The great veteran Luis Suarez came off the bench to rescue Uruguay with two goals and guide the Charrua to the conquest of third place by beating Canada with a score of 4-3, where the presence of the former World Cup player allowed the team led by Marcelo Bielsa to save a very lackluster match and truly affected emotionally after the bellicose elimination in the semi-finals at the hands of Colombia.
The great veteran put on his hero’s cape as we already said and with those two goals, the first of them with a last-minute goal that tied the game 2-2 and sent the fight for third place to a penalty shootout. And the second, to define the penalty shootout 4-3, taking advantage of the fact that the star of the Maple Leaf team, Alphonso Davies, was exquisite, and with a Panenka-style shot he crashed the ball into the crossbar to kill the Canadians’ hopes of getting into the top three places in the 2024 Copa America.
Suarez’s attitude was one of the highlights in a match that went from less to more and where Canada had control of the action for most of the 90 minutes, despite Rodrigo Bentancur’s goal after eight minutes of action, as the Canadians recovered in the 22nd minute with a great goal by Ismael Kone, which in the blink of an eye took the possession of the actions away from the Charrua in the duel held at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte (North Carolina).
That dominance meant that Canada had practically won the match with Jonathan David’s goal in the 80th minute, rubbing their hands together to take third place, not to mention that Uruguay had surprises prepared for them at the end of the match with the appearance of Luis Suarez, first tying the game with a goal in the 92nd minute and then in the decisive penalty shoot-out.
As we said, the team led by Marcelo “Loco” Bielsa did not play well, because its players were out of concentration, perhaps due to the brawl they were involved in at the end of the match with the Colombian fans under the unconfirmed pretext that their families were in danger, but which in the end left their image very tarnished.
Canada left with their heads held high
Without a doubt, Canada, beyond the defeat on penalties against Uruguay this Saturday in a penalty shootout, undoubtedly left the Copa America with its head held high with fourth place in the competition, proving that it is currently the best team in Concacaf and the one with the greatest aspirations for the 2026 World Cup, which it will co-host with Mexico and the United States.
The team led by Jesse Marsch was a reflection of the ambitious and young Canadian coach, who laid the foundations for a new style of football for the team from the north of the American continent and where in each match he showed that he could have the chances of reaching the final game.
This was no exception against Uruguay, who went from strength to strength in the match, leaving them at the mercy of the Canadians who were moments away from taking third place, but they never expected that the bravery and personality of a great veteran like Luis Suarez, the teammate of Argentine Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, would have a surprise in store for them.
Luis Suarez changed the game
In what was practically his last Copa America, Luis Suarez came off the bench and with two goal opportunities in the dying moments of the game set up the scenario to extend the game to penalties. The first chance was in the 91st minute, but goalkeeper Dayne St. Claire prevented him from doing so. A minute later he would have the second and now he would put it in the net with an assist from Jose Maria Gimenez to decide the match in penalties.
Uruguay were perfect from the penalty spot. Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Giorgian De Arrascaeta scored to put pressure on Canada, with Kone and Davies missing their attempts.
Suarez scored confidently and put the burden on Davies. The Bayern Munich full-back attempted a Panenka-style shot but sent the ball off the crossbar and left third place in the hands of Uruguay.
