Canada set to face Messi, other heavyweights after qualifying for Copa America

The Canadian men’s team will line up against World Cup champion Argentina and Lionel Messi this summer in one of the biggest international tournaments after securing a hugely important victory on Saturday. 

Canada defeated Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 at Toyota Park in Frisco, Texas courtesy of goals from Cyle Larin and Jacob Shuffleburg, and a clean sheet from goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau. With the victory in this one-game playoff, the Canadians booked their spot at the 2024 Copa América that will be staged in the United States from June 20 to July 14.   

Qualifying for the South American championship was absolutely vital for Canada as it has to consistently play top-tier opponents if it has any chance of putting on a competitive showing on home soil when it co-hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the U.S. and Mexico.  

Ranked No. 50 in the world, Canada will compete in Group A at the Copa América against No. 1 Argentina (June 20 in Atlanta), No. 33 Peru (June 25 in Kansas City) and No. 42 Chile (June 29 in Orlando). The Canada-Argentina contest is the opening match of the 16-nation tournament.  

“I’m super-happy for all our fans, that’s first and foremost,” interim Canada coach Mauro Biello said. “What this means to all our fans is huge. To be able to be in a Copa América, to play against the world champions. This is what all the soccer fans, the sports fans in this country want to see.”

Here are three observations from Saturday’s game.  

Patience and persistence pay off for Canada 

It has to be said this was a very laborious display from Canada and far from its best effort against a much weaker opponent. Trinidad and Tobago, nicknamed the Soca Warriors, is 96th in the current FIFA world rankings, 46 positions below Canada, and it showed in how they approached this contest. Coach Angus Eve set his team up in a 5-4-1/5-3-1-1 hybrid formation and defended in a deep block right from the start in an effort to frustrate the attack-minded Canadians.   

Canada dominated possession (63 per cent) and out-passed Trinidad by a 274-148 margin, while also earning a whopping 11 corner kicks in the first half. But Mauro Biello’s side was marred by some very poor movement off the ball, aside from Alphonso Davies who looked lively down the left side. Canada also suffered from a lack of quality with its final touch and pass in and around the box, registering just two shots on target before halftime.

Tajon Buchanan, Iké Ugbo, Jonathan David and Cyle Larin all had decent looks on goal from inside Trinidad’s penalty area that they couldn’t convert. David’s blistering shot from 22 yards out also stung the palms of Trinidad goalkeeper Denzil Smith.   

Trinidad’s tactics were getting to Canada as the game wore on, with Buchanan and Alistair Johnston both letting their frustrations get the better of them in earning yellow cards. 

But the Canadians managed to keep their collective cool and continued to put pressure on Trinidad’s back line. Their patience and persistence paid off just after the hour mark when Larin bagged his record 29th goal for Canada. 

Larin’s strike forced Trinidad out of its defensive posture as it began to attack by sending more players forward in numbers. But an equalizer wasn’t forthcoming as Canada comfortably saw things out as Shaffelburg roofed a powerful shot into the net off a setup from David in injury time.  

“They knew that we were in control of the game and just stayed on task,” Biello told reporters after the game.

Stephen Eustáquio repays coach Mauro Biello’s faith 

In naming his roster for this crucial Copa América qualifier, interim coach Mauro Biello said the Canadian men’s team needed a “cultural reset.” 

With that in mind, Biello left several long-time servants at home, including goalkeeper Milan Borjan, and he handed his captain’s armband to FC Porto midfielder Stephen Eustáquio. 

A strong case could’ve been made for Biello to go with Alphonso Davies, who is Canada’s best player. But he felt Eustáquio, a 27-year-old from Leamington, Ont., fit the profile of the type of captain he needed against Trinidad. 

“I think Stef ticks all the boxes. When you look at his career and what he’s gone through … He’s experienced a World Cup. He’s playing at the highest [club] levels in the Champions League. And there’s a calmness about Stef that I like and that I think will be extremely important in a game like this,” Biello said in the buildup to Saturday’s do-or-die contest for Canada. 

It proved to be a wise selection. Eustáquio provided Canada with some much-needed calm and solidity in central midfield with his stabilizing skills while in possession, his exquisite distribution and his effective link-up play with Davies. 

Eustáquio, while working in concert with midfield cohort Ismaël Koné, served as Canada’s pressure valve in the centre of the park and allowed the back three to reset with his ball retention. 

More often than not, Canada’s best moments going forward flowed through the elegant Eustáquio, who continually pulled the creative strings in the heart of Canada’s midfield. And when Trinidad abandoned its dour defensive tactics and attacked with far more purpose, it was the FC Porto star who helped the Canadian team maintain control with his effective two-way play. 

Larin, Shaffelburg show great poise under pressure 

Credit must be given to both Cyle Larin and Jacob Shaffelburg for the composure they showed in burying their goal scoring chances with such panache after Canada was thwarted by Trinidad’s tactics for so long. 

Larin was one of several players who had an opportunity to open the scoring for the Canadians in the first half as they swarmed the Trinidadians. But Larin could only produce a tame shot on net from inside the box off a setup from Jonathan David that barely forced goalkeeper Denzil Smith into making a save. 

The Real Mallorca striker didn’t hang his head after that blown opportunity. Instead, he continued to put in the unglamorous muck work off the ball as Canada looked in vain for the opening goal against pesky Trinidad. 

The breakthrough finally came in the 61st minute on a play out of nothing. Tajon Buchanan made a driving run towards the penalty area before making a pass into the box for Iké Ugbo. The Canadian forward played an exquisite one-touch ball to an onrushing Larin who made no mistake in coolly slotting it home into the bottom corner with a left-footed shot from 16 yards out past a helpless Smith. 

Shaffelburg entered the game nine minutes later when he replaced Ugbo and instantly gave Canada a spark with his fearless and dynamic attacking play down the left flank. With four minutes left in regulation, the lively Shaffelburg fired a dipping shot from distance that beat Smith but smacked the goal post. 

Shaffelburg wouldn’t be denied, though. With Canada enjoying an odd man break in a moment of transition, David shifted the ball out wide into the box for the Nashville SC winger. Shaffelburg took a touch to better tee himself up before blasting a powerful shot from an angle into the roof of the net that Smith had no chance of stopping. 

John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic can be found here.