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.
Barangaroo has become one of the Sydney neighbourhoods I find most interesting when looking at modern urban development. There is something appealing about the contrast between the waterfront setting and the contemporary buildings nearby. While reading about the area, I noticed crown casino sydney during a broader search into local attractions. It reminded me that a single destination can attract people for very different reasons. Some visitors are curious about architecture, others are interested in restaurants, and many simply enjoy exploring unfamiliar parts of the city. I personally prefer discovering the surrounding neighbourhood before deciding which attractions to include in an itinerary. That usually makes the experience feel less rushed and more connected to the place itself.
I have been playing Steal a Brainrot lately, and collecting specific characters can turn into a little mission of its own. Sometimes I spend more time figuring out my options than actually playing, so I like researching trading possibilities before making decisions. While browsing, I found a marketplace where players can trade digital items, currency, and pets for popular games. For example, buy dragon cannelloni steal a brainrot relates to a specific item search within the game. I would compare available offers, check the transaction conditions, and make sure the listing matches what I need before deciding whether to proceed.
Hi folks! I’m naturally cautious about sharing personal information online, especially on platforms that involve financial transactions. That’s why I started looking more closely at privacy policies and account requirements when comparing casino websites. I came across Cash Lounge Casino during that process and wanted to see how its information was presented. I’d check what verification is required, how withdrawals are handled and where users can find help if something goes wrong. UK visitors should independently confirm that the operator is licensed for the service offered. I’d rather spend a few minutes checking the facts than rush into a decision involving money.
I told myself I’d play one hand, then one more, and suddenly two hours had vanished at https://casino-maggico.com/. The live tables on casino maggico are something else, with a dealer who was quick, friendly, and cracked a joke about my reckless hits. I lost a few and won a few, but the atmosphere kept me glued to the screen far longer than expected.
Good, im recommended top games best casino https://www.strategium.ru/
Good evening, forum members! I’m Ethan, a Canadian user who occasionally likes testing websites on different devices. Recently I was reading a thread about mobile casino interfaces, and someone mentioned that smaller screens can reveal problems that are easy to miss on a desktop. I decided to experiment and opened casino red deer on my phone. I paid attention to whether the navigation remained understandable and whether the different sections were easy to reach. What I enjoyed was being able to browse without constantly searching for hidden menus or switching the screen orientation. It gave me a better idea of how the platform is structured for mobile users. I wasn’t treating the layout as a reason to gamble, though. I think checking rules, limits, and responsible-play options is important before using real money.
Just spent some time looking into how to get the most out of the platform for a beginner start, and found a really solid option. If anyone is setting up a new account and wants to test the waters without taking on too much risk, they have an official guide on https://roboforex.com/help/welcome-bonus-30/. It breaks down the exact verification steps, the required deposit, and how the bonus funds are credited. It’s super helpful if you want to try out your strategies on real market conditions without diving straight into big personal losses!
this was a game where we had 2 distinct teams- the first and the second half
who showed well: crepeau, johnston, osorio, promise, tani, nelson (much to my surprise- but good surprises are welcome), Millar, de Fougerolles, Priso
MEH: david, buchanan, kone, choiniere, st clair, larin
weak: Bombito, Cornelius, Lareya- injury recovery
from what i saw last night, OPENING GAME TEAM vs Bosnia- at this point, THIS IS WHO I WOULD START – some key players are recovering AND WE CANT TAKE CHANCES, except for Bombito
CREPEAU
JOHNSTON DE FOUGEROLLES BOMBITO PRISO
KONE EUSTACHIO MILLAR
BUCHANAN DAVID TANI
Subs- St Clair, Promise, Choiniere, Larin, Lareya, Sigur, Osorio
from what i saw last night, Cornelius and Jones are not ready, Lareya isnt quite ready, Davies will sit this one out,
Holy sh#t, everyone has missed the player that drove the 2nd half and that was Saliba. I don’t think he put a foot wrong and he reminded me more of Kone than the Kone we saw on Monday. He had a great match. Of course that was helped by all the changes. Most of the 1st half players would have been rated no higher than 5. All of the 2nd half player were 6 or higher with Tani, Luc and Saliba earning 8’s. Boy, Marsch has some tough and bold decisions to make. For me Luc gets the nod as does Sigur. Layrea is too much of a chippy hothead. Can’t see Larin having any impact at this level. Same with Holliet. Got to say let’s be real here in our expectations: so many of our best players are recovering from the worst injuries a footballer can have: broken leg, ACL and hamstring. This is devastating. It’s going to be up to the newer, unheralded players, plus the coach, to get us into the knockout phase and then maybe, just maybe someone the Davies can lead us into the promised land
Nice summary: Larin, for one, has showed at club level that he’s more effective as a sub – Tani or Toby should start ahead of him. And despite how well Nelson played, I hope Priso is no. 26
I’d take Priso over Layrea at this stage with Sigur also pushing Layrea out. We need Nelson as he and Tajon are the only truly heathy wide players. The other wide players dealing with hamstring recovery, it’s not good. Too bad Marsch hasn’t had time to explore the caps 4-2-3-1 setup. I know the CMNT delves into subtle variations of the 4-4-2 but the team has looked quite stagnant at times recently.