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Argentina face Canada at the 2024 Copa America once again, but this time they hold an even greater advantage due to the absence of key players for the CONCACAF nation.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni aims to replicate their comfortable 2-0 victory over Canada in the opening fixture of the Copa America before a potential final against either Colombia or Uruguay next week.
Absences Raise Alarms
Canada lost Inter Milan midfielder Tajon Buchanan to a horrific training injury that saw the forward break his leg. He is likely to be sidelined for a minimum of 6-8 months. Despite his absence, Canada were able to prevail against Venezuela on penalties.
However, Canada will face the current holders without another key defender. Malmo’s centre-back Derek Cornelius picked up his second yellow card of the tournament against Venezuela, resulting in a suspension that will see him watching from the stands.
No direct replacement for Derek Cornelius
Argentina beat Canada 2-0 in the tournament opener, though the scoreline could have been much higher. The tournament favourites ended the game with an xG of 3.38, having missed several big opportunities throughout the match. Ultimately, the 2-0 scoreline was flattering to Canada.
This time, however, they will be without their key centre-back to try and keep the score down. Derek Cornelius has been a key figure under the new head coach Jesse Marsch, but he may have played his last match of the tournament in that victory against Venezuela.
Portland Timbers’ Kamal Miller seems to be the one to replace Cornelius, who has played just 46 minutes for Canada during the tournament, including one minute against Chile in the group stage.
Despite being a senior member of the squad since 2019, Miller will have the responsibility of keeping Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez quiet. This has been made even more difficult due to the absence of Buchanan, a player capable of taking the game to Argentina.
With two key players out, including Canada’s central defender, Argentina should be able to put the game to bed within the first 45 minutes.