TThe country that topped the Concacaf qualifying table for the 2022 World Cup is the same country that clinched a semi-final spot in the 2024 Copa América. It’s the only country from North and Central America whose flame is still burning at this point in the tournament. It’s not the US. And it’s not Mexico.
It’s Canada.
Although the Qatar World Cup ended in the group stage for Canada, that tournament – and the qualifying campaign that preceded it – was the equivalent of the US’s northern neighbors pulling up a chair at the table of legitimate soccer nations and taking a seat themselves.
Now in the Copa América their squad shines. They have the best player in Concacaf in Alphonso Davies. Their midfield consists of Stephen Eustáquio of Porto and Ismaël Koné, who moving from Watford to Marseille this summer. Jonathan David and Cyle Larin form a dangerous forward duo at the top of manager Jesse Marsch’s usual 4-2-2-2 formation.
Marsch’s influence on this Canadian team is undeniable, despite only being hired in May. The American manager has coached just six games in his new role, taking charge in two pre-Copa friendlies against the Netherlands and France before his team’s group stage campaign began with a 2-0 loss to Argentina. Canada couldn’t hold their own against the reigning world champions in that match, but they were impressive for 45 minutes, matching Argentina’s shot percentage to go into halftime at 0-0 before crumbling in the second half.
There is, of course, no shame in coming up short against Argentina. More than the obvious difference in quality between the two teams, and more than the loss itself, there was a crucial lesson from the tournament opener: Canada came to play.
After the final whistle blew in Atlanta, Canada began a run of three positive, if fortunate, results. They defeated 10-man Peru 1-0 to secure three points in their next match before drawing with another team that finished with 10 men, Chile, to secure second place in Group A and a place in the quarter-finals.
They didn’t set the group stage on fire. But they were lucky enough to face the weakest of the group winners, Venezuela, in the quarter-finals.
Canada came into the quarterfinals well prepared. They were the better team in a match that ended in a penalty shootout victory over Venezuela. They conceded an unfortunate equalizer in the second half, but the vast majority of the game’s best chances? They belonged to Canada. They jumped ahead with an early goal from Jacob Shaffelburg. The scoring sequence featured a dead ball throw-in and lots of vertical, hard running in the final third—traits of Marsh’s high-octane tactical approach.
Crucially, the Canadian players seem to genuinely believe in accepting and implementing their manager’s vision.
Just a few months ago, it was unclear who would guide Canada from the sidelines. John Herdman left his post after his team’s defeat to the U.S. in the 2023 Concacaf Nations League final. In his place, Mauro Biello filled the role on an interim basis for the better part of a year. Before leaving for a job with Toronto FC, Herdman admonished his own federation.
“I think it’s no secret that the organization suffered financially, even during World Cup qualifying,” Herdman said. “You had coaches raising money to make sure we had charter flights, security on those charter flights.”
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Canada Soccer, the governing body for the sport in Canada, has been in relative financial turmoil for years. Much of the trouble stems from the federation’s decision to hand over some of its sponsorship rights in a deal that could run until the late 2030s. With success on the field for the men’s and women’s teams, operating costs have skyrocketed – and the federation is tied to a long-term deal which is stuck at $3 million a year.
That it’s been a mess behind the scenes only adds to the spectacle of Canada’s Copa América run. The stars aligned with a relatively easy group and a favorable opponent in the quarterfinals. But Mexico and the U.S. were placed in groups they probably should have advanced from, and they didn’t.
With a top-tier roster and a clear belief in Marsh’s combative tactical approach, Canada can no longer be overlooked. In the absence of their regional rivals, they will take full Concacaf limelight at this stage of the tournament. Argentina are up next. Pull off an upset and we can start to seriously consider whether the North American baton has been passed as the Canadians look to stage a home World Cup in 2026.
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This is an extract from Soccer with Jonathan Wilson, the Guardian US’s weekly look at the game in Europe and beyond. With Jonathan now in Germany enjoying Euro 2024, he’s entrusted a series of guest writers to guide you through the Copa América. He returns on 15 July to look back at both tournaments.