Canadian men lack offence, but stifle heavyweight Colombia for draw

HARRISON, N.J. — Every step the Canadian men’s team takes between now and next summer’s FIFA World Cup is being scrutinized from all corners. 

Last Friday’s 1-0 loss to Australia in Montreal led to a lot of handwringing amongst media and fans, and although the collective concern hardly reached crisis levels, it did raise legitimate questions about the Canadians’ ability to carve out results against top-tier nations who bunker and look to frustrate them. 

So, what to make of Canada’s 0-0 draw against Colombia in Tuesday’s international friendly at Sports Illustrated Stadium?  

Once again, Les Rouges struggled to produce many dangerous attacking moments in the final third, failing to put any sustained pressure on Colombia’s defence. Tajon Buchanan’s swerving shot from distance in the 28th minute produced a diving save from Colombia goalkeeper Álvaro Montero. But that was Canada’s lone shot on target, as forwards Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi never came close to similarly testing Montero. 

This goal-less stalemate means Canada, who recorded impressive wins over Romania (3-0 in Bucharest) and Wales (1-0 in Swansea) in September, finished October's international window without scoring a single goal, marking the first time since coach Jesse Marsch’s first three games in charge last June that it has been blanked in consecutive outings. 

Still, there was a lot to like about this Canadian performance against Colombia, who entered this game riding a six-game unbeaten run. The laborious effort against Australia was quickly forgotten and Canada showed why it has climbed to No. 26 in the FIFA world rankings (its highest ever position) with an ultra-professional display against No. 13 Colombia, going toe-to-toe with the South American heavyweight for 90 minutes. 

A Colombian attack led by Bayern Munich forward Luis Díaz rarely got in behind or stretched a Canadian defence that bent but didn’t break. Centre backs Derek Cornelius and Luc de Fougerolles, and fullbacks Niko Sigur and Richie Laryea all did well to snuff out the danger from the South Americans before it fully developed, while Canada rode a little bit of luck late in the match to hold on for a goal-less draw. 

“We've given up in (our last) four matches against high quality opponents, one goal with a young back line. And for me, that says a lot about the overall development of the group … And I told the guys that when you look forward to the World Cup, clean sheets are a premium. If you get clean sheets, you give yourself a chance. So, that part's good,” Marsch told reporters after Tuesday’s match. 

It was a big occasion for de Fougerolles, who just turned 20 this week, and Sigur, 22, as they both committed costly errors that directly led to Australia’s winning goal at Stade Saputo last week. Rather than punish them, Marsch kept the faith, and he was rewarded with mature displays from the young duo. 

That they were able to bounce back so quickly and played pivotal roles in helping Canada shut out a Colombian side that had the second-best attack in the South American World Cup qualifiers (28 goals) speaks volumes about their character, and how they are playing at a level that belies their age and lack of international experience. 

“Luc and Niko, I don't treat them like young players. They don't play like young players, right? You could argue that there were a lot of little breakdowns in the goal against Australia, and I wasn't too hard on him. I was just trying to get them to be clear on what could be better. I knew that those guys would turn around and have a good performance again today, and they did,” Marsch said. 

This was essentially a road game for Canada — the terraces at Sports Illustrated Stadium was a sea of Los Cafeteros supporters wearing Colombia’s iconic bright yellow jersey. They were also in excellent voice, creating a loud cauldron of ear-piercing sound inside the stadium with their voices and vuvuzelas that made for an intimidating atmosphere for the Canadians to overcome.     

Yet, Canada tuned out the boisterous crowd, admirably held its nerve and didn’t buckle under the pressure while simultaneously showing good game management. Players both young and old stepped up to the breach, eager to lead rather than follow, when the Colombian pressure hit its peak late in the game when the South Americans were tightening the screws on their Canadian opponents. 

"We are starting to look more like a complete team, we're looking more like an experienced team," Marsch said. "The leaders are looking more and more like leaders, the young players are developing where they look more like the regular players. There's a lot of positive developments happening in the team, and the way we commit to games is going to ultimately benefit us more down the road." 

Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair concurred: “I think (a game like) this builds character for us, and it's not a moment that we shied away from.” 

There were a lot of important performers on the night for Canada, but none more so than Laryea. The left fullback was a thorn in the side of Colombia with his constant harrying of the opposing attackers while winding them up with his physicality and gamesmanship. 

The Toronto FC veteran had to walk a very fine line after picking up a yellow card in the 12th minute. Yet, he managed to play with his customary abrasive edge without being expelled from the game. 

If there was one Canadian player whose stock has significantly risen over the last two international windows, it’s Laryea. So much so that Marsch now has to find a way to work the hardworking fullback into his starting 11 when captain Alphonso Davies, who also plays at left fullback, returns from injury. 

"When you (look at) our back line, there's certain names that might fit in there, but it will always be hard to leave Richie out of the team. In Copa America, we used them more as a wide midfielder, because I just really value everything that he brings,” Marsch said. 

“It’s a great problem to have — can we have all of our weapons available so that we can really be strong from the start and bring guys off the bench. But all I can say right now is Richie's making an incredible case for himself to make sure that he's a starter in the World Cup.”