5 thoughts from Canada's hard-fought loss to Argentina

Canada made its Copa America debut with a valiant effort against Argentina on Thursday, giving the reigning World Cup and South American champion a real fight before ultimately succumbing to a 2-0 defeat. There were elements of the performance that will have Jesse Marsch genuinely excited about the potential of his new team, while other aspects still need fine-tuning. What did Canada do well, and what can be improved? Here are the biggest takeaways from a thrilling, back-and-forth affair in Atlanta that could have seen several more goals scored at either end:

Canada can hang at this level

Yes, this is similar to the discussion we had following Canada's showing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. And yes, at some point, just "hanging" with elite opposition won't be enough - more on that soon. But in the wake of a coaching change, high-profile veteran departures, and significant off-field turmoil that threatened to derail the progress and good vibes that took so long to build, Thursday's hard-fought loss was an important opportunity for Canada to remind itself, and everyone else, that it belongs on this stage, going blow-for-blow with the world's top-ranked men's team and not backing down.

Argentina had more possession, shots, and, eventually, clear-cut chances after a late surge to put the game away. But Canada, aside from gift wrapping a 60-yard breakaway for Angel Di Maria, enjoyed the better opportunities in the first half. That's nothing to scoff at; Canada's nine shot attempts is the most Argentina has faced in its last 15 games.

Canada's goalless draw in its final pretournament tuneup against France was encouraging, but that was only a friendly, and, let's be real, Kylian Mbappe only played the last 15 minutes. Against Lionel Messi - for 90 minutes - in a match that truly mattered, Canada held its own for long stretches.

When will the goals start flowing?

Encouraging as certain elements of the performance were, you eventually need to grow beyond moral victories. You eventually need to win. Alphonso Davies' disappointment in the immediate aftermath of the loss was a good sign. The new captain knows that it's time for results.

To do that, Canada first has to find a way to score. Not dissimilar to the World Cup opener against Belgium two years ago, the Canadians crafted multiple opportunities versus Argentina and wasted them all. Stephen Eustaquio, with the game still goalless in the first half, sent a point-blank header right at Emi Martinez. Jonathan David, who has 71 league goals in four seasons for Lille, has, thus far, been unable to replicate that form for Canada at major tournaments. He, too, missed a close-range header. Multiple cutbacks from Davies, despite causing confusion and panic in the Argentine penalty area, didn't culminate in a goal.

Some shots were blocked, a few sailed wide, and others didn't come off at all despite dangerous positions being found. There was always something that conspired to keep Canada off the board. For all the solid play, Canada still hasn't found the net in three games under Marsch. Those matches came against three of the best teams on the planet, in fairness, but it's an issue.

"I'm not too concerned about not finishing," Marsch told reporters, according to The Athletic. "I know that over time when you get those kinds of quality chances, you're going to score enough goals, and we have enough quality on the pitch." That's generally true - expected goals, eventually, will yield actual goals, but this isn't club soccer where you have the luxury of a full 38-game season for your finishing to regress to the mean. Canada must be more clinical in key moments to take the next step, especially against top teams that are more than happy to punish your profligacy.

Messi makes the difference

Duh.

Canada, which picked its spots to press throughout the game, stifled Argentina in the first half by dropping into a mid-block, forcing the ball side-to-side and maintaining an aggressive defensive line so that Messi couldn't drift into the inviting pockets of space that he has been finding his entire glorious career. It worked. At one point late in the first half, the Argentine magician retreated all the way into his own end, just in front of the defense, to pick up the ball after not getting a touch for several minutes. The sense of frustration was obvious from him, his teammates, and the partisan crowd.

At this level, against this player, that concentration, intensity, and attention to detail needs to be constant for 90 minutes. It's a lot to ask, but when there's even a slight dip, you get punished. Against nearly anyone else in the world, there would be little to worry about in this situation, where Messi received a short pass after an Argentina throw-in:

(Courtesy: TSN)

Against Messi, though, that split-second of space is the difference between winning and losing. Argentina had the ball in the net for the opening goal five seconds after the frame above, breaking the deadlock and taking control of the contest early in the second half after Messi slipped the ball through a lane that didn't exist moments earlier.

It's a minor miracle he didn't score a goal of his own despite having six shots and two clear breakaways, but as Canada pushed for an equalizer and left more gaps to exploit, Messi became more prevalent, setting up Lautaro Martinez's clinching goal with the same type of inch-perfect through ball that led to the icebreaker above. The diminutive icon, who turns 37 on Monday, has now recorded 17 Copa America assists since teeing up his first helper in 2011. In that time frame, no other player has more than five.

Cornelius can anchor the defense

Central defense has long been a pain point for Canada. While the overall quality of the squad improved rapidly in every other area in recent years, finding one mobile, modern center-back to anchor the side, let alone two, remained elusive. Frankly, it was aggravating. Not anymore. Derek Cornelius is the guy. The 26-year-old was a rock against Argentina.

While defensive partner Moise Bombito alternated between moments of excellence and uncertainty - not unusual for a 24-year-old center-back in the biggest game of his life - Cornelius held the backline together.

He won all five of his tackles, led the team in defensive clearances, and added three blocks, including his heroic effort to stick with the play and thwart what looked like a certain Messi goal in the second half. Cornelius has already endured something of a nomadic career. After breaking through in the lower tiers of German soccer, he spent a year in Serbia, returned to his homeland for a stint in Major League Soccer, and then went to Greece for a season before settling at Swedish side Malmo. If he keeps performing like this for Canada, European clubs higher up the food chain will come calling. He could be on the move once more very soon.

Crepeau solidifies No. 1 spot

Maxime Crepeau had to wait for his chance. With veteran shot-stopper Milan Borjan holding court between the sticks, Crepeau's opportunities were limited. In a bitter blow, a broken leg in the 2022 MLS Cup final, suffered just weeks before the World Cup, ruled him out of the competition in Qatar and robbed him of the potential opportunity of a lifetime. He bounced back, though.

Marsch refused to confirm his starting goalkeeper in the buildup to Thursday's match. He gave Crepeau and Dayne St. Clair one chance each in the team's two pretournament friendlies but ultimately gave the nod to the former against Argentina. It was, quite clearly, the correct choice.

Ignoring the obvious disclaimer - it's not a good sign for the team overall when your goalkeeper has to stand on his head - Crepeau was sensational at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He made seven saves, turning aside multiple guilt-edged chances. He was quick and, for the most part, very decisive coming off his line and outside his area, sweeping up several balls that were played over the top of Canada's high defensive line. A late bloomer who didn't get an extended look in MLS until 2019, Crepeau just firmly established himself as Marsch's No. 1 netminder.

Quick hits

Davies, Millar have chemistry: The burgeoning relationship between Davies and Liam Millar on the left flank is becoming a real strength for Canada. The pair interchanges well, and Millar's craftiness on the ball and ability to cut inside onto his favored right foot opens up space for Davies to race down the left, where he can use his world-class speed to roast the opposing full-back, just as he did twice in a five-minute span in the first half.

Shaffelburg is a weapon: Toronto FC are going to want a mulligan on this one, because Jacob Shaffelburg is a baller. The rapid winger, after some brief flashes of brilliance very early in his career, is putting all the pieces together and caused Argentina constant headaches after entering the game in the second half. He came within inches of winning a penalty - the frustrating idiosyncrasies of VAR mean he didn't even get a free-kick for a clear foul by Lisandro Martinez - and was a source of real danger on the right side with his combination of skill and speed.

David's defensive work: David's frustrating inability to find the back of the net for his country in major tournaments will, eventually, be rectified. It has to be. His scoring record at club level is no accident. The goals will come - sooner rather than later, please, Jonathan. While some forwards would allow their head to drop and their game to suffer during a drought, David continues to put in a huge amount of effort in the defensive phase, dropping deeper to cut off passing lanes to opposing midfielders and doing the dirty work necessary in his own end to win free-kicks and relieve pressure.

Buchanan's impact limited: Similarly, Tajon Buchanan was asked to work his socks off on the right wing when out of possession. He had to tuck inside to offer midfield support in Argentina's initial buildup phase and then race back out wide when Lionel Scaloni's team inevitably played a big cross-field switch to left-back Marcos Acuna. The offshoot was that Buchanan's opportunities to drive forward with the ball at his feet, his best attribute, were limited before he was substituted prior to the hour mark.