Alistair Johnston expresses ‘frustration’ following Copa America exit

All this experience should be of benefit to Celtic, who will be competing in the new-look Champions League format this season whilst aiming for more domestic dominance.

Goals from Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi ensured Argentina's place in the final, where they will meet either Uruguay or Colombia, sending Johnston's men packing. 

Yet the 25-year-old Hoops ace admitted it was frustrating that Canada couldn't take their chances throughout the match but was quick to reiterate just how big his country's rise has been to even be uttering the words of semi-final tournament disappointment.

"We can’t be too frustrated with the gap," the Celtic full-back told TSN. "It’s the best team in the world. It’s been producing players that have gone down in the pantheon of greatest of all time for a century now.

“So you can’t say that you’re surprised by the gap. It is frustrating because now we’re at that level where we can compete with these teams.

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“And again, we create chances. And I think that the most frustrating part is that if you get one of those in the first half, maybe it’s a different game.

“And it’s a very similar script to the first time we played them. They kind of score one and then they didn’t create too much in the first half and then we had a couple of big chances.

“Then they score that one and then again, just a little lapse in concentration in the second half and they get an easy one and the game’s really out of reach.

“And even then, we still had chances but you can tell they were they were a lot more comfortable in their situation.

“So it’s frustrating in that aspect because we are getting so much closer. And again, our rise has been rapid over these past couple of years.

“And to think that you are even mad that we’re getting knocked out in the Copa America semi-final by Argentina but at the same time, that’s what you want. 

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“You want to be frustrated. You want to have a feeling that we were there, not just, ‘We shared the pitch with them.’, we’re not feeling that.

“We’re feeling, ‘I wish we could have a little more there’, so that’s the frustrating part for me.”