Enter, Luis Suarez: Takeaways as Uruguay clinches third spot at Copa America

In fact, it needed to be Luis Suarez.

The 37-year-old Inter Miami striker, one of the vital divisive and controversial gamers in soccer, got here off the bench to degree for Uruguay in stoppage time and compelled this chaotic recreation to a penalty shootout.

Ismael Kone, who had earlier scored a brilliantly modern purpose, and Alphonso Davies, the star of this Canadian group, each didn’t convert their penalties to offer Uruguay the victory.

Rodrigo Bentancur had put Uruguay forward with a sharply angled end and Kone equalized for Canada with… nicely, we’re not fairly positive what it was. A standing bicycle kick with one foot planted on the bottom, perhaps? No matter it was, it was bold and audacious — and we like that.

Facundo Pellistri noticed his first-half purpose disallowed after a video assistant referee (VAR) evaluation however then Jonathan David got here off the bench to attain for Canada within the eightieth minute. His facet appeared set for a $1 million windfall (the group that finishes third at Copa America receives $5 million and the fourth $4 million) however Suarez had different concepts.

LUIS SUÁREZ TIES IT IN THE 92ND MINUTE 😱🇺🇾 pic.twitter.com/lD1toPMhUX

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 14, 2024

Throw in two former Leeds United coaches’ pre-match feedback — Marcelo Bielsa mentioned the event was “unprofessional” and Jesse Marsch claimed his facet has been handled like “second-class” residents — and this was at all times going to be a full of life encounter.

And finally it was Uruguay and Bielsa who got here out on high.

Pablo Maurer, Joshua Kloke and Jack Lang dissect the massive speaking factors…

Enter, Luis Suarez…

What a pleasure it was to look at Uruguayan legend Luis Suarez in his ultimate Copa America match. He scored his 69th worldwide purpose on Saturday night time and did so in probably the most dramatic style conceivable, notching Uruguay’s equalizer deep into stoppage time. Moments later, he struck an inch-perfect penalty to push Uruguay to victory.

It was a little bit of redemption for Suarez. Regardless of the participant’s insistence that he was unbothered by taking part in solely a handful of minutes throughout Uruguay’s first 5 matches, many within the Uruguayan press had publicly criticized Bielsa for not incorporating him additional. On Saturday, El Loco did so, inserting him at halftime. The Inter Miami striker didn’t let him down.

(Grant Halverson/Getty Pictures)

“I’m having fun with each second very a lot,” Suarez instructed Uruguayan media earlier within the event. “It’s one thing that at my age, as you grow old, you get pleasure from it increasingly more whether or not you’re taking part in so much or taking part in just a little, as a result of you understand that the flame of soccer is dying out.”

On a slim, patchy area in Charlotte, North Carolina, we watched that flame get even dimmer. For a second, although, it burned very vivid.

Pablo Maurer

What does this imply for Canada?

To start out, a third-place end leading to $5 million as a substitute of $4 million does harm Canada. Sure, it’s money few might have ever anticipated they’d come into when Copa America kicked off nicely over three weeks in the past. However the group wants the money!

Canada have each purpose to really feel assured and preserve a excessive degree of self-belief after a exceptional Copa America run few noticed coming. This can be a group that post-World Cup and thru 2023 had been out of the image and solely certified for Copa America by way of a good one-game playoff.

David equalized for Canada (Omar Vega/Getty Pictures)

Some of the obvious positives from the result’s the play of Jonathan David as an alternative. David’s ending got here below fireplace within the event however his second purpose for Canada towards Uruguay was a reminder of how cool he could be in entrance of purpose.

However however, a gripping loss on penalties to Uruguay remains to be a lesson for Canada long-term. At their greatest, they had been in a position to lock down video games and earn gritty outcomes. That they allowed a result in get away from them late within the recreation ought to function a reminder of how troublesome it’s to carry on towards the world’s greatest. Marsch and Canada will undoubtedly look to enhance how they defend late in video games. The outcome itself shouldn’t cloud their performances all through Copa America and the steps this system took ahead as an entire, nevertheless it ought to illustrate the gulf between groups like Venezuela and Uruguay. That’s a gulf Canada will hope to higher perceive in 2026.

Joshua Kloke

Kone’s… standing bicycle?

How do you even describe Kone’s purpose? It was directly a bicycle kick, a hooked volley and a lob, but it was additionally none of these.

A standing bicycle? That almost covers it, nevertheless it nonetheless doesn’t fairly seize the unimaginable invention and athleticism Kone displayed. In that scenario, most gamers would most likely have tried a header, which wouldn’t have labored. Kone got here up with one thing fully novel and had the hamstrings to tug it off.

CANADA TIES IT 🇨🇦

What a end this was by Koné 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zmvEaw692y

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 14, 2024

This, certainly, is what third-place matches are all about. Positive, there’s a bit of additional prize cash on supply however nobody actually cares who wins. They’re, at their greatest, a reminder that taking part in soccer is an finish in itself. No stress, no worries. And Kone’s second of levitation was the final word slice of throwaway genius — even when his penalty within the shootout left so much to be desired.

GO DEEPER

Canada’s Jesse Marsch sees signs of a champion in Ismael Kone

Jack Lang

Did Uruguay have a degree to show?

Uruguay’s gamers have been by way of hell and excessive water in latest days. There was the group’s gutting loss to Colombia within the semifinals after which there was all the pieces that occurred after it — a handful of Uruguayan gamers entered the seating space at Financial institution of America Stadium and clashed with spectators.

Within the aftermath of all of that, event organizers CONMEBOL opened an investigation into the incident, and a few retailers in South America reported that as many as 10 Uruguayan gamers may face some type of disciplinary motion. Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa then turned his pre-match press conference into a chance to ether CONMEBOL for what he mentioned was its safety failings, the situation of the pitches and a bunch of different points.

Bielsa will get near the turf he has little time for (Grant Halverson/Getty Pictures)

Uruguay has confronted their very own criticisms, stylistically. Bielsa’s groups have at all times been high-energy, hard-nosed sides and this present Uruguay squad is not any exception. Their quarterfinal conflict towards Brazil was the event’s dirtiest match, and Bielsa confronted loads of criticism for his facet’s model of play. Canada, too, have typically been accused of taking part in soiled, one thing Marsch balked at earlier than Saturday’s match.

Undoubtedly Bielsa — and Uruguay’s whole squad — entered tonight’s match with a lot to play for past prize cash and the event desk. And with their gutsy efficiency — a stoppage-time equalizer and a few well-struck penalties — they earned a small slice of redemption.

Pablo Maurer

Why had been there so many empty seats?

The presence of Canada and Uruguay on this match was most likely a disappointment to event organizers — neither facet is a large attract the USA. The gang at Financial institution of America Stadium felt nearly comically small at occasions, with large swaths of empty seats current in each the decrease and higher bowls and a complete facet of the higher deck fully empty. It’s additionally maybe value noting that the European Championship does not bother with a third-place playoff.

There have been loads of empty seats (Getty Pictures)

CONMEBOL has mentioned that attendance figures from this tournament are on track to match these of Copa America Centenario in 2016, which was additionally performed in the USA. Ticket costs for group stage and elimination matches alike have reached into the a whole bunch and on the secondary market, they will attain 4 figures. There have been different points: lackluster advertising has led to underwhelming crowds at large NFL stadiums and sweltering warmth has induced points at some matches.

That wasn’t the case on Saturday, on a comparatively good night in Charlotte.

Some are taking a look at this event as a dry run for the 2026 World Cup. It stays to be seen what classes — if any — the organizers of that event will study from this one.

Pablo Maurer

Did Canada’s modified line-up work?

Marsch has been clear from the second he was employed he had one overarching purpose in thoughts: for Canada to contend on dwelling soil on the 2026 World Cup.

Each choice made is with the World Cup in thoughts, and maybe probably the most distinguished instance of that strategy was evident within the line-up Marsch rolled out for the third-place recreation. Canada’s new head coach closely rotated with 4 gamers making their first begin of Copa America.

Marsch’s most well-liked 13 (or so) gamers for 2026 are well-established however his secondary core of gamers have but to emerge. By holding Alphonso Davies, David and Stephen Eustaquio on the bench towards Uruguay and as a substitute beginning the likes of Tani Oluwaseyi, Mathieu Choiniere, Ali Ahmed and most notably, 18-year-old centre-back Luc De Fougerolles, Marsch gave youthful gamers the chance to play useful minutes in a must-win event recreation. It’s a long-term guess that these minutes will repay come 2026 and De Fougerolles, for instance, will grow to be extra accustomed to taking part in troublesome opponents like Uruguay in two years. That Marsch was in a position to make this name suggests the group is all in on what he’s attempting to do for 2026.

GO DEEPER

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Outdoors of some nervy moments from De Fougerolles, Canada’s new starters confirmed nicely. Add it up and Marsch’s choice seems like one other intelligent one.

Joshua Kloke

What did Marsh say?

Canada’s head coach after the match: “The gamers are upset in the way in which that we gave the match away. I used to be very constructive with them, although. We’ve been collectively for six weeks. And to come back into this match, put some new gamers on the pitch, play for me towards among the finest groups on this planet and to completely dominate the match, create huge probabilities, we had been an excessive amount of for them for a lot of the match.”