Peru vs Canada live updates (2024)

With a little over a month to go before Copa America, Canada finally hired a full-time coach after former boss John Herdman’s departure in August 2023.

Jesse Marsch emerged from a group of final candidates for the position that included Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Because of Canada Soccer’s ongoing financial difficulties, the federation received donations from Canada’s three MLS teams to help fund Marsch’s hire. His formal title is “MLS Canada Men’s National Team Head Coach”.

Marsch has experience with various Red Bull sides including New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig. In Austria, he led Salzburg to back-to-back Champions League appearances for the first time in the club’s history.

The emphatic and passionate Marsch most recently spent just over a year in charge of Leeds United, helping them avoid relegation in 2022. He was sacked in February 2023.

While he has often shifted preferred formations, Marsch is very much a product of the Red Bull school. He sets up his team to press in all areas of the pitch, plans to attack on the counter and requires consistent energy from nearly all of his players. How that approach plays out on short notice with Canada will be one of the storylines to follow at Copa America.

Peru have put together a very solid body of work at the Copa America in recent years. The last time they failed to get out of their group was in 1995, and have made the semi-finals in four of the last five editions, even finishing as runners-up in 2019. You might think, therefore, that expectations would be fairly high.

That isn’t really the case, however. Reynoso’s reign really dented Peru’s confidence, highlighting their reliance on an aging generation and the relatively bare closet when it comes to emerging talent.

Fossati has restored a sense of unity and their goalless draw with Paraguay on June 8 was a sign of the team heading in the right direction.

Can they scale the mountain again? Or will World Cup qualification be more of a priority than going deep at the Copa America this time round?

There is no denying that this team is very much a work in progress. Fossati played two entirely different starting XIs in March and it might be a little optimistic to expect him to form a cohesive back three or a competitive midfield in time for the Copa America — not least because, in those areas in particular, there is a lack of top-level experience in the squad.

You could not say the same of the strikers: Paolo Guerrero is a bona fide national icon, with 117 caps and 39 internationals goals to his name, while the bustling Gianluca Lapadula will be no stranger to anyone who watches Italy’s Serie A. The problem is that age is starting to get the better of both of them.

Guerrero, 40, has not scored for Peru from open play since the 2019 Copa America and is about as mobile as your average skyscraper. Lapadula is six years younger but struggles to maintain his intensity for 90 minutes.

Ideally, both would now be impact players. But with no younger forward ready to take on the mantle, Peru are stuck with the old guard.

Fossati favours a 3-5-2 system, with the wing-backs expected to contribute at both ends of the pitch. It is lucky, then, that Peru are particularly well stocked in this area of the pitch. On the right, Luis Advincula remains a force of nature at 34, all pumping thighs and wild-horse energy. Andy Polo — far more of a winger than a defender — is a good alternative when a little more attacking thrust is required.

Marcos Lopez of Feyenoord is a solid option on the left while Sonne can also slot in on either flank.

Six months ago, Peru were at rock bottom. Results were awful — two draws and four defeats in six games had left them bottom of the South American qualifying group for World Cup 2026 — and morale was even worse. No one was surprised when the federation pulled the plug on coach Juan Reynoso after 14 games in charge; in truth, he was lucky to last that long.

His replacement, 71-year-old Jorge Fossati, has changed the mood completely. The Uruguayan is respected by the local press, thanks in large part to a Peruvian title win with Universitario last year, and his protective, paternalistic approach — his nickname is ‘The Grandfather’ — has been a big hit with the players.

Fans, impressed by what they saw in the friendly wins against Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic in March, are also excited. Soft toys in Fossati’s image have already been spotted for sale in Lima; expect to see a few at stadiums this summer, especially if La Blanquirroja can maintain the upward trajectory.

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau (Portland Timbers), Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United), Thomas McGill (Brighton & Hove Albion FC)

Defenders: Moïse Bombito (Colorado Rapids), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Alistair Johnston (Celtic FC), Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Derek Cornelius (Malmö FF), Luc de Fougerolles (Fulham FC), Kyle Hiebert (St. Louis City SC), Kamal Miller (Portland Timbers), Joel Waterman (CF Montreal)

Midfielders: Mathieu Choiniere (CF Montreal), Stephen Eustáquio (FC Porto), Ismael Kone (Watford FC), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Samuel Piette (CF Montréal), Ali Ahmed (Vancouver Whitecaps)

Forwards: Thelonius Bair (Motherwell), Jonathan David (Lille), Cyle Larin (Mallorca), Jacen Russell-Rowe (Columbus Crew), Tajon Buchanan (Inter Milan), , Liam Millar (FC Basel), Jacob Shaffelburg (Nashville SC), Tani Oluwaseyi (Minnesota United)

Goalkeepers: Pedro Gallese (Orlando City), Carlos Caceda (Melgar), Diego Romero (Universitario)

Defenders: Luis Abram (Atlanta United), Alexander Callens (AEK Athens), Carlos Zambrano (Alianza Lima), Luis Advincula (Boca Juniors), Marcos Lopez (Feyenoord), Anderson Santamaria (Santos Laguna), Miguel Araujo (Portland Timbers), Aldo Corzo (Universitario), Oliver Sonne (Silkeborg)

Midfielders: Wilder Cartagena (Orlando City), Christian Cueva (Free agent), Sergio Pena (Malmo), Jesus Castillo (Gil Vicente), Piero Quispe (UNAM)

Forwards: Andre Carrillo (Al-Qadsiah), Franco Zanelatto (Alianza Lima), Jose Rivera (Universitario), Gianluca Lapadula (Cagliari), Andy Polo (Universitario), Joao Grimaldo (Sporting Cristal), Bryan Reyna (Belgrano), Edison Flores (Universitario), Paolo Guerrero (Universidad Cesar Vallejo)

Peru vs Canada is the first of two Copa America fixtures today, the other being Argentina vs Chile.

It gets underway at 5pm local time in Kansas City. That’s 6pm EDT, 3pm PDT and 11pm BST.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of today’s 2024 Copa America match between Peru and Canada in Kansas City.

Canada need to avoid defeat today at all costs after their opening day loss to Argentina. Peru will also likely be on the attack today, after they drew their opening match 0-0 with Chile. They face Argentina in their final group stage match and won’t want to be chasing three points against the reigning continental and world champions.

It therefore promises to be an exciting match and we’ll be bringing you all the latest before it gets underway at 6pm EDT. Don’t go anywhere!