Canadian Men’s National Team goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau may have posted a clean sheet against Peru on Tuesday in the Copa America, but his biggest save occurred during a stoppage in play.
With the temperature in Kansas City reaching dangerous highs, assistant referee Humberto Panjoj collapsed on the field around the halfway point of the Copa America match.
The 36-year-old was seen lying on the pitch near first-half stoppage time. Wasting no time, Crépeau left his net to rush to Panjoj’s aid and could be seen signalling over officials and medical personnel for help.
By that point, the heat index had surpassed 37°C, accompanied by 51% humidity.
The Guatemalan linesman was stretchered off after receiving treatment near the midfield line on the pitch. He was replaced on the sideline for the match’s second half.
As per a Wednesday report from TSN’s Matthew Scianitti, it’s been determined that Panjoj suffered from dehydration, which led to his collapse. The 36-year-old was later discharged from a local healthcare centre and appeared to be in stable condition.
CONMEBOL gave Maxime Crépeau an post match update on the linesman he ran to assess. Linesman was taken to hospital and is okay. @TSN_Sports @TSNSoccer https://t.co/Cm3UmEIzZh
— Matthew Scianitti (@TSNScianitti) June 26, 2024
Crépeau, 30, finished his second Copa America start with four saves against Peru, including a game-saving stop in the 90th minute of the Group A game. The Longueuil, Quebec, native was named man of the match for his performance.
ANOTHER HUGE SAVE BY MAXIME CRÉPEAU FOR CANADA! #CA2024 pic.twitter.com/WYDGZLgy06
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 26, 2024
With a 1-0 victory, Canada also posted their first win at the prestigious Copa America tournament in just their second match ever.
Jonathan David scored in the 74th minute to grant Canada the win, netting the nation’s first goal under newly-appointed head coach Jesse Marsch.
With three points from their first two matches, Canada, who lost their first match to Argentina, has a solid chance of advancing if they can secure a positive result in their final group-stage game against Chile on Saturday, June 29.
Kickoff is set for 5 pm PT/8 pm ET.
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