Celtic defender Alistair Johnston lasted the duration as Canada opened Copa America against the might of Argentina early this morning.
Hoops supporters will be keeping a close eye on international tournaments this summer, with two weeks remaining until they can see their heroes in action for the first time this campaign against Ayr United.
Johnston has earned 42 caps for Canada and is an important figure for his nation, who are competing at the tournament for the first time in their history.
Coming up against the might of Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez and company, 67 Hail Hail takes a look at how the Celtic man fared at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Alistair Johnston’s all-action display as Argentina defeat Canada
Expectedly, tournament favourites Argentina defeated Canada 2-0 to rise to the top of Group A courtesy of goals from Julian Alvarez and Inter Milan striker Martinez; nevertheless, they were made to work for their victory by Jesse Marsch’s men.
From a personal standpoint, Johnston enjoyed a productive time of things, competing admirably against a plethora of world-class stars on the day.
Per Fotmob, the 25-year-old completed 31 of his 38 attempted passes (82%), five of which reached the final third. Nevertheless, his defensive exploits deserve the most adulation after coming through a tough shift against the world champions.
In total, he successfully carried out seven ‘defensive actions’, won six duels, made four recoveries, and came out on top in four challenges. This helped Canada stay competitive in the game until the 88th minute when Martinez put proceedings beyond doubt.
Despite facing a supreme array of talent, Johnston was able to make his presence felt in an environment that was always going to be deemed an uphill task to get something from, which deserves a lot of credit in the circumstances.
Next up for Canada is Peru in Kansas on Tuesday, and hopefully, he can help Les Rouges claim their first points at the competition.