CANADA REACHED THE semi-finals of the Copa America on Friday after beating Venezuela 4-3 on penalties after the 90-minute game finished 1-1.
Jacob Shaffelburg fired Canada into the lead in the 13th minute but Salomon Rondon equalised in the 64th, before Canada triumphed in the shoot-out to set0up a last-four meeting with world champions Argentina.
The Canadians, under American coach Jesse Marsch, who only took over the team in mid-May, are playing in the Copa America for the first time and produced a relentless display of pressing in what was a frantic game.
Both teams failed to score from the spot twice in the shoot-out, leaving it at 3-3 after five penalties each and sending the contest into sudden death.
Canada keeper Max Crepeau, who had made a major error for Venezuela’s equaliser, made amends as he saved Wilker Angel’s kick.
That left Ismael Kone with the chance to win the game. He converted with an ice-cool penalty to set off the celebrations in front of a crowd of 51,080 mostly Venezuela supporting fans.
Canada played Argentina in the opening game of the group stage, losing 2-0 to the defending champions and will start as huge underdogs again in the semi-final.
But after a performance of remarkable energy and determination against a Venezuela team that won all three of their group stage games, Marsch will believe his team could pull off another upset and reach the final in Miami on 14 July.
“Everybody needs to realise the respect this country deserves and these footballers deserve,” Crepeau told Fox Sports afterwards.
“Everybody says ‘these Canadians’, well these Canadians are in the semi-finals of Copa America.”
