Alphonso Davies' Redemption: Canada Advances in Copa America

Canada captain Alphonso Davies overcame his World Cup penalty miss by scoring a crucial spot-kick in a shootout victory over Venezuela in the Copa America quarter-finals. His resolve sent Canada to the semi-finals, where they will face Argentina, a formidable opponent they previously lost to in the group stage.

Canada captain Alphonso Davies banished the memories of his penalty miss at the 2022 World Cup by confidently converting a spot-kick in a shootout victory over Venezuela during the Copa America quarter-finals on Friday. In the World Cup, Davies had a tame penalty saved against Belgium, leading to Canada's eventual exit with three losses.

On Friday, facing the pressure of securing the game against Venezuela, Davies powered Canada's penultimate penalty into the top corner. Venezuela then missed their next spot-kick, and Ismael Kone netted the winning penalty, propelling Canada into the semi-finals.

"Obviously, I had flashbacks to the World Cup, but I did not let that get to me. I knew where I wanted to go before I walked up to the ball," Davies told Canadian broadcaster TSN. "I had confidence in myself, my team had confidence in me, and I picked my spot and put it there. I'm happy it went in the back of the net."

Canada now faces a stern test in the semi-finals against an Argentina side that has already defeated them in this tournament. "It's going to take everything. We played them in the group stage and performed well but didn't get the win we wanted," Davies said.

"Going into this game, we know what's on the line. We win and go forward, we lose and go home. They're going to come out with everything. We're hungrier than ever and expect a battle as they should." Canada will face Argentina in New Jersey on Tuesday.

(With inputs from agencies.)