The Canadian Men’s National Team (CanMNT) defeated Uzbekistan 2–0 in torrential rain on Monday night at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium. Edmonton is among the cities that best support the CanMNT, and 46,164 fans braved the weather to watch this friendly on the eve of the World Cup. Attendance at Commonwealth exceeded that of the famous “Iceteca” victory over Mexico by about 2,000 spectators.

Injury concerns dominated the narrative in Canada before this match, but Alphonso Davies was the only glaring absence from Jesse Marsch’s starting eleven.

The CanMNT got off to a slow start and were fortunate not to fall behind on the scoresheet. Maxime Crépeau was called upon to make a big save in the 27th minute and seems destined to be Canada’s World Cup starter.

As Marsch turned to his bench, Canada improved. They especially came to life in the second half and won 2–0 on goals by Jonathan Osorio (min 58) and Jayden Nelson (min 90+1). The win further indicated that Canada’s weakness at Qatar 2022 — roster depth — could be their strength this summer.

A Lesson from the Copa América

When Canada reached the semifinal of the 2024 Copa América, against Argentina, Marsch relied on the same group of starters who had started the four previous gruelling matches in the summer heat in the United States. He noticed early in the semifinal that his players were tired, and Argentina’s 2–0 knockout win over Canada was more comfortable for the South Americans than their 2–0 group-stage win over Canada.

The third-place match, against Uruguay, was the first time in the tournament that Marsch relied on his depth pieces. He moved five regular starters to the bench — Cyle Larin, Derek Cornelius, Jonathan David, Stephen Eustáquio, and Alphonso Davies — and he gave four players who were fit and fresh their first-ever CanMNT starts: Ali Ahmed, Tani Oluwaseyi, Matthieu Choinière, and Luc de Fougerolles.

The result was a resounding success. The CanMNT played their best match of the tournament and took the star-studded Uruguayan side all the way to penalties, which went in Uruguay’s favour, after a 2–2 draw.

Marsch, who was very new to coaching Canada, was surprised by his depth pieces and how well they had soaked up his teachings. He realized he could have been rotating his lineup a bit more to arrive at the semifinal against Argentina with a bit more juice.

Now, Canada’s depth is no secret. Monday night was proof that fit, fresh players will serve Canada better at the World Cup than players who have yet to fully bounce back from injury.

Sigur and de Fougerolles: 31st-Minute Subs

Niko Sigur and Luc de Fougerolles gave Canada their first big boost off the bench when they replaced Richie Laryea and Moïse Bombito. Both Laryea and Bombito have been injured until recently, and neither player was at his best.

Sigur replaced Laryea at left-back and showed that he too has the technical ability necessary to excel at that position as a right-footed player. Sigur combined well with winger Liam Millar down the left flank and provided some line-breaking passes. Later, the versatile Croatian-Canadian switched seamlessly to playing right-back when Ralph Priso entered the match to play on the left.

Centre-backs Moïse Bombito, Derek Cornelius, and Alfie Jones were all rusty from long absences from competitive play, and de Fougerolles was by far the match’s best centre-back. He showed his skill on the ball and, late in the match, made a fantastic slide tackle to stop an attacker who had broken past Jones.

Osorio, Oluwaseyi, and Nelson: Halftime Subs

Most of Marsch’s wingers prefer the left side, and Marsch used Jonathan Osorio — usually a central midfielder — as a sub for Tajon Buchanan on the right wing. Osorio’s tendency to cut inside suited the game more than Buchanan’s waiting for the ball out wide.

Osorio opened the scoring with a low, hard strike and then helped hold onto the lead by moving into the middle of the field and maintaining possession with little passes. His smarts, experience, and ability to play central midfield, winger, or second striker make him an important piece in Marsch’s 26-man puzzle.

Cyle Larin was given the start but continued to play lacklustre soccer for Canada despite his outstanding season with Southampton. He has still scored only once in the Marsch era, and the door remains open for Tani Oluwaseyi or Promise David to earn a starting role alongside Juventus’s Jonathan David.

Oluwaseyi, who has scored only twice in the Marsch era, continued to struggle with his finishing. However, his pressing and passing were highlights in Canada’s attack. He assisted both goals and even sent a gorgeous ball to Promise David in the 80th minute, which would have been another assist had Promise’s goal not been called back for offside. Oluwaseyi’s playmaking, which had flashes of Zidanesque finesse, was in stark contrast with his clumsy finishing.

Jayden Nelson had an inspired performance. He knows that the recent ACL rupture of left winger Marcelo Flores has opened up a spot for him on Marsch’s roster, and he gave everything he had. He was a menace down the left flank, and he was rewarded with a stoppage-time goal that he celebrated as though he were already at the World Cup.

A common criticism of Nelson is that he possesses the dribbling chops but lacks the final product of goals and assists. Nevertheless, he nabbed a goal in Edmonton, which none of Canada’s strikers managed to do. If Marsch is going to replace Flores with another winger, Nelson has asserted himself as the favourite.

Promise David: 70th-Minute Sub

Promise David is aiming to renew the David & David starting striker partnership that was successful in the dominant 4–2 win over Ukraine last summer. When given his chance to score against Uzbekistan, he buried the ball in the top corner. He, too, began to celebrate like a madman, but his goal was called back for offside. Promise was just returning from a long absence after hip surgery, but he did not look rusty.

Despite playing far fewer minutes than Larin and Oluwaseyi in the Marsch era, Promise has outscored them with three goals. He gets into the right places, and his finishing is clinical. The recovery of his hip remains a concern, but he could force himself into a starting role during Canada’s World Cup campaign.

What’s Next?

The CanMNT will face Ireland on Friday in Montreal, in their last preparatory match before the World Cup.