Crepeau, Canada disappointed in SF effort: 'We've got to dig deeper than that'
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Canada was unable to pull off another upset at the Copa America on Tuesday, falling 2-0 to Argentina in the tournament semifinals.
The Canadians split possession equally with the defending world champions and were outshot only 11 to nine in the loss. The team, however, was still left lamenting their effort over the 90 minutes.
"If we want to be a nation that gains ranking spots and be ready for '26, we've got to dig deeper than that tonight, even though we give a good effort," goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau said. "Even though they are the world champions, everybody on the field feels like we could have done better.
" … We need to regroup and go for third place."
Both of Canada's two losses at the Copa America came against Argentina, with the team having dropped their tournament opener also by a score of 2-0. Manager Jesse Marsch, who took over less than two months ago, led the squad to a win over Peru and a tie with Chile in the group round to advance and Canada advanced out of the quarter-final on penalties against Venezuela.
“The tournament caught up with us a little bit,” Marsch added. “There’s been heat, there’s been travel, there’s been a lot of challenges. ... We’re still at the beginnings of our process, right?
"Argentina has maybe had eight years together, seven years together with this team, and so we need to develop more players that can contribute so that we can also rotate in tournament play, because eventually the physicality and the fatigue can catch up with you.”
While the 2026 FIFA World Cup remains a focus for the Canadians, there's still one more game to be played at the Copa America, with third place on the line Saturday against either Uruguay or Colombia.
"Even though it's not the trophy, we want to get on the podium for the Copa America," Crepeau said of the motivation for Saturday.
Canada can join Honduras and Mexico, a runner-up in 2001 and three-time third-place finisher, as the only non-South American sides to ever reach the podium at the Copa America.