canada continued to offer a threat at the other end, though, with David heading over after being found totally unmarked by Jacob Shaffelburg's cross.

Messi missed another chance when his dinked attempt rolled agonisingly wide, but he did manage an assist as Argentina made the result safe two minutes from time.

His delicate pass sent Martinez clear, and the substitute slotted a composed finish between the legs of Crepeau.

Assist for Messi on landmark appearance

Messi made a piece of Copa America history on Thursday, his 35th appearance in CONMEBOL's flagship tournament pulling him clear of Chile great Sergio Livingstone for the most games played at the competition outright.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner failed to mark the occasion with a goal, misfiring from a game-high six shots worth 0.69 expected goals (xG).

However, he did cap his outing with an assist for Martinez's late second, taking him to 30 goal involvements at the tournament overall (13 goals, 17 assists).

Messi still has plenty of gears to go through, and that should strike fear into Argentina's upcoming opponents. 

Encouragement for Canada, but no points

Canada became the 20th different nation to participate in the Copa America, and the eighth different CONCACAF team after Costa Rica, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and the United States.

As was the case at the 2022 World Cup, they played some high-octane football but were not rewarded with a positive result.

At half-time, Marsch's team had matched Argentina's tally of seven shots, the most any team have attempted in a first half against the Albiceleste since Uruguay managed eight in November 2021. Their 0.73 xG, meanwhile, topped the world champions' 0.56 at that stage. 

Alvarez's opener came as a dagger blow and they were unable to sustain their high-intensity approach for the full 90 minutes, but there were positives to take.

Ahead of Thursday's opener, the Opta supercomputer gave Canada just a 27 per cent chance of escaping Group A. While the result will have done nothing to boost those hopes, their display should offer encouragement ahead of meetings with Peru and Chile.