Canada gets key win over El Salvador
Two early goals help men remain unbeaten in World Cup qualifying
There was a sense of resignation among fans of the Canadian men’s soccer team last Thursday when the squad kicked off the final round of World Cup qualifying in the region with a home draw against Honduras.
Dropping two points at home against a beatable team seemed a little too familiar to fans, who have hoped before only to be disappointed.
The tide began to turn Sunday, when Canada pulled off an away tie in Nashville against the United States. Coach John Herdman rued not pulling off a win, but there’s an argument to be made that it was the country’s most important result ever against its enemy to the south.
Wednesday night’s 3-0 home win over El Salvador at BMO Field, the final of Canada’s three qualification matches during this month’s international break, showed how much can change in a week. While the third set of games was still going on in the region, Canada assured it would be no worse than third in the octagonal heading into the October games.
Eight CONCACAF nations are competing for three automatic qualification berths at next winter’s World Cup in Qatar. The standings will be settled in March 2022, with each country playing 14 matches — seven home, seven away — over five international breaks.
Canada remains in the thick of things after the first set of games. It’s exactly where the team wanted and expected to be.
“We’re content,” Herdman said.
“We wanted seven, or nine would have been the perfect start … we’ve just got to grow every game and every game’s going to be a battle.”
The battle was over almost as soon as it started Wednesday.
“It’s exciting to be with this group because they’re so freaking talented it’s an absolute gift,” Herdman said.
Toronto FC’s Jonathan Osorio, making his first start and playing his first significant minutes for Canada in this international break, got the ball rolling not long after kickoff.
The Brampton native forced an El Salvador turnover near midfield and carried the ball to within 10 yards of the top of the penalty box before instigating a give-and-go with Junior Hoilett on the left wing.
From there, Osorio found Reds teammate Richie Laryea in the box and the winger cut a short pass back to captain Atiba Hutchinson for a tap-in at the near post that had fans at BMO Field roaring just six minutes in.
The home fans had hardly quieted down when striker Jonathan David doubled the country’s lead in the 11th minute. A Canadian free kick on the right wing, the cause of some early scuffles between the two sides, was delivered into the box and eventually landed at winger Tajon Buchanan’s feet.
Buchanan volleyed a cross back to David, who exacted a perfect striker’s header, low across Salvadorian goalkeeper Mario Gonzales’ net and into the far, bottom corner.
It was critical to get those early goals, especially with some recent dry spells in attack and a heavy Salvadorian presence in the stands that made the match feel almost like an away game, Osorio said.
“We came out on the front foot, that’s what we wanted to do, said Osorio. “We wanted to be relentless in attack.”
Buchanan would add Canada’s third in the 59th minute, a relatively straightforward finish after he was fed by David, who capitalized on a mistake from TFC and El Salvador centre-back Eriq Zavaleta at the top of the box.
But for a spell of pressure from El Salvador toward the end of the first half, which included a long-range effort from Enrico Duenas that deflected off Canadian defender Steven Vitoria, the visitors barely created anything as Canada logged its first clean sheet in the week’s games.
The cohesion that Canada had lacked in the first half of that first qualification match against Honduras was back on Wednesday. And Herdman managed his depth well over the short spell, with only four players starting all three matches — goalkeeper Milan Borjan, Laryea, fullback Alistair Johnston and central midfielder Stephen Eustáquio.
Both factors bode well for Canada’s next international break in early October, when they visit powerhouse Mexico and Jamaica before hosting Panama at BMO Field over another gruelling week.
How that break goes remains to be seen. Canada would have liked to have more points at this point, David said. But it did what it needed to do to ensure the World Cup dream is still intact. The team will take it, David said.
“I think this win puts us in a good position, because when you end up with a win it’s always good, it gives you confidence.