Copa América debutants Canada beat Venezuela on penalties to reach semis | OneFootball

Canada beat Venezuela on penalties after the teams were locked 1-1 to qualify for the Copa América semi-finals.

Scorers: Shaffelburg 13′; Rondon 64′

The action was end-to-end at AT&T Stadium as Canada and Venezuela let their attacking talents fly over 90 minutes of tasty football.

The opener arrived early as a result of the pace. Jacob Shaffelburg’s blistering run into the box saw him stab the ball past goalkeeper Rafael Romo for his third international goal.

The strike instilled some belief in the debutants, but Cyle Larin and Jonathan David couldn’t finish off any of Canada’s numerous counterattacks.

Venezuela, meanwhile, poked and prodded as the Canadian defence held on with late clearances or blocks. The equalizer arrived thanks to a combination of striker brilliance and horrid awareness from goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.

Despite the slim lead, Canada had just one defender back and Venezuela struck on the breakaway. Rafael Rondon received a ball over the top, beat his man and then looked up to chip Crepeau from 39 metres as fans erupted.

With about 20 minutes to go, both sides tried for a late winner but failed to find their final touch. From a combined 32 shots, only 10 were on target (seven to Canada, three for Venezuela).

The Copa América does not go into extra time, so penalties were required to decide who would advance to the next round. Canada ultimately prevailed, and they now face Argentina in the semi-finals.