Jesse Marsch reveals how 'amazing' Lionel Messi ruined Canada's game plan against Argentina in 2024 Copa America clash
Canada head coach Jesse Marsch recently detailed how Lionel Messi ruined his game plan in their 0-2 defeat to Argentina on June 20. The Albiceleste kicked off their 2024 Copa America campaign on a positive note with Messi being involved in both of their goals at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Canada got off to a bright start, causing all sorts of problems to Argentina's defense. Despite defending well in the first half, Lionel Messi provided a moment of magic in the 49th minute, playing a brilliant through-ball to Alexis Mac Allister. The Liverpool star passed it to Julian Alvarez who was able to find the back of the net to make it 1-0.
The 36-year-old megastar displayed his creativity once again in the 88th minute with a good pass to Lautaro Martinez. The latter sealed all three points with a powerful strike to ensure that the reigning champions started the 2024 Copa America on the right foot.
Marsch's game plan worked in the first half but Messi's brilliance following the break undid Canada's hard work. The former Leeds boss hailed Lionel Messi, saying (via GOAL):
“We talked a lot about our compactness and then identifying the spaces that Messi likes to show up. We talked about not diving in because it's hard to win tackles from him and what happens is if you eliminate yourself or if you start diving in for tackles, he's really good slipping and moving and getting back again and making little final plays."
He added:
“This is what I say about Messi. I've coached against him several times and I feel like we've had a good match plan and we've executed a lot of good things. He's so good, he's that good that he still makes plays. The two balls he makes on the two goals I think are world class. Amazing, it's awful. It's amazing.”
Canada are currently at the bottom of Group A with zero points and will aim to bounce back on Tuesday, June 25, when they face Peru.
How did Lionel Messi fare in Argentina's 2-0 win against Canada at 2024 Copa America?
Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to a 2-0 win against Canada, sending his side to the top of Group A with three points from their first game. So let's take a quick look at how the Barcelona legend fared from a statistical point of view:
Messi was the highest-rated player on the pitch (8.2), as per FotMob. He provided one assist and completed 39 passes out of an attempted 43 with an accuracy of 91 percent. Moreover, he created five big chances, landed three shots on target, and completed all four of his long balls. However, he was also guilty of missing two big chances and notably lost nine duels.
Lionel Messi's Argentina will next be in action against Chile on Tuesday, June 25 in their second matchup of the 2024 Copa America.