On July 14 at 8 AM, the third-place match of the 2024 Copa America will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Canada will vie with Uruguay for the bronze.
The American media has highlighted three main issues. Firstly, tradition. On the Copa America stage, it’s uncertain whether Uruguay, with 15 titles, will remain the most successful team, as Argentina also boasts 15 victories and is gunning for its 16th in 2024. However, if we ask who has claimed third place most often, the answer is undoubtedly Uruguay, which has secured the third spot nine times in 1921, 1922, 1929, 1937, 1947, 1953, 1957, 1975, and 2004. This time, they are chasing their tenth third-place finish. It’s Canada’s first invitation to participate in the Copa America, and should they make it into the top three, it would be a historic achievement.
Looking at history, high-scoring matches are common in third-place contests, as the mindset of players differs from those in the championship final. Since the start of the 21st century, six out of the previous eight Copa America tournaments have seen third-place games end in high-scoring affairs (2001, Uruguay 2-2 Honduras, lost on penalties 4-5; 2004, Colombia 1-2 Uruguay; 2007, Uruguay 1-3 Mexico; 2011, Peru 4-1 Venezuela; 2019, Argentina 2-1 Chile; 2021, Colombia 3-2 Peru). There were only two exceptions: one in 2015 when Peru defeated Paraguay 2-0; and another in 2016 when the USA lost 0-1 to Colombia. Will this match produce a high-scoring spectacle?
The battle for the Golden Boot is another major highlight of the game. Currently, Uruguay’s Araujo and Núñez are both two goals behind the top scorer, Lautaro. In the history of the Copa America, there have been cases where players have used the third-place match to rack up goals and ultimately win the Golden Boot award, such as in the 2011 Copa America when Peru’s Paolo Guerrero scored a hat-trick in the third-place game, overtaking others to claim the Golden Boot; he repeated a similar feat in 2015, scoring in the third-place match to retain the Golden Boot.
In terms of form and style, Uruguay has won three, drawn one, and lost one of their five matches in this Copa America, with a controversial loss to Colombia in the semi-finals. Over these five matches, the team has scored nine goals and conceded only two, demonstrating fierce attacking power. Canada, on the other hand, has won one, drawn two, and lost two of their five matches. The team’s style, reflective of their coach (former Leeds United manager) Jesse Marsch, is defensive. Under his leadership, Canada has scored two and conceded five goals in their last six matches, with Marsch often boasting about his “chain defense.” Will there be any changes in approach for this third-place match?
In head-to-head records, the two teams have faced each other only once, with Canada losing 0-2 in a friendly match in September 2022.
In terms of squad, Canadian star Buchanan, an Inter Milan player, has withdrawn from the Copa America due to a fracture. Uruguay also has central defender Araujo, midfielder De La Cruz, and full-back Valera, all of whom have fitness concerns, making their participation doubtful.
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