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Bristol City And Ashton Gate Eight
You may have thought that clubs getting into financial difficulty was a recent phenomenon. The plight of Portsmouth, Luton, Chester City and Halifax Town are well documented as well as many other clubs who have entered administration over recent years, including Southampton, Swansea, Crystal Palace and Derby County. But this is not a new feature of a post Premier League English football industry, as the circumstances surrounding Bristol City in the early 80’s, illustrates.
In 1975-76 the club finished second to Sunderland in the old Second Division to earn promotion to the First Division for the first time in over 60 years. They engineered an amazing escape from the jaws of relegation in their first season. By 1979 they had their best league finish since the First World War when they ended 13th. But the story after that was one sorry tale after another as the club fell alarmingly into freefall. Three successive relegations followed and soon the debts mounted up. But these were days when clubs’ finances weren’t common knowledge. The board tried desperately to put on a brave face but eventually it became too much and the cracks started to show.
One aspect which was undeniable was the falling attendances. Their final home game of the 1976-77 season saw a record 38,688 turned up to watch the newly-crowned champions, Liverpool. Two weeks before, 23,587 witnessed the visit of Leeds United. But barely 5 years later and there was just 6,586 turning up to see a game against Doncaster and even the arrival of a local rival, Plymouth Argyle could only encourage 7,471 to turn up. It was clear the club would not be able to maintain the spending of their First Division days. During their time at English football’s top table, the PFA announced a change which would have disastrous consequences for City.
In 1978 the PFA announced that a player’s right to move at the end of his contract would be fully recognised and a proper, more efficient procedure was put in place to accentuate this. Clubs like City, relied heavily on the transfer income some of their best players would command. But the prospect of losing a player who they couldn’t convince to sign a new contract, sent shockwaves through many clubs the size of City.
The club was desperately trying to make the most of their playing squad. In 1979 one of their most promising defenders, Gary Collier, moved to Coventry for peanuts and this deal infuriated manager, Alan Dicks. Collier, the club’s Player of the Year in 1975, had already won England honours at Under-23 level and was touted as a good prospect capable of playing for a big First Division club. As Coventry had escaped relegation on the same day City had in 1977, they were a long way from being the sort of club many people saw Collier potentially playing for. Bristol City were annoyed they hadn’t been able to cash in on a young player they’d invested much time in, when a season or two before they had more control over the player’s destination. The shockwaves forced Dicks to make some decisions which almost sent the club into oblivion. They didn’t realise it at the time, of course, but the consequences were fatal, but they lead to a famous incident in the club’s history where several players sacrificed their own careers to save the club.
Dicks, determined not to have another ‘Collier-effect’ signed six of the club’s best players onto eleven year contracts. His reasoning was that this would give the club complete control over these players and if they still decided to sell them, then they would no longer run the risk of missing out on a fat transfer fee. It must be remembered that these were pre-Bosman days
At the end of the 1979-80 season the club’s flirt with the First Division was over
Once they dropped out of the First Division, the man who had masterminded their rise to the top, Alan Dicks, was dispensed with. They drew the first three games of the new season, then lost the next six and so Dicks had to go. Enter Roy Hodgson. Hodgson was working in Sweden alongside Bobby Houghton who had taken Malmo to the European Cup Final in 1979 where they lost to Nottingham Forest. Houghton was brought back to England by the City board and he asked Hodgson to help him. Hodgson had been considering an offer from Dallas but decided on City where he, rather ironically, claimed
“I had to decide whether to stay on in Sweden or not. Bristol City seems well organised so I hope to able to concentrate on the coaching side with Bob”.
The two enthusiastic coaches were keen to talk a good game. They’d transformed Swedish football during their 5 years there and firmly believed they could resurrect City. 1980-81 saw a second successive relegation.
The club was in freefall and the fans stayed away in their droves. Only 4,832 turned up to watch a home defeat to Burnley in November 1981 which left the club 6th from bottom in Division Three This was the lowest attendance since the War at Ashton Gate and a sign that things were going hopelessly wrong. But Houghton and Hodgson seemed intent to paint a positive picture and in some way they were probably guilty of either being duped by the board or simply choosing not to face facts. Hodgson would later admit.
“When we came the club was rock bottom and the first thing we had to do was sell players. We ended up with a junior team playing in a league of men. We were not made aware of the situation before we arrived. The club had only just been relegated from the old First Division. We thought it can’t be that bad, we’ll get them promoted. We were very confident in our coaching ability and thought we could turn the club around”.
Further evidence of the board’s efforts to paper over the cracks was the signing of Mick Harford in August 1981. Harford, a big traditional centre-forward had made his name at Lincoln City, earning him a big money move to Newcastle, who were in the Second Division, at the beginning of 1981. After just 8 months Harford moved to Bristol City for £160,000. It was a strange move for the player, who left a Second Division club to join a club who’d just been relegated to the Third. Moreover, it was a suicidal move for City themselves, although no one really knew it at the time. Yet around this time one or two people started to ask questions.
Local journalist, Peter Godsiff, had started to make noises about the fact the club had been spending far more than they were bringing in and he even reckoned the operating costs were probably five times the money earned at the gate. In October 1981 two local businessmen, Ken Sage and Deryn Coller, got together to find out more about the club’s finances. They attended an AGM and asked enough questions to eventually persuade the board to conduct an independent financial report. Actually, Coller had managed to have a quiet word with Chairman, Archie Gooch, and he agreed Coller and Sage would pay for the report. The club had targeted gates of 8,000 to pay their way but they were struggling to get anywhere near that. In October they sold young striker, Kevin Mabbutt (Gary’s brother) to Crystal Palace for £100,000. This was a big blow for the club as they had pinned their hopes on the Mabbutt/Harford partnership. Clive Whitehead was then sold to West Brom for £100,000. Whitehead had been an instrumental part of the promotion side of 75-76 and the subsequent First Division years.
The club finally admitted their plight telling shareholders they’d made a loss of £400,000 the previous year. In November, Gooch wrote in the programme appealing for help. 1981 ended with a defeat at bitter rivals, Bristol Rovers and City were 4th from bottom having won just 5 out of 16 matches.. In January 1982 the bottom club, Wimbledon, turned up at Ashton Gate and promptly came away with a 3-1 win. That was the last straw for Houghton who resigned, and Hodgson took overall management control.
Off the pitch the financial report had identified the huge debt the club had and suggested various options open to them to deal with it, including unloading the biggest liabilities, do a deal with creditors, do a deal with the Football League, do a deal with the old company on the sale of the ground and do a deal with the eight players who were on the biggest contracts and comprised the largest part of the liability. It must be said the Football League were unused to this sort of situation. Clubs had gone bust before this, but they had generally fallen out of the league first. Bristol City was a club who just 18 months before had been competing in the First Division. Now oblivion beckoned.
Hodgson’s first match in charge was a trip to Peterborough in the FA Cup Third Round. They won 1-0. His first two League matches were creditable draws at home to Huddersfield and away at Newport County. In between those two matches, they played host to Aston Villa in the FA Cup. Over 20,000 turned up for the game, a crowd not seen at Ashton Gate since the glory days. Gary Shaw scored the only goal of the game to knock City out, but attention soon reverted to their league plight.
At the end of January 1982, City were still in the bottom four, 2pts from safety when it all came crashing down around their ears. The Football League imposed a selling ban on the club, mainly due to the fact they still owed Newcastle £100,000 for the Harford deal. At this point the club announced that eight players had to leave for the club to continue. These eight players became known as the Ashton Gate Eight.
They were Geoff Merrick, Gerry Sweeney, Trevor Tainton, Julian Marshall, Peter Aitken, Chris Garland, David Rodgers, Jimmy Mann.
Merrick, Sweeney, Tainton and Mann had been in the promotion side of 75-76 and throughout the First Division years. Garland had been the inspiration for their great escape in their first season in the top flight and Rodgers had been the replacement for Collier, whose transfer to Coventry was possibly the precursor to many of the problems.
Interestingly it was the PFA who intervened to help rather than the Football League or The FA. The negotiations resulted in The Eight ripping up their contracts and thereby dissolving their debt from the club. Management now passed to a new company, Bristol City (1982) Ltd and this ensured the jobs of other PFA members and those employed by Bristol City were protected. During the longest week in the club’s history there were daily updates in the local press and on the radio. Many supporters have spoken of the stress and pressure of never knowing whether there would be a club to go and watch at the weekend. The players came under increasing pressure too. Merrick later spoke of being bitter about his loyalty towards the club. “Loyalty is a complete and utter waste of time. Loyalty is a dirty word”, he said. The Eight were making the ultimate sacrifice in football terms, yet some of them received abusive phone calls and many fans accused them of holding the club to ransom.
It’s true you could argue they would’ve received nothing anyway as the club had nothing, but they would still have had a debt against the club and this would’ve caused the new company problems when they were trying to move on. According to Coller, The Eight walked away with £10,000 but they were unemployed and for a player of Merrick’s age he would never find another professional contract. Many of the other creditors had to accept much lower settlements just to make sure the whole deal went through with some of them taking as little as 10% of the amount they were due. But then had they refused that, then the club would’ve gone bankrupt and they would’ve got nothing.
The club began a massive advertising campaign to get people to invest in a share issue which would purchase the ground. They needed to raise £600,000 and everywhere around the city you could see stickers “Support Bristol City Football Club, Now or Never”.
“at one minute past 12 on Wednesday 3rd February the club was going into liquidation if the players had not signed that document”
Coller and Sage found two other people willing to raise £12,500 each to come up with the £50,000 needed to set up the new plc. Coller later spoke of the stress he was under too, as he nearly lost his house and his wife who thought all the hours he was spending in meetings were actually being spent with another woman. At the beginning of February 1982 the new BCFC (1982) Ltd was incorporated and set about buying the ground, making the club the tenant. They had to act fast as there were rumours flying around of other interested parties who would buy the ground and not necessarily for the benefit, or future of the club. The directors kept putting in money to get the project up and running and Coller admitted to funding the club to a personal total of £70,000 for the first six months. A sum which was all he had in the world.
Next match at home to Fulham – Moller, Stevens, Hay, Newman, Williams, Nicholls, Musker, Bray, Chandler, Harford, Economou, sub: Smith
In a strange coincidence the Fulham side that day contained Sean O’Driscoll, who is the current manager of Bristol City. It also contained Ray Lewington, who now works alongside Roy Hodgson with England, and of course Hodgson was the Bristol City boss that day.
“Last Saturday’s match at Newport came at the end of one of the most traumatic weeks in the history of Bristol City. The events off the field overshadowed the normal week’s training.
Everyone at the club was uncertain about the future and the game at Newport was played under the shadow of redundancies and closure of the club.
It was hardly ideal preparation and I must admit I was a little worried about how the players would react as we were going across the Severn Bridge.”
City fans have spoken about their team being “full of kids”, yet they received a rapturous welcome from a relieved home crowd of just over 9,000. The game was a goalless draw which, given the circumstances leading up to it, was a great achievement for City. In the week they were beaten at Plymouth but then travelled to Walsall, who were 6th, and came away with a 1-0 victory. It was their first win in the league since early November (9 matches) and was the start of a run of 3 wins in 4 matches. But the optimism didn’t last and they went through March and April without another win, a run of 12 games where they picked up just 2pts. They lost 6 games in a row, scoring just once. Mick Harford was sold to Birmingham City and goalkeeper, Jan Moller, had moved to Toronto Blizzard. When City lost at Chesterfield towards the end of March they only had 12 available players. By then City were 2nd from bottom and another relegation seemed on the cards. 4th May 1982 they went to Huddersfield and were thumped 0-5 and this consigned them to a third successive relegation, which was a record at the time.
15th May 1982 at their final home game of the season, 1,034 turned up to see City beat Chester City 1-0. Hodgson was sacked and went back to Sweden. His replacement was Terry Cooper, who had been part of ‘the great’ Leeds side of the 60’s and 70’s and had recently been player-manager at Bristol Rovers. Cooper is credited by City fans as reviving the club by working miracles in finding youth players, doing loan deals and scouring free transfers to keep the club going on a shoestring.
From the top flight to the bottom in successive seasons, it was Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ in football terms. Bankruptcy loomed and a survival plan was dreamed up. The old club would be wound up and a new company would take over the club’s title and fixtures. The League approved but it could only happen if eight players agreed to tear up their contracts.
The professional careers and the home lives of those eight heroes, many of whom I’d known since the age of 12, were the acceptable collateral damage for the suited boardroom money men who’d allowed the chaos to loom in the first place.
My dad, who worked for the club, continued on for a couple of years for a pittance. His love affair had turned sordid.”
But Bristol City survived, although they have yet to make it back to the First Division/Premier League they reached the League Cup Semi-Finals in 1988-89 and have won the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy twice, in 1986 and 2003 and have been beaten finalists in 1987 and 2000.
Bristol City has never forgotten ‘The Eight’ and the Supporters Club has erected a plaque in their honour. On 24th March 1982 there was a special match at Ashton Gate between Ipswich Town and Southampton where a crowd of 6,020 turned up to help raise money for them. At the time both clubs were in the top five in First Division. The players concerned have since spoken about their experience and have all said they were completely unaware of the financial state of the club, although Peter Aitken said he ‘was not surprised’ given the falling attendances and salaries of some of the players. There is clearly some bitterness amongst The Eight who feel they still receive bad press from some quarters. Given only Garland played much league football after 1982, the whole business was clearly something they never got over.
Sources – Deryn Coller Story 1982
Argentina will be aiming for a record-breaking 16th Copa America title when they take on Colombia
The Copa America 2024 is set for an electrifying conclusion as defending champions Argentina face off against Colombia at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida on Sunday. This highly anticipated final marks the first-ever Copa America final meeting between these two footballing powerhouses. Argentina aim to secure a record-breaking 16th title, making them the most successful side in the competition’s history.
Argentina’s road to the final has been marked by grit and determination. They navigated a nerve-wracking penalty shootout against Ecuador in the quarter-finals before securing a comfortable 2-0 victory over Canada in the semi-finals. Julian Alvarez opened the scoring, followed by a historic goal from Lionel Messi, who now stands as the second-highest male goalscorer in international football with 109 goals.
Argentina’s unbeaten streak now extends to 10 matches, and they remain unbeaten in major tournament knockout games on American soil since the 1994 World Cup. It is no understatement that they go into the clash as favourites.
Colombia are no pushovers, however. They have been in exceptional form. Since their 1-0 loss to Argentina in World Cup qualifying in February 2022, they have embarked on a record-breaking unbeaten run of 28 matches.
Jefferson Lerma’s header gave Colombia the lead before Daniel Munoz’s red card put them at a numerical disadvantage against Uruguay. Despite this setback, Colombia’s resilience shone through as they held on to secure their place in the final. The victory over Uruguay was marred by a brawl involving Uruguayan players and Colombian supporters, but Colombia’s focus remained unwavering. This final represents a chance for Colombia to end a long wait since their first Copa America triumph in 2001.
Team News and Predicted XI
Argentina
For the final, Argentina face no injury or suspension issues. Head coach Lionel Scaloni is expected to maintain an unchanged lineup. The defence will feature a solid back four with Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, and Nicolas Tagliafico, with Emiliano Martinez as the goalkeeper.
In the midfield, Enzo Fernandez and Rodrigo De Paul are anticipated to keep their places, even though Giovani Lo Celso and Exequiel Palacios are pushing for a start. Angel Di Maria is poised for his international farewell on the right wing. Alexis Mac Allister, who has been impressive on the international stage, will play a crucial role, linking up with Messi from the midfield.
Lionel Messi, who overcame a leg injury to play the full match against Canada, will lead the attack alongside Julian Alvarez. Lautaro Martinez, the tournament’s top scorer, is expected to begin on the bench and should be brought on in the second half.
Predicted Playing XI (4-4-2): Emi. Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lis. Martinez, Tagliafico; Mac Allister, E. Fernandez, De Paul, Di Maria; Messi, Alvarez
Colombia
With Daniel Munoz suspended, Santiago Arias is set to start at right-back, joining Davinson Sanchez, Carlos Cuesta, and Johan Mojica in a solid four-man backline. Camilo Vargas will likely be the goalkeeper.
In midfield, Jefferson Lerma and Richard Ríos are expected to form the double pivot, providing protection for the defence and allowing the attacking players to push forward.
Captain James Rodriguez, who has recorded a tournament-high six assists, will continue in the number 10 role. He will be supported by Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and Fluminense’s Jhon Arias on the flanks.
Jhon Cordoba, who has contributed with two goals and two assists, is expected to lead the attack, with Jhon Duran and Rafael Santos Borre available as options.
Predicted Playing XI (4-2-3-1): Vargas; Santiago Arias, Sanchez, Cuesta, Mojica; Rios, Lerma; Jhon Arias, Rodriguez, Diaz; Cordoba
Key Stats
- Victory will see Argentina win their 16th Copa America title, making them the most successful side in the competition’s illustrious history.
- Colombia are unbeaten in their last 28 international games.
- Argentina have won 26 of their 43 meetings against Colombia in all competitions.
- A win for Colombia will see them win just their second Copa America title, their first since 2001.
Match Deciding Duel
Enzo Fernandez (Argentina) vs James Rodriguez (Colombia)
Argentina have been solid in defence and penetrating their backline has proven to be a challenge for most sides in the competition. Colombia have a rather dynamic attack but will depend on the veteran James Rodriguez to act as the playmaker.
With the likes of Luis Diaz able to make the most of opportunities, the onus will be on Enzo Fernandez to ensure Rodriguez does not have space to manoeuvre in. The duel between the two players could certainly set the tone for which way the cookie crumbles on the night.
Prediction
Argentina 2-1 Colombia
The clash is likely to be an entertaining one with the midfield battle expected to set the tone for the result. Argentina. however, have more strength in depth and the ability to bring a player of Lautaro Martinez’s calibre off the bench in the second half is akin to a cheat code. The Inter Milan star is expected to lead the defending champions to a close 2-1 win on the night.
Spain and England will face off for continental supremacy in the Euro 2024 final
As Euro 2024 reaches its climax, the football world braces for a thrilling final between Spain and England at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. This highly anticipated match will determine the champions of Europe, with Spain looking to add to their illustrious history and England aiming to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy for the first time.
Spain, guided by Luis de la Fuente, entered the tournament somewhat under the radar but quickly established themselves as a formidable contender. They navigated the so-called ‘Group of Death’ with ease, securing nine points from three matches against Croatia, Italy, and Albania. Impressively, they emerged from the group stage without conceding a goal to an opposition player.
In the knockout stages, Spain demonstrated their resilience and quality. A stunning 4-1 comeback against Georgia in the last-16 and a tense extra-time victory over hosts Germany in the quarter-finals showcased their grit and talent. The semi-final against France was another test of their mettle, with young star Lamine Yamal lighting up the Allianz Arena and Dani Olmo sealing the win.
Spain’s journey to the final has not been without challenges, but their blend of experience and youthful exuberance has seen them through. They now stand on the brink of history, aiming to become the first European men’s team to win four major tournaments consecutively.
England’s Euro 2024 campaign has been a rollercoaster. Gareth Southgate’s men had a mixed group stage, winning only once against Serbia and drawing against Denmark and Slovenia. Their knockout phase has been a tale of resilience and drama, coming from behind in both the last-16 and quarter-finals.
A lacklustre win over Slovakia and a penalty shootout victory against Switzerland set the stage for a semi-final clash with the Netherlands. Despite early setbacks, including a goal from Dutch prodigy Xavi Simons, England produced their best performance of the tournament. A late winner from Ollie Watkins, following a perfect penalty from Harry Kane, propelled them to their second consecutive Euro final.
Southgate’s squad has shown incredible determination and character, setting new records along the way. Kane’s scoring feats and the team’s ability to perform under pressure have been pivotal to their success.
We take a look at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News and Predicted XI
Spain
Spain’s bad-tempered quarter-final against Germany saw Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand fall foul of the referee, leading to their suspensions for the semi-final. Both players are now back at De la Fuente’s disposal, bringing much-needed fresh legs to the Roja XI. Carvajal will replace Jesus Navas, while Le Normand should push Nacho to the bench.
Spain are expected to maintain a 4-3-3 formation with Unai Simon in goal. Daniel Carvajal and Marc Cucurella should hold the flanks in defence, while Robin Le Normand and Aymeric Laporte should form the centre-back pairing. Rodri should form the midfield pivot, with Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz pushing forward.
Skipper Alvaro Morata should lead the line with the electric duo of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams providing support. Morata was initially a concern given his freak injury after the win against France. Thankfully for Spain, he trained normally and should lead them out.
Predicted Playing XI (4-3-3): Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Cucurella; Ruiz, Rodri, Olmo; Yamal, Morata, Williams
England
England arrive in Berlin with a fully fit squad, including Luke Shaw, who has recovered from injury. Shaw’s performance against Switzerland and his effective stint in the semi-final suggests he may start, replacing Kieran Trippier at left-back.
Southgate is likely to stick with his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. Jordan Pickford will guard the goal, with a back three of John Stones, Harry Maguire, and Marc Guehi.
Shaw and Kyle Walker will operate as wing-backs, while Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham form the midfield pivot. Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka will support captain Harry Kane in attack. Southgate has enough game-changers on the bench and it remains to be seen if he will have the nerve to make bold calls or play the long game and roll the dice.
Predicted Playing XI (4-3-3): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi; Saka, Mainoo, Rice, Shaw; Bellingham, Foden; Kane
Key Stats
- A victory on the night will see Spain secure their fourth title, making them the most successful side in the competition’s history.
- A win for England will see them triumph in the European Championships for the first time in their history.
- Spain and England have faced off 27 times in all competitions. La Roja have won 10 games while England have won 14. Three games ended in a draw.
- England have never lost to Spain in a UEFA European Championship clash before.
Match Deciding Duel
Lamine Yamal (Spain) vs Luke Shaw (Spain)
Lamal has been a critical difference-maker for Spain in this year’s tournament and will hope to end it on a high. Up against the recently returned Luke Shaw, he will aim to run rings against the English veteran.
Shaw’s ability to get caught out could provide Yamal the space he needs to run into and put the English backline into disarray. This should also subsequently free up Dani Olmo to make his trademarks into the box.
Prediction
Spain 1-1 England (Spain to Win on Penalties)
England will be keen to end their trophy drought and also go one better than last time around. While they have a strong squad with plenty of depth, Southgate’s inability to take calculated risks should play right into Spain’s hands. It remains unlikely that the trophy will go ‘home’ anytime soon.
Argentina and Canada will face off in the first semifinal of Copa America 2024, a repeat of the competition opener from Group A
Canada have a golden opportunity to make history as they face defending champions Argentina in the first semi-final of Copa America 2024 at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday.
In a rematch of their tournament opener, Canada can become the second CONCACAF team to reach the Copa America final. Both sides advanced to the semi-finals via penalty shootouts, with Argentina defeating Ecuador and Canada overcoming Venezuela after 1-1 draws in regular time respectively.
Argentina’s path to the semi-finals has been fortified by their exceptional defence and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. The victory over Ecuador secures their fifth consecutive appearance in the Copa America semi-finals. Historically, Argentina have been strong at this stage, progressing in seven of their last eight attempts, with the only setback being against Brazil in 2019.
A triumph on Tuesday would mark the first time Argentina reached the Copa America final as defending champions since 1959. Scaloni’s team has been defensively sound, conceding just once throughout the tournament. The Albiceleste are unbeaten in their last nine matches across all competitions, allowing only three goals during this period.
On the other hand, Canada has shown remarkable resilience since their initial loss to Argentina. Jesse Marsch’s squad has conceded just once in their last three games. They are the third CONCACAF team to reach the Copa America semi-finals in their debut appearance, following Honduras and Mexico. They are also the first from the region to advance this far since the USA in 2016.
This semi-final marks Canada’s fifth appearance in the final four of a continental tournament this century. They have progressed beyond this stage twice, in the 2023 Nations League and the 2000 Gold Cup. Canada aims to emulate Mexico’s 2001 Copa America run, where Mexico reached the final before losing to Colombia.
Argentina’s defensive stability and tactical discipline under Scaloni will be pivotal, also giving their world-class frontline a base to build upon. Canada, under Marsch, has transformed into a more disciplined and resilient team. Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies will be crucial in breaking down Argentina’s defence. SoccerSouls takes a closer look at this clash.
Team News and Predicted XI
Argentina
Lionel Messi was not at his best against Ecuador and will be keen to make amends for the penalty miss in the shootout. he missed the final group game with a hamstring injury but now appears to be back to full fitness.
Lionel Scaloni is likely to retain his flexible 4-3-3 formation with Emiliano Martínez in goal. He should be protected by the back four of Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez and Marcos Acuna.
Midfielder Leandro Paredes should perform the role of the pivot in the centre, giving Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister and the dynamic Rodrigo De Paul the freedom to push forward. Lionel Messi is expected to don the playmaker’s role with Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez leading the line. Angel Di Maria will offer Argentina another option off the bench should they need to shift gears.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Emi. Martinez; Molina, Romero, Li. Martinez, Acuna; Mac Allister, Paredes, De Paul; Messi, La. Martinez, Alvarez
Canada
Inter Milan Tajon Buchanan remains a major doubt for Canada after he suffered a broken tibia during training just days before their match against Venezuela. This injury puts his participation in doubt not just for the semi-final clash against Argentina but also for the remainder of the tournament.
Jesse Marsch has an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from for the clash and is expected to set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Maxime Crépeau in goal. The shot-stopper should be protected by the back four of Alistair Johnston, Moise Bombito, Derek Cornelius, and Alphonso Davies.
Stephen Eustáquio and Jonathan Osorio should form the double pivot, freeing up Jonathan David to act as the playmaker. Cyle Larin should start up front, with Richie Laryea and Jacob Shaffelburg providing support out wide.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Crepeau; Johnston, Bombito, Cornelius, Davies; Osorio, Eustaquio; Laryea, David, Shaffelburg; Larin
Key Stats
- Argentina have never conceded a goal against Canada.
- Argentina have not lost a major tournament match on U.S. soil since a 3-2 defeat to Romania in the 1994 World Cup’s round of 16.
- A win on the night will see Canmada make it to their first-ever Copa America final at the first time of asking.
- Argentina have not made it to the final of the competition as defending champions since 1959.
Match Deciding Duel
Lautaro Martinez (Argentina) vs Derek Cornelius (Canada)
Lautaro Martinez is the top scorer in the tournament this season and has made it a habit of scoring late goals for Argentina. This augurs well for a side that is defensively compact, giving them a second wind to settle the game as the opposition gets tired. Derek Cornelius will have his hands full all night but will know that he cannot slack off for even a second with Martinez on the prowl.
Argentina’s ability to score late coupled with Canada’s vulnerabilities in the second half of the game makes for a thrilling finale in the final 30 minutes of the first semifinal. While Argentina do have several threats and matchwinners in their lineup, Martinez’s clinical touch has given them the edge this summer. He will certainly be aiming to make a difference once again on Tuesday.
Transfer Watch
Jonathan David
The LOSC Lille attacker is Canada’s trump card going forward and is expected to leave the Ligue 1 giants this summer. David is a pacy player whose ability to get into space and clinical ability in the box helps make a difference. While several clubs are keeping tabs on him, a solid showing against the defending FIFA World Cup holders will only help boost his profile among potential suitors.
David will be up against the meanest defence in the competition on the night. The duo of Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez aren’t just formidable defenders but their ‘take no prisoners’ approach will certainly add a physical element to the duel. David is unlikely to come up against a meaner backline in the competition and how well he handles this challenge could determine his stock this summer.
Prediction
Argentina 2-0 Canada
Both teams will be familiar with each other having felt each other out on the opening day. The stakes are much higher this time round and Canada will be hoping for a monumental upset. Argentina were handed a late scare against Ecuador and that perhaps will ensure they don’t take Tuesday’s game for granted. The game should be a hard-fought one with Argentina’s match winners making the difference in the second half of the game.
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