Murray: I Want To Play Forever; Injuries Too Tough
July 4 (Reuters) - History is at stake for both Venezuela and Canada when they meet on Friday in Arlington, Texas, in the second Copa America quarter-final.
Long considered one of the minnows of South American football, Venezuela would guarantee tying their best Copa America showing by advancing past Canada, ensuring they at least match their fourth-place finish in 2011.
"We know that we have to motivate ourselves a little bit more than maybe how we motivated ourselves for the group phase," Venezuela manager Fernando Batista said, through an interpreter.
"Because we are very close to surpassing the best performance historically of Venezuela in Copa America. We know it's important."
Venezuela won all three of their Group B matches but perhaps rode their luck a bit in the process, aided by Enner Valencia's early red card in a 2-1 win over Ecuador and Orbelin Pineda's penalty miss in a 1-0 win over Mexico.
In their first Copa America appearance, Canada also got some breaks in their path to the quarter-finals, defeating Peru 1-0 and drawing Chile 0-0 in matches in which both opponents received red cards.
Canada's one goal, scored via Jonathan David, is the fewest among teams that advanced and they will be without winger Tajon Buchanan, who suffered a broken tibia in training following the Chile draw that clinched the second-place finish in Group A.
"There's so much room for improvement," manager Jesse Marsch said after the Chile draw.
"But I have to say the overall mentality and commitment to try to be the team that we want to become has been at the highest level I've seen of any team I've worked with.
"That part I've really enjoyed. I'm proud of them, but more so, I'm happy for them." (Reporting by Field Level Media; Editing by Peter Rutherford )
E88dd90b992063cd10d5221bbee5e021 816d508b2e4cd1a772a9c33e0e54304e A10b4484ef5837e803b424e836a470a7 511158695145568503 1379910963 52c65e0bb7e1cd8cd5af124ffe1d2087 P4qivq5myq10ww1iydnyacyf8nsxsbehx27r8p53e8 894db839c6be0e4621d36186f59c49de C5442bbad8637b6dcfead75ed318670d B83244722fc9f644ea9330098cbe807a Ca6c407e96418b53879dbe62bc2a2406 C42637ebfe9a2720b528945e84bdc42e 00c7bb8da6fed72e4fc87c6e25a8c3a2 37264f445c9d06017382f17373a4d3a1 GetMedia.ashx 29 GetMedia.ashx 34 GetMedia.ashx 21 GetMedia.ashx 35 Bi Level Remodel And Addition Trad Design Build Img~c2614a3d0bff1a2b 4 1151 1 07b3cbf C1a69248a3f6e3285351172b9dee4142 D32ea9eb8e05753d486a60efb9d5f75e 8f41573e403755eaa9fa03457f077fc6 E82D278B 1017 4EBE A7AC C2EEAE27F07D 1024x768 1 40f41953b6fa717a166e925d7def0872 D895fd7c8ef6d9aa1aa3683de25b1e25 4c693ca87b4dce6bf5c7edebf204f2f0 4fc57a48ea3e7aac656af21fd983b899 9219a78bae40e468ae7b69cb0229366d 67c8577b1a1dd77fdb4be84045c62aa5 906c37856efddeb34b366d4dd254043c 3c362207508688594455556eccd28d32 773740538e3da5a598e96f38826ca1d0 GetMedia.ashx 20 Q9nua3kyyzu15bbkqz57fa8lt3ollhzjwjo74fhj00 GetMedia.ashx 28 9265c50b55d0aea7c0946e6a585425ce Ad34878da5a1f70ec336024fb91038e5