Scotland manager Steve Clarke expressed his anger about the referee's decision not to award a penalty during their final Euro 2024 group match against Hungary which saw them knocked out of the tournament. When asked whether he'd questioned the decision with the referee, Clarke replied: 'He's from Argentina, why would I ask him? He probably doesn't speak the language. Why is he here? Why isn't it a European referee?'. Continue reading...

Argentina rip state of pitch at Mercedes-Benz StadiumAlbiceleste won 2-0 over Canada in Copa América openerAgeless Messi remains central to Argentina’s ambitions Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni expressed his unhappiness with the pitch at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium after his team’s 2-0 win over Canada in the Copa América opener on Thursday, saying it was unsuitable for this level of competition. The venue, which hosts matches for Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, usually has an artificial pitch but a temporary grass surface was installed ahead of the tournament opener. Continue reading...

Argentina’s captain, nearing 37, was involved in both goals in Thursday’s Copa América opener. Once on the outs with the Albiceleste, it now seems there’s no end in sight Was this the beginning of the end? The bald facts on his birth certificate suggest so. Lionel Messi turns 37 on Monday. There can’t be another tournament in him after this one, can there? Messi invited retirement talk on the eve of the Copa América when he told ESPN Argentina that Inter Miami are his “last club” and “there’s not a lot of time left”. Continue reading...

Lionel Messi stressed the importance of getting Argentina’s Copa América campaign off to a winning start, after the reigning champions beat Canada 2-0 in Atlanta. With South America’s championship moved to the United States for the second time, Messi set a Copa América record with his 35th match, one more than Chile’s Sergio Livingstone from 1941-53. Messi extended his own record with his 18th assist. ‘Yeah, we've always known how tough the opening game is. The most important thing is to get off to a winning start,’ Messi said. ‘That calms things down because you suffer a lot when you start off losing. But we always play the same way.’ Argentina now play Chile on Tuesday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, then close the first round against Peru on 29 June in Miami Gardens, Florida. Lionel Messi pulls strings as Argentina tame Canada in Copa América opener Continue reading...

Lionel Messi’s through ball led to Julián Álvarez’s goal in the 49th minute, then he assisted on Lautaro Martínez’s goal in the 88th as Argentina began the defense of their Copa América title with a 2-0 victory over Canada on Thursday night. Argentina are seeking its third straight major title after winning the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 World Cup. Continue reading...

Email Bryan with your thoughts or tweet him @BryanAGrahamWhat the analytics say: the contenders for Copa América Hello and welcome to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for tonight’s Copa América opening match between Argentina and Canada. A sold-out crowd of more than 70,000 is expected as La Albiceleste launch their title defense in what could be 36-year-old Lionel Messi’s final act with the national team. The Copa América is the most prestigious trophy a South American nation can win outside of the World Cup and while the competition has traditionally been reserved for the 10 nations of Conmebol, organizers have occasionally expanded the field for special guest teams. This year’s tournament brings together 10 South American sides and six from North and Central America and the Caribbean in the second Copa hosted by the United States and first since the Centenario edition of 2016. Continue reading...

Argentina are the holders and the favourites, with Brazil, Uruguay and the United States also looking strong By Patric Ridge for Opta Analyst Euro 2024 is not the only major tournament taking place in June and July. Argentina go to the United States for the Copa América as reigning champions, having ended their 28-year wait for glory when they beat Brazil in the final in 2021. They followed that up by winning the World Cup in 2022, as Lionel Messi lifted the one trophy that had been missing from his vast collection. Argentina are the favourites to win the Copa América again this year, according to the Opta supercomputer, with Brazil not far behind. Opta have simulated the tournament 10,000 times and collated their findings to construct pre-tournament predictions. Continue reading...

Jesse Marsch’s squad have an eye on 2026 but have enough talent to disrupt the group stage as they prepare for the tournament opener against Argentina History was made 67 seconds into Canada’s game against Croatia at the 2022 World Cup. Alphonso Davies’ leaping header was the team’s first-ever goal at the men’s tournament and set the tone for a new era of Canadian soccer – an era that Jesse Marsch will hope to accelerate at Copa América. In May, Marsch was announced as the Canadian men’s national team head coach, replacing John Herdman, who left to join Toronto FC in MLS. Historically, coaching Canada has been tough. The organization has experienced political and financial turmoil, with the women’s national team being especially vocal about a lack of investment. Despite those concerns, Marsch, who interviewed for the USMNT job in 2022, accepted a job some would say he is overqualified for – thanks to some creative accounting from Canada’s MLS franchises. Continue reading...