Article
Stat Attack: Cleverley v Henderson – Who’s Really The Better Player?
This post was inspired by a Liverpool fan on Twitter, who tweeted something along the lines of “Henderson 1,347 mins, 5 goals, 4 assists. Cleverley 1,396 mins, 2 goals, 1 assist”, the Tweet was received by other Liverpool fans as the proof they needed that Henderson should be in the England squad ahead of the United midfielder. It struck me as a little simplistic to compare these two players using two stats you would ordinarily reserve for a forward or an attacking midfielder. Neither Cleverley nor Henderson fall into this bracket. So, I wanted to look a bit further.
Background
Tom Cleverley is a 23 year old midfielder who broke into the Manchester United’s first team squad at the start of the 2011/2012 season, making his debut in the Community Shield vs Manchester City. He has been with the club since the age of 12. Cleverley had previously enjoyed successful spells at Leicester City, Watford and Wigan Athletic on loan.He has played 31 times for United, scoring 2 goals. He has also played 9 times for the England team.
In 2011, Sir Alex Ferguson said “He is probably the best midfield player in Britain, potentially” and Roy Hodgson later made comparisons with Cesc Fabregas, high praise indeed.
Jordan Henderson is a 22 year old midfielder, he joined Liverpool from Sunderland in June 2011 for a fee in the region of £18 million. Henderson has played 65 times for Liverpool and has scored 7 goals for the club, he also has 5 full England caps to date.
Tom Cleverley has been Alex Ferguson’s central midfielder of choice to partner Carrick this season for the big games, although he hasn’t enjoyed significant playing time across the entire season. He has started key league games against Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal. He also started the crucial 2nd Leg tie versus Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16.
Jordan Henderson has been in and out of the Liverpool team too, but he has enjoyed a more consistent run in the side as a result of Joe Allen’s injury earlier in the year. Often though, Henderson find himself in an unfamiliar wide midfield role to allow Brendan Rodgers to accommodate his other central midfield stars.
In the Premier League this year, both players have had approximately 1,400 minutes of playing time, as the tweet correctly pointed out. This is the equivalent of 15-16 full games of football, which only equates to 40% of their total potential playing time.
Possession and Passing
Figure 1. Full year passing comparison, Premier League 2012/2013
The season total passing analysis comparison for Cleverley and Henderson gives us little insight into the relative strengths of the two players. They are remarkably similar in all departments. The only thing worthy of mention is the total number of passes, with Henderson managing just 80% of Cleverley’s total, Cleverley also enjoys a higher success rate (88% vs 83%). Cleverley also has a larger percentage of forward passes, underlining his strength of playing high up and providing a directness to United’s play. His runs and short passing game is particularly incisive, he also provides a greater mobility than the current alternatives in the United squad.
Given the similarity in the performance across the season as a whole, I thought I would try a different approach to the comparison and consider individual matches, rather than averages or totals over the season. Finding the fairest way to make a comparison is not easy though, Henderson and Cleverley only actually played against each other for 11 minutes during the 2012/2013 Premier League season (Henderson coming on as a late substitute at Old Trafford). So the best way to find a comparison is probably to take the same opponent at the same ground and compare the stats for those games. The only opponent during the season which saw both players play a full part (Cleverley actually 86 mins, but close enough for what we need here) was Manchester City at The Etihad.
Liverpool were the visitors on 3rd February 2013 and held City to 2-2 draw. Manchester United travelled to their neighbours on 9th December 2012 and pinched a 3-2 victory. This game would also have been 2-2, but for a very late Van Persie winner. So, these games were reasonably close in score line and just two months apart. Neither Liverpool or United had any significant absences (although Man City had a couple for the United game) and so this feels like a reasonable basis for a comparison of the two players.
There are a couple of points to note about these two fixtures and the roles Cleverley and Henderson were allocated for these matches. Firstly, Manchester City adopted an almost identical 4-4-2 formation in both matches, with Aguero playing in behind a main striker. So presenting a similar propostion for the opposition midfelder. If anything the team that played United could be argued to be stronger, with Kompany replacing Lescott, Yaya Toure replacing Garcia, Balotelli replacing Dzeko and Nasri replacing Milner (Figure 2 and 3). Also worthy of note are the positions played by Henderson and Cleverley, Henderson played on the left-side of the pitch and had the dual role of providing the forward thrust down that flank, but also of containing the highly energetic James Milner down the City right. Cleverley on the other hand, had the more central role alongside Carrick and was charged with pushing the tempo of United’s play upfield when United gained position and also looking after the dangerous Yaya Toure in the opposite direction.
Figure 2. Man City V Liverpool – Line-Ups and Formation
Figure 3. Man City vs Man United – Line-Ups and Formation
Figure 4. Henderson Performance Dashboard v ManCity
Figure 5. Cleverley Performance Dashboard vs Man City
Figure 6. Key (for Dashboard graphics)
Against City Henderson made 42 out of an attempted 49 passed (86% success) and Cleverley 33 out of 39 (85%). Again, the two England Internationals are incredibly similar.
Henderson played on the left side of midfield for this game, as can be seen on the graphic (Figure 4) he spent most of his time on this side of the pitch. While his total pass count was higher, he exchanged almost half of his total passes (18) in the match were with defender Jose Enrique, also receiving 15 back in return. None of these passes were in the attacking third and threatening the City defence.
Cleverly on the other hand completed passes with central players fairly equally – Carrick (6), Van Persie (6), Young (5) and Rooney (8), rather than with a single player. These were more centrally focussed and regularly penetrated the final third. Maybe you would expect this given the difference roles the players had in each game. On the face of it though, Cleverley appeared to join up play more effectively across the wider team and transition into the final third more often (in the comparisons against City).
Figure 7. Henderson completed passes to Jose Enrique vs Man City, all down the left wing. Some good interchange, but these passes represented almost half of Henderson’s passes during the game and didn’t represent a direct threat to the City goal.
Figure 8. Cleverley completed passes to Van Persie vs Man City at The Etihad. We see more central positioning, 5 passes into the final third and two passes into the City penalty area. Analysis for Rooney shows a similar story.
Creativity and Attack
The Manchester City games don’t tell us much more than we already now with regards to goal-scoring, we already know both players should be contributing more in this area. In their respective games againct City, Henderson had one long range shot off target and Cleverley had two. I would argue that the two players are very equal when it comes to goal-scoring and assists anyway, despite our opening tweet – we must remember that Henderson got two of those goals and an assist in a single game against a very poor Newcastle team a couple of weeks ago.
Looking at the ‘Passing Zones’ graphic (Figure 9 – which show totals for the 2012/2013 season to date, 8th May 2013), we can see that Tom Cleverley has more attacking zone passes and a higher completion rate. Cleverly has made 332 passes in the final 3rd with an 84% accuracy level, compared to 289 at 72% for Henderson. Cleverley is also more prolific and more accurate than Henderson in the final third.
It would appear from this analysis that Cleverley is the more frequent and the more accurate passer of the two players, he certainly has been during the course of this Premier League season.
.
Figure 9. Passing Zone Analysis – Full Season to date.
Figure 10. Creatvity Analysis, Full season to date
Jordan Henderson is creating a chance every 45 minutes whilst Tom Cleverley is creating a chance every 82 minutes. That’s a pretty clear difference in favour of Jordan Henderson add to that the fact that he’s also creating more clear-cut chances too.
Figure 11. Goal Attempts.
Both players have spent a similar time on the pitch so the stats above can be compared to give a fair reflection on their performance. As we want to steer-clear of the simplistic goals/assists debate let’s look at the other stats above. Jordan shoots on a more frequent basis, gets shots on target on a more regular basis and has a superior shooting accuracy and chance conversion.
Tom Cleverley has a better clear-cut conversion % but has only had two clear-cut opportunities in comparison to Jordan’s seven which points to the fact that Jordan Henderson has got into goal-scoring positions on a more regular basis. Henderson’s off the ball running has improved immensely since January. Once again Henderson edges Cleverley in this area.
Defensive Third
Both players have needed to demonstrate the defensive element of their game this season and this is a vital area for both of them if they are to be genuine long term starters for their respective clubs. Looking at the Passing Zone graphic again we can see that, as with the other areas of the park, Cleverley makes more passes than Henderson and with a (slightly) higher completion rate.
From a defensive perspective though, the stats don’t really give us much more insight in terms of the relative strengths of the players. Cleverley’s tackle success rate season to date is 78% compared to 81% for Henderson (although Henderson has actually made fewer tackles). Minutes per tackle is also very close with Tom Cleverley making a tackle every 37 minutes of pitch time and Henderson every 41. Cleverley has dribbled past players in the defensive areas 21 times, compared to 11 for Henderson. However Henderson has made double the number of defensive interceptions (32 vs 16) for his team.
Figure 12. Possession stats.
Cleverley and Henderson rarely lose possession as shown below and they’re very good at winning the ball back for their team too. Cheik Tiote is the best at winning possession back in the Premier League averaging a possession win every 10 minutes however that is his role in the team – the enforcer that breaks up play. Tom Cleverley and Jordan Henderson have more responsibility on the pitch than Tiote. Hence their mins per possession win stats aren’t as impressive as Tiote’s but still very impressive with Jordan Henderson edging it here.
In the defensive areas, I would again rate the two players equally. They are both very disciplined and prepared to get their sleeves rolled up for the defensive cause.
Summary
Like Cleverley, Henderson is an extremely dynamic footballer who provides an extra level of pace and purpose in the Liverpool midfield. He has struggled to find a home in the heart of the Liverpool midfield. Where we can argue the Cleverley brings something different to the United team Henderson has very similar players in the Liverpool squad to compete with. He is very similar in his combative approach to the game as Gerrard, without yet reaching the same levels of quality or consistency. There isn’t a player at Liverpool who we have seen yet as the ideal partner for Henderson in the middle and so we have seen him playing out of position in a number of games this season or warming the bench.
Cleverley is certainly workman-like and tenacious. But even the hardcore United supporter would struggle to support an argument for him contributing that much creatively to date, which is fine if he is paving the way for others to fulfill that role. Cleverley does though appear to be the stronger passer than Henderson, both in volume and quality. Cleverley is often the catalyst for United attacks providing an initial quick ball or burst of pace to enable an attack to be built from the middle areas of the field, but he doesn’t often provide that killer pass (as his assist stats will testify). The key to Cleverley’s success, is the player you play with him in the centre of the park. Phil Jones looks like a real a prospect and if he develops into a holding midfield role rather than a central defender, you have to feel that Cleverley will need to add a goal-scoring element to his game if he is to become at regular in the United starting XI.
Currently, I believe (and the stats appear to support me) there is very little between these two players. Cleverley feels to me more like a player who has found his role in the team and understands what he is able to contribute, he works extremely well with the experienced Michael Carrick and the two appear to have good understanding of how to get the best from each other, each covering well for the other as they take their turn to push on. Henderson though is still something of an enigma, he certainly has quality but even with Joe Allen not in contention he hasn’t secured a regular central midfield berth. With Lucas, Gerrard and now Countinho all looking impressive through those central midfield areas at Anfield, he risks being further down the pecking order when Joe Allen returns next season. Longer term, maybe he can fill Gerrard’s boots when he eventually retires but he has some work to do if he is to be a genuine successor to the current Liverpool captain.
Overall, two very similar players in terms of age, ability and their huge potential who out-do each other in different areas. Both players wear their hearts on their sleeves and give their all for their club. Whatever your view, I hope we now all agree that there is more to this than just goals and assists.
Data and Graphics Sources: EPL Index and StatZone.
Published in permission with Strength In Depth
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.
- Liverpool13 years ago
Raheem Sterling Age 17 Kids 3 Women 2
- Arsenal13 years ago
Etienne Capoue To Become An Arsenal Player In Summer
- Arsenal13 years ago
Arsenal Defender Nacho Monreal Doesn’t Agree The Direction The Club Is Going.
- Arsenal13 years ago
Robin van Persie wants to move back to Arsenal
- Arsenal13 years ago
Report: Arsenal Could Sign A Striker Next Week
- Headlines13 years ago
Manchester United Preparing A (Javier Hernandez + De Gea + 55 Million) Bid For Ronaldo
- Arsenal13 years ago
Arsenal Planning To Bring In ‘Next Fabregas’
- Headlines13 years ago
Three Reasons Why Manchester United Must Sign This “Next Vidic”