Young men’s team impresses
TORONTO Canada’s youth was front and centre Tuesday night, putting on a show in a convincing 5-0 win over outmatched Dominica.
Coach John Herdman used six teenagers in the CONCACAF Nations League qualifying game, starting Alphonso Davies (17), Alessandro Busti and Jonathan David (both 18) and Liam Millar (19). Ballou Tabla and Zachary Brault-Guillard (both 19) made their senior debuts off the bench, sealing their allegiance to Canada.
Herdman, who took over the team in January, said he had been taken by Davies’ showing at the last Gold Cup, calling it a “gamechanger.”
“All across the team I wanted to add that youth. I wanted to add that spirit, that fearlessness,” he said.
Tabla, a highly touted talent who left the Montreal Impact for FC Barcelona’s B team in January, came on in a flurry of stepovers and soon was making inroads down the left side with Davies in a mouth-watering combination.
“It’s exciting, it’s just exciting,” said Herdman, who is 3-0-0 as coach and whose team has yet to concede a goal.
“It’s a different breed of player. It’s a different type of player, the type that the fans want to see,” he added.
Canada is ranked 79th in the world, compared to No. 177 for Dominica. And the gap in class between the two sides was plain to see from the get-go as the Canadians showed plenty of flair and even a few party tricks with flicks and backheels.
At times, the Canadians swarmed the Dominica penalty box as they piled on the pressure before 10,523 on a cool night at BMO Field.
David, Junior Hoilett, Lucas Cavallini (with a cheeky chip from the penalty spot) and Cyle Larin scored for Canada, which had seven corners and 11 shots in the first half alone. Dominica contributed an own goal.
The five goals tied Canada’s record at home, last achieved in a 5-2 win over China in Victoria 1992.