The showdown between Argentina and Canada in the upcoming Copa America semifinals has captured the attention of soccer fans around the world. Prior to the match, Canadian head coach Herbert Mahy gave his thoughts on the recent incident in which Argentine skipper Lionel Scaloni was penalized by CONCACAF for being late for the match.
Mahi responded to the media's interest in the matter in a light-hearted and slightly humorous manner, admitting that he hadn't expected Argentina to be penalized for arriving late after halftime, and even saying that it sounded "funny". However, he also expressed his respect for the CONCACAF's decision, noting that the incident reflected Argentina's special position in the Copa America tournament and the influence they bring, especially when a world-class player like Lionel Messi is on the pitch, the Argentine game is often given more attention and expectations.
Speaking about whether this controversy could be an extra motivation for the Argentine team, Mahi showed full recognition of the strength of the Argentine players. He believes that every player in the Argentine team is world-class and that they don't need extra motivation to perform at their best. However, he also acknowledged that any event can have a psychological impact on the players, but he is confident that the Argentinean team will respond to this challenge in a professional manner.
In addition, Mahi also mentioned Messi, Argentina's leading player. He frankly said that in the last meeting with Messi, the Canadian team's defense did not do its best, giving Messi too much free space to play. Therefore, in this semi-final, how to effectively limit Messi's play will become one of the focuses of Canada's defense. Mahy emphasized that they will not use a simple man-to-man defense strategy, but will rely on the team's overall cooperation and excellent tracking ability to deal with the threat of Messi.
