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In fact, it should have been Luis Suarez.
The 37-year-old Inter Miami striker, one of football’s most divisive and controversial players, came off the bench to take on Uruguay at half-time and force the fractious game into penalties.
Ismael Kone, who had scored a great goal, and Alphonso Davies, the star of this Canadian team, both failed to convert their penalties to give Uruguay the win.
Rodrigo Bentancur put Uruguay ahead with a powerful finish and Kone equalized for Canada with… well, we’re not sure what it was. A stationary bike kick with one leg planted on the ground, maybe? Whatever it was, it was ambitious and bold – and we love that.
Facundo Pellistri saw his first-half goal disallowed after a video assistant referee (VAR) review but Jonathan David came off the bench to score for Canada in the 80th minute. His side seemed to have set the mood for $1 million (the team that finishes third in the Copa America gets $5 million and $4 million for the fourth) but Suarez had other ideas.
LUIS SUÁREZ STRICTED IN THE 92ND MINUTE 😱🇺🇾 pic.twitter.com/lD1toPMhUX
– FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 14, 2024
Throw in the comments of two former Leeds United managers – Marcelo Bielsa said the competition was “unprofessional” and Jesse Marsch said his team were treated like “second class” citizens – and this will remain and a pleasant meeting.
And in the end it was Uruguay and Bielsa who came out on top.
Pablo Maurer, Joshua Kloke and Jack Lang break down the big talking points…
Overall, Luis Suarez…
What a joy it was to watch Uruguay’s Luis Suarez in his last Copa America game. He scored his 69th international goal on Saturday night and did so in the most dramatic fashion, keeping Uruguay level at half-time. Moments later, he hit an inch-perfect penalty to push Uruguay to victory.
It was little redemption for Suarez. Although the player insists he is not tired of playing only a few minutes in Uruguay’s first five games, many in the Uruguayan press publicly criticized Bielsa for not including him more. On Saturday, El Loco did just that, bringing him in at halftime. The Inter Miami player did not disappoint him.
(Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
“I’m enjoying every moment very much,” Suarez told Uruguayan media earlier in the tournament. “It’s something that at my age, the older you get, the more you enjoy whether you play more or less, because you know that the flame of football goes out.”
On a narrow, dappled field in Charlotte, North Carolina, we watched the flame grow darker. However, for a while it burned brightly.
Pablo Maurer
What does this mean for Canada?
To begin with, finishing in third place resulting in $5 million instead of $4 million hurts Canada. Yes, that’s the amount of money few would have expected to come in when the Copa America kicked off three weeks ago. But the organization needs money!
Canada has every reason to feel confident and maintain a high level of confidence after several incredible Copa America games. This is the team that after the World Cup until 2023 was not there and qualified for the Copa America only with a single match.
David is the size of Canada (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
One of the best things to come out of the finale is Jonathan David’s performance as a substitute. David’s finish was burned in the tournament but his second goal for Canada against Uruguay was a reminder of just how good he can be in front of goal.
But even so, the heavy penalty shootout loss to Uruguay remains a lesson for Canada long term. All of them, they were able to close games and get easy results. That they let the lead slip away late in the game should serve as a reminder of how difficult it is to hold on against the world’s best. Marsch and Canada will no doubt be looking to improve their defense late in the games. The result in itself should not close their performances throughout the Copa America and the steps the program has taken in general, but it should show the gap between teams like Venezuela and Uruguay. It is a port that Canada will hope to better understand by 2026.
Joshua Wisdom
Kone’s… stationary bike?
How do you describe Kone’s mission? At once it was a bicycle kick, a connected volley and a lob, however it was not one of them.
A stationary bike? That about sums it up, but it still doesn’t capture the incredible innovation and racing the Kone has displayed. In that situation, many players would have tried the head, which would not have worked. Kone came up with something completely different and had the muscle to pull it off.
CANADA MUST 🇨🇦
What an ending for Koné 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zmvEaw692y
– FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 14, 2024
This is what third party games are all about. Of course, there is a small prize money offered but no one indeed who cares who wins. They are, by their very nature, a reminder that playing football is an end in itself. No pressure, no worries. And Kone’s moment of defiance was the ultimate piece of genius in the disposal – although his penalty in the shootout left a lot to be desired.
GREAT CONGRATULATIONS
Canada’s Jesse Marsch sees signs of a champion in Ismael Kone
Jack Lang
Did Uruguay have a point to prove?
Uruguay’s players have been through hell and high water in recent days. There was a strong loss of the team to Colombia in the semi-finals and there was everything that happened after it – several Uruguayan players entered the seating area at the Bank of America Stadium and clashed with the spectators.
After all this, the game organizers CONMEBOL opened an investigation into the incident, and some South American outlets reported that around 10 Uruguayan players could face some form of disciplinary action. Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa turned his pre-match press conference into an opportunity to air CONMEBOL for what he says are its defensive failings, the state of the pitches and many other issues.
Bielsa approaches the area he has little time for (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Uruguay has faced its criticism, in style. Bielsa’s teams have always been strong, hard-nosed sides and this current Uruguay team is no exception. Their quarter-final clash against Brazil was the dirtiest of the tournament, with Bielsa facing a lot of criticism for his style of play. Canada has also at times been accused of playing dirty, something Marsch denied before Saturday’s game.
There is no doubt that Bielsa – and the entire Uruguayan squad – went into tonight’s match with more to play for than prize money and the competition table. And with their strong performance – balancing stoppage time and some well-hit penalties – they earned a small slice of redemption.
Pablo Maurer
Why were there so many empty seats?
The presence of Canada and Uruguay in this match was probably a disappointment to the tournament organizers – neither side is in the United States. The crowd at Bank of America Stadium felt a bit small at times, with many empty seats in the lower and upper bowls and all along the upper deck. you are empty. It is also important to note that the European Cup is not concerned with the third place match.
There were many empty seats (Getty Images)
CONMEBOL said so The attendance figures for this tournament are on track of the Copa America Centenario in 2016, which was also played in the United States. Ticket prices for group stage and knockout games alike have run into the hundreds and on the secondary market, can reach four figures. There have been other issues: inconsistent marketing has led to thin crowds at major NFL stadiums and sweltering temperatures have caused problems in some games.
That was not the case on Saturday, a very pleasant evening in Charlotte.
Some are looking at this tournament as a match for the 2026 World Cup. It remains to be seen what lessons – if any – the organizers of the tournament will learn from this.
Pablo Maurer
Did Canada change the internet settings?
Marsch was clear from the moment he was hired that he had one important goal in mind: for Canada to compete with his country in the 2026 World Cup.
Every decision was made with the World Cup in mind, and perhaps the most prominent example of that approach was evident in the Marsch team that was fielded for the third place match. Canada’s new coach rotated extensively with four starting players at the Copa America.
The 13 players (or more) selected by Marsch for 2026 are well established but the core of his players has yet to emerge. By keeping Alphonso Davies, David and Stephen Eustaquio on the bench against Uruguay and instead starting the likes of Tani Oluwaseyi, Mathieu Choiniere, Ali Ahmed and most notably, 18-year-old midfielder Luc De Fougerolles, Marsch gave younger players a chance. playing key minutes in a must-win tournament. It is a long-term bet that these minutes will pay off in 2026 and De Fougerolles, for example, will get used to playing tough opponents like Uruguay for two years. That Marsch was able to make this call suggests that the organization is still on track with what it is trying to do for 2026.
GREAT CONGRATULATIONS
USMNT, Canada and Mexico: How 2026 World Cup hosts fared at Copa America
Apart from some nervous moments from De Fougerolles, the young Canadian starters showed well. Add it up and Marsch’s decision looks like a smart one.
Joshua Wisdom
What did Marsh say?
Canada’s head coach after the game: “The players are disappointed with the way we gave in the game. However, I had a very good feeling about them. We’ve been together for six weeks. And to enter this game, put new players on the field, play for me against one of the best teams in the world and completely control the game, create great opportunities, we called them a lot for the size of the game. ”
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(Image above: Getty Images)
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