Canada's men's soccer team began a new four-year cycle with a 1-0 win over Chile on Saturday night in an international friendly billed as "The Homecoming" at BMO Field in Toronto. Jonathan David scored the only goal of the match, which marked the host nation's first game since its Round of 16 exit to Morocco at the FIFA World Cup.
An emotional return to BMO Field
The evening opened with a ceremony to honour the World Cup squad. The match billed as "The Homecoming" began with a ceremony to honour the World Cup squad, which qualified for the knockout stage for the first time and beat South Africa in the Round of 32.
Jonathan David's goal in the 12th minute lifted Canada to a 1-0 win over Chile at BMO Field in Toronto. Ralph Priso started the play with a long ball to winger Jacob Shaffelburg, who found Larin with a cross. Goalkeeper Christian Bravo stopped Larin's initial shot but the rebound floated across the goalmouth and David tapped it in with his left foot.
David then made a gesture toward his sideline in honour of an injured teammate. David put Canada ahead in the 12th minute, then headed to the sideline to hold up a Derek Cornelius jersey in a tribute to the defender, a close friend who dislocated his hip in training Wednesday. After the match, David explained his mindset heading into the game, saying "I'm always expecting to score every game, so I asked them for it to be prepared."
A chippy affair turns into a numbers game
The friendly turned increasingly physical as the first half wore on. Chilean midfielder Lucas Cepeda was shown a red card in the 35th minute after getting tangled up with Canadian defender Richie Laryea. As Cepeda was pulled down, his leg came upward and his boot caught Laryea on the side of the head. The contact drew blood near the eyebrow but Laryea stayed in the game after receiving medical attention.
Chile nearly capitalized on the ensuing chaos in front of goal. Canada caught a break moments later when Niko Sigur was knocked down and St. Clair was caught out of the area. Chile's Jonathan Villagra had a chance to hit the ball into the empty net from distance but he put it over the bar.
Chile's misfortune compounded just after the interval. Chile was down to nine men just four minutes into the second half. Gabriel Suazo got the red after he was shown a second yellow card. His forearm caught Sigur in the head as they jumped for a ball.
Canada unable to add to the lead
Despite the extra numbers, Canada could not find a second goal to put the result beyond doubt. Canada pressed with the two-man advantage but the Chilean backline held firm. The closest chance came late, as a Laryea strike from distance in the 84th minute hit the post.
The night also featured a farewell moment for a veteran squad member. Junior Hoilett, in his final appearance with the squad, subbed in in the 76th minute. He was honoured for his 11-year run with the national team after the game. Midfielder Mathieu Choiniere summed up the significance of the occasion, saying "We wanted to come back here in Toronto after the World Cup to say thank you to the fans. I think that's the best way that we did it - by a win."
Looking ahead to a new cycle
Head coach Jesse Marsch used the result to outline his side's ambitions for the coming years. Head coach Jesse Marsch said Canada has set a long-term goal of reaching the top 24 in the world rankings as it looks to qualify for the 2030 World Cup in Portugal, Morocco and Spain.
The win was also notable given the number of key absences from the Canadian lineup, including the captain. The Canadian lineup was missing some key players for the first of three friendlies over the next fortnight. Captain Alphonso Davies (honeymoon), defender Derek Cornelius (hip) and goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau (personal) were unavailable. Additional absences included several other regulars, as Canada was missing defenders Moïse Bombito, Alistair Johnston, Joel Waterman and Alfie Jones, while midfielders Ali Ahmed and Jeevan Badwal are also sidelined.
Attention now turns to the next fixtures on Canada's calendar. The Canadian men now head to Montreal where they host No. 50 Peru next Saturday. Following that match, Then it's on to St. Paul, Minn., for a date with the 16th-ranked U.S.