Canada earns valuable World Cup qualification win
It was a game Canada needed to win in its quest to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and they pulled out all the stops to earn the victory.
Tajon Buchanan scored a goal, and had another effort credited as an own goal, while Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David added the others in a convincing 4-1 win against Panama at BMO Field in Toronto on Wednesday.
With the victory, Canada earns a vital three points in Concacaf World Cup qualifying, moving into third place after six games in the eightteam standings.
“I thought it was a really strong performance, I think we gave the fans what they came to see and gave them something to be proud of,” said Canada head coach John Herdman. “We knew we had to win this game at home. What I think you saw tonight is Canada step forward. We’ve now put ourselves again back in the top three, that was our goal, to stay in the top three after every round.
“We’re in a good space, we’re heading to Edmonton for two more home games. I think there is a lot of pride in this team and confidence that’s building.”
The top three teams after a 14-game home-and-away series qualify for the World Cup in Qatar with the fourth-place team moving on to a continental playoff against a team from another region for an extra berth into the 32-team World Cup tournament.
Canada has not qualified for a men’s World Cup since its only appearance in 1986 in Mexico. It has not played in the final Concacaf qualifying group since 1997.
In the end, the score was comfortable, but the game was anything but for Canada, who had to suffer through
tense moments against a feisty Panama team.
“It was a dominant performance,” Herdman said. “They had a spell just before half time for about eight minutes where they adapted to our 3-5-2 (formation) and we switched quickly into the 4-4-2 and we started nullifying them again.
“I thought it was a good chess match, but at no point did I ever think Canada were going to lose that game. Even after the first goal went in, it was one attack, but it was just a sucker punch and the guys got straight back at it.”
Panama, who came into the game occupying third place, took the lead five minutes into the contest through striker Rolando Blackburn.
It took Canada some effort to tie the game later in the first half and then take the lead with 25 minutes left through Davies, who was outstanding starting up front as an outand-out striker with David.
Buchanan scored on a brilliant header to give Canada some insurance in the 71st minute and David added the fourth with 12 minutes to go, getting to the end of a cross and slipping the ball into the net, to the delight of a packed house of over 26,000 at BMO Field.
“We knew Panama was a good team and they came off a win against the U.S., in their last game and they were coming in with confidence,” Davies said. “Coming into this game, we wanted to stay focused and get the three points at home. The mindset on the pitch was really strong and we were happy to be able to get the win.”
Canada will continue the road to World Cup qualifying in November with home games against Costa Rica and Mexico at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton and a road game at Honduras.
Panama opened the scoring in the fifth minute on its first venture past half. Fullback Michael
Murillo made a fantastic run down the right wing, took a pass and played a cross into Blackburn, who turned it in past Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.
Down a goal, Canada pressed forward and should have tied the game in the eighth minute when David was sent through alone by Davies. Facing goalkeeper Luis Mejia, David tried to lay the ball across to midfielder David Wotherspoon, whose shot was blocked by a defender scrambling back into the play.
A few minutes later, David was set up by Davies again and his shot bending towards the far post was palmed away by Mejia with a fantastic diving save.
With traffic flowing in one direction, it seemed only a matter of time before Canada would find the tying goal.
Canada did tie the game in the 28th minute, as Buchanan got his head on a corner kick swung into the near post by Davies and it bounce in off Panama midfielder Cristian Martinez and in past Mejia. Originally the goal was awarded to Buchanan, but then changed to an own goal.
Once tied, the game developed an edge and a full out brawl nearly broke out toward the end of half time as the Canadian substitutes warming up behind the net got into an altercation with a Panamanian player taking a corner kick. Cooler heads did eventually prevail as both benches raced down to the corner.