Canada, collectively, held its breath. With berths in the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals and the Copa America on the line, the cold, rainy Tuesday night in Toronto signified one of the biggest matches that the Canadian Men’s National Team would play to prepare for the 2026 World Cup. However, down by a goal with minutes left, the dream of playing in some of those prestigious games was fleeting.
It’s becoming a cycle at this point for the Canucks: build up some momentum and hope, then come crashing back down to Earth with performances that are a fraction of what this team brought on the road to qualifying for the Qatar World Cup not long ago. The latest installment of disappointment occurred with a 3-2 loss to Jamaica. It wasn’t just a loss, but a collapse. Canada led midway through the first half and had a tying goal in the second frame. The pressure on interim coach Mauro Biello only amplifies as it seems he can’t get this team out of a rut.
Biello’s decisions late in the match did not seem fit for a game in 2023. Jonathan Osorio, Mark-Anthony Kaye, and Junior Hoilett all being on the field in place of Cyle Larin, Ismael Koné, and Tajon Buchanan all while chasing the game seems like a risk one shouldn’t take. Especially considering the speed at which Jamaica executed counter-attacks, playing the slick grass to their advantage. That trio isn’t in the position to win games for Canada anymore, or even just to close it out.
There was chemistry in and around the box all night for Les Rouges, with Cyle Larin and Jonathan David bolstering their partnership. Stephen Eustaqio was also doing plenty to provide the forwards with passes, long-range and short. Alphonso Davies was his usual, box-office self but didn’t pass in a lot of scenarios that he should’ve. Liam Millar, a good substitution, was in plenty of plays where he overlapped with Davies and could’ve been played through.
With a goal and an assist though, you can hardly heavily fault Davies. He also could’ve been played long more often in the first half when Canada was rolling. Even then, Jamaican goalkeeper Andre Blake stopped the majority of chances that came his way. They couldn’t solve him.
The talent in this Canada camp is undeniable, but having just mentioned members of the offensive group thus far, drawing a conclusion as to where it all went wrong is relatively simple. The defensive organization is where you look first. Both of Shamar Nicholson’s goals came from slip-ups or miscommunication. Eustaqio’s phenomenal window ended with a sour moment, that being getting stripped of the ball just a few metres outside of his own box.
Next, Nicholson’s second sublime strike (his third across both legs) came because Canada only left centre-backs Derek Cornelius and Kamal Miller back, facing three fast attackers, including Demarai Gray. It was an unravelling of mass proportions. One could say however many words regarding the decision to award a penalty soon after, but Jamaica was the better team for longer than that. The two goals preceding the penalty were no flukes, Canada just couldn’t figure out how to defend the Reggae Boyz.
“The first time we gave it away… I think we’ve got to sense the moment, this is what we talked about,” said Biello post-match. “You’re feeling the pressure, you’ve got to know how to manage those moments, when to build out, when to get the ball up, when to move the team and that comes back to managing the game. And even the second [goal] was a transition… they’re breaking on us and the next thing you know it’s 2-1. Managing the game is a big aspect of that second half.”
Managing the defence is very crucial. The centre-back position is one where Canada struggles. Bouncing between Steven Vitória and Cornelius to pair with Miller, the chemistry is still getting there. Canada has to be able to play out of the back, and if they do, they can attack from or out of all pockets and channels. Still, Milan Borjan, who made five saves between the sticks, does a lot of moving of the ball himself to the fullbacks, midfield, and beyond. That duty has to fall on Miller and Cornelius’ shoulders.
As for Borjan, the captain on the night, he sounded off on the whole matter when talking to the TV broadcast on the field. “In the second half, it wasn’t us. We came thinking everything would come easy, but everything came hard. They deserved it.
“This is unacceptable. I’m very sorry to the nation that we didn’t go to the semis.”
Canadian players and staff took a long while getting out of the locker room. Once they did, most fled for the team bus. Heading back to their respective clubs for the foreseeable future (the next international break is in March), cohesion won’t necessarily be there. Following this kind of crushing loss, bouncing back won’t be easy. Davies stuck around for a bit, dwelling inside the tunnel club of the stadium. Walking in circles, without much direction, akin to the national team.
“I mean, we just have to keep going,” Eustaqio said, “we had our momentum, going to the World Cup. But there’s ups and downs, and I believe that we can come back strong. We know where we have to get better, we need to humble ourselves as well. We’ll get there.”
Spoken like a future captain of this team, Eustaqio’s words have to translate into a locker room culture before the players can even think about what to do better on the pitch. Reestablishing the underdog mentality would be good for this team.
362 days prior, in Doha, a largely similar Canada team played their first World Cup match in 36 years against Belgium. Fans and media from around the globe were fascinated by the prowess of the Canadian team.
Prowess should’ve turned into progress, but there’s no doubt now: Canada has undone whatever they’ve built up.
They can still qualify for the Copa America, but through a Play-In tournament next March in Frisco, Texas. The opponent will be either Trinidad & Tobago or Costa Rica. Seemingly easy enough. But so was Jamaica. So was the Gold Cup group from this Summer.
Does Canada really have what it takes? The toughest questions facing the men’s national team are going to be answered, and time is of the essence.
Top photo by Mikael Chisholm
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