By Canadian Press

Five things to know as Canada meets Uruguay in Copa America consolation final

Jul 12, 2024 | 1:08 PM

After losing to Lionel Messi and Argentina in the semifinals, Canada will conclude its dramatic run at this year’s Copa America on Saturday (8 p.m. ET) in a third-place showdown with Uruguay.

Here are five things to know for the match at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

LAST TIME OUT — Canada and Uruguay met for just the second time on Sept. 27, 2022, with the South Americans coming away with a 2-0 victory in a World Cup tune-up at Bratislava, Slovakia. Nicolás de la Cruz, six minutes into the match, and Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez scored for Uruguay. Canada had seven corners in the game and led in shots, shots on target and possession but couldn’t score. Uruguay defeated Canada 3-1 at the 1986 Miami Cup in the only other meeting between the nations.

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STIFF COMPETITION — No. 48 Canada will face a higher-ranked team for the fifth time in six games in the tournament against No. 14 Uruguay. Canada has also played No. 1 Argentina twice (both 2-0 losses, including in the semifinals), No. 31 Peru (1-0 win) and No. 40 Chile (0-0 draw). Canada’s only game against a lower-ranked opponent was a 4-3 win on penalty kicks against No. 54 Venezuela in the quarterfinals following a 1-1 draw through regulation and extra time.

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SELECT COMPANY — Teams outside South America generally have not fared well at the event since CONMEBOL, the continent’s governing body of soccer, started inviting teams from other federations in 1993. Canada would be just the third CONCACAF team to finish in the top three with a win on Saturday, joining Mexico (three times) and Honduras (once). Mexico has also finished runner-up on two occasions.

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PAST SUCCESS — While still a strong soccer nation, Uruguay used to be a powerhouse. The country won the inaugural World Cup in 1930 as host and another title in 1950, beating host and rival Brazil 2-1 in the final. Uruguay also entered this year’s Copa America tied with Argentina for the most South American titles at 15. But the country’s last Copa America title came in 2011, and it hasn’t reached medal contention at the World Cup since finishing fourth in 2010 with a team featuring star strikers Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan and Edinson Cavani.

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LINEUPS IN QUESTION — Both teams could face lineup challenges in Saturday’s game. Canada captain Alphonso Davies sustained a leg injury in the semifinal loss to Argentina. While an X-ray came back negative and the injury isn’t considered serious, he has not been confirmed for the third-place game. Meanwhile, Uruguay is coming off a physical and emotional 1-0 loss to Colombia in the semifinals that saw some of its players, including Nunez, enter the stands and join an altercation with fans. CONMEBOL had yet to announce any suspensions stemming from the melee.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press