Argentina and Canada Set for Copa América Semifinal Rematch

Argentina, the defending champions, will face off against an upstart Canada squad in a rematch of their tournament opener, with both teams aiming for a spot in the final of the prestigious Copa América.

In a highly anticipated clash, Argentina, the tournament favorite led by the legendary Lionel Messi, will face off against Canada, the surprise package of the Copa América, in a semifinal rematch of their tournament opener. Argentina, the defending Copa América and World Cup champions, are seeking their third consecutive major international trophy. Canada, on the other hand, has emerged as the Cinderella team of the tournament in their first-ever Copa América appearance, putting up impressive performances and upsetting Group B winner Venezuela in the quarterfinals.

Under the stewardship of head coach Jesse Marsch, who was appointed in May, Canada has adopted an aggressive and high-octane style of play reminiscent of the American's approach during his time as a club coach in Europe. It took Marsch just six matches to instill this exciting style in his squad.

Argentina and Canada Set for Copa América Semifinal Rematch

On Tuesday, the two teams will face off again, just 19 days after their tournament opener, which Argentina won 2-0. The star-studded Argentinian team, led by Messi, dominated the second half, with Lautaro Martinez and Julian Álvarez scoring the goals. Canada, despite the defeat, held their own against the formidable opponent, giving them confidence and experience to build upon.

As the teams prepare for the rematch, Canada's familiarity with Argentina could be an advantage, as they have already faced the intimidation of playing against a team of Argentina's caliber on the pitch. The Canadian players have grown in confidence and found their identity more with each game, and they will be looking to use their momentum to pull off another stunning upset.

Argentina, however, is the clear favorite, and their star power and experience at this level will be a significant advantage. The team is well-aware of Canada's newfound confidence and will likely make adjustments to their strategy to counter the Canadians' aggressive style of play.

"When I think about Jesse Marsch, his methodology … It's all gas, no brakes," said FOX Soccer NOW analyst Jimmy Conrad. "If you play a team a second time so quickly, especially a team as high caliber as Argentina, you have to make some adjustments. You can't just be like, ‘Let's go 100 miles an hour again, guys, and see what happens.' That just feels foolish and naive that you wouldn't take some learnings from game one and apply them to game two."

Despite the challenges, Canada remains confident. "I think now that Canada has faced Argentina in a Copa América match, now those nerves are set aside," said FOX Soccer NOW analyst Melissa Ortiz. "They're finding their identity more, game by game. Now they know what they've experienced in these last matches, especially against Venezuela, where they can press and push up high — but they can't get caught too high. And that's especially [true] against Argentina. So there's gonna be a lot of tactical work in these next few days leading to the [semifinal]."

Former Jamaican international and FOX Soccer NOW analyst Wes Morgan agrees, stating that Marsch is too intelligent to try the same strategy against Argentina twice and expect a different result. "The approach he went for in the Venezuela game, surely he won't go for the same approach with Argentina," said Morgan. "You have to respect Argentina's best players. He won't take them for granted. But at the same time, I'm sure he wants to impose himself on the game, not sit back and absorb pressure and hope to nick something."

While Argentina is the clear favorite, anything can happen in football, and Canada will undoubtedly be giving it their all to reach the final. The match promises to be a thrilling encounter between two teams with contrasting styles and motivations.