While the Miracle on Grass didn’t happen, the Canadian men’s national team still has a lot to be proud of after this 2024 Copa America, and something left that they can achieve before they make their official exit. Unlike EURO 2024, a third-place trophy is still up for grabs, and Canada can secure it with a win against Uruguay on Saturday. Let’s look at what they’ll have to do to achieve that in their last game of this cycle.
8:00 p.m. ET Headliner: Uruguay vs. Canada
| Uruguay Win | -167 | Canada Win | +500 | Draw | +335 |
| Over 2.5 Goals | -133 | Under 2.5 Goals | +110 | Broadcast | TSN |
As mentioned, Canada comes in licking their wounds following a hard-fought semi-final against Argentina. While there was a commendable ambition across the country, from the fans to the players themselves, beating the No. 1 nation in the world in a grudge match was just too much for them.
Julian Alvarez opened the scoring on a quick counter in the 22nd minute, and early in the second half, a deflection in front by Leo Messi put the game a little too far out of reach. To Canada’s credit, though, they developed several quality looks of their own and kept the possession nearly even, landing at 49% to Argentina’s 51%. Sure, some of that was due to the defending Copa and World Cup champs having some padding to work with, but they had never really kept the ball too far away from Canada to begin with.
Uruguay comes in following a loss with Colombia, which, up to a certain point, had a pretty similar storyline. Uruguay brought quality and had some looks but struggled to execute them, and a late first-half red card to Colombia’s Daniel Munoz gave them a second half where they could really push possession and try to respond to Jefferson Lerma’s icebreaker. It didn’t come to pass, though, and the game ended with the red-hot Colombian team advancing.
But that wasn’t the end of everything. A scuffle ensued on the field, and shortly after, it poured over to the stands. What exactly happened is still very much a matter of taking people’s word for it – Uruguay’s players insist that they believed their families were in danger – but whatever happened, some of the players spilled into the crowd and joined into (and arguably escalated) a fight with the fans.
What comes out of that fight will likely impact the odds of this game in the buildup to kickoff. Shockingly, there is a reported possibility that CONMEBOL takes its time with punishments and lets all 10 players that are being investigated play against Canada. We’ll see where that goes and, beyond the chance of suspensions, what impact the emotions from the incident will have on Uruguay’s preparation for Saturday.
Game Bets To Consider
- Jonathan David has taken a lot of heat for Canada’s finishing woes, both due to his relative lack of production and to being the biggest name on a similarly quiet group, and has one last shot to shake off some of that frustration. An anytime goal from their star striker sits at +400. Betano doesn’t currently have shots/shots on target markets, but keep an eye for David’s line should they come up.
- Betano is offering enhanced odds on a 1-1 score, up to +177 from +157. If this interests you, though, you’re best off going with the tie after 90 minutes (+320). Unlike the final, the third-place game will keep the same format as the rest of the knockouts and go straight to penalties, so you get more score combos at a greater value.
Bet on Uruguay vs. Canada
(Full Game, Including Extras/Pens)
URU -303
CAN +235
2024 Copa America Final Player Futures Odds
With the last weekend upon us and the final games speaking for themselves, let’s look at the main 2024 Copa America player futures odds. It would require an explosive third-place game or final for someone to catch up to Lautaro Martinez’s four goals in the tournament – two higher than anyone still in action. Similarly, James Rodriguez’s efforts to turn back the clock with a goal and six assists have him in prime position to take the tournament MVP.
Lionel Messi features heavily in both odds tables, though it would still take one more legacy game to get him across either finish line. Anything is possible for the greatest ever, though, so don’t rule him out!
