One of the greatest moments in Canadian soccer history occurred when the men’s team defied the odds and upset the field to win the 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup.
It took Canada 23 years, but it’s finally back in the finals of a major international men's tournament.
Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies both scored for Canada in a 2-0 win over Panama in Thursday’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Canada advances to Sunday’s final (also in Las Vegas) when it will face the United States.
Here’s what happened during Thursday’s match between Canada and Panama, in case you missed it…
With his team sitting on a precarious 1-0 lead, Alphonso Davies entered the game off the bench early in the second half, and scored a sensational goal just seven minutes later to seal the win and send the Canadians through to the finals.
Alphonso Davies: Canada’s super sub
When coach John Herdman’s starting lineup came out an hour before kickoff, it wasn’t terribly surprising to see Alphonso Davies’ name omitted and that he would be on the bench to start the game.
Davies, 22, missed the last five matches of the 2022-23 Bundesliga season for Bayern Munich after suffering a muscle injury in his left thigh during a 3-1 loss to Mainz on April 22. Rushing him back into the starting 11 on Thursday after such a lengthy absence wouldn’t have made sense for Canada, especially with there being a chance of him starting in Sunday’s final.
But even though Davies only saw action as a second-half substitute, his impact on the game for Canada was immense. The Reds dominated proceedings through the opening 45 minutes before dropping off in the second half as they didn’t match Panama’s work rate and intensity. That allowed Los Canaleros to stay in the game, and they made things uncomfortable for the Canadians with they physical play and aggressive press.
The introduction of Davies just after the hour mark tipped the momentum in Canada’s favour. With Davies on the pitch, Canada’s attack was invigorated, as the Bayern Munich speedster made a number of penetrating runs down the left side that forced Panama on the back foot. Overall, the team’s ball movement was quicker and its attacking presence was sharper after Davies entered the game, and that allowed the Canadians to overcome the pesky Panamanians.
Clinical finishing from David and Davies
A lack of goal production haunted Canada at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Canadians outplayed Belgium in their opening group stage game, but ended up losing 1-0. Losses to Croatia and Morocco followed, and Alphonso Davies ended up being the only Canadian player to find the back of the net in Qatar – his strike against Croatia was the Canadian men’s team’s first ever goal at the World Cup after it failed to score in the 1986 tournament.
When the dust settled on Canada’s first-round exit in Qatar, coach John Herdman stressed the importance of his attackers needing to be more ruthless in front of goal. If Canada wants to take that next step, he argued, it has to finish off the scoring chances it carves out for itself. Apparently, the coach’s message has managed to get through to the players, as Canada is a perfect 3-0-0 since Qatar and had outscored its opponents 8-1 in that run.
On Thursday, both Davies and Jonathan David took their scoring chances very well and were positively clinical in their finishing. David latched onto a sublime defence-splitting pass from Kamal Miller in full stride and then hit a superb first-time shot through the legs of the Panamanian goalkeeper to open the scoring in the first half. David then turned playmaker when his pass released Davies inside Panama’s penalty area in the 69th minute. After taking a touch, Davies blasted his angled shot into the top left corner.
“They’re bloody good players. They’re next level. They made a difference tonight… The first goal was a really nice one [in terms of] the timing and the way they were able to break that line. And then [Alphonso], he just does his thing. You’re proud as a coach when you see that type of talent,” Herdman said after Thursday’s win.
Borjan, Miller unheralded heroes for Canada
Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies will hog the headlines due to their goal-scoring exploits, and that’s more than understandable.
But also playing major roles in the Canadian victory were centre back Kamal Miller and goalkeeper Milan Borjan. Miller was outstanding in a 90-minute performance that saw him effectively marshal Canada’s three-man defence (alongside Alistair Johnston and Steven Vitória) that did a good job of neutralizing Panama by limiting them to long-range shots. The Inter Miami CF defender also collected an assist on the opening goal when he played a gorgeous through ball down the left side that released David in the Panamanian 18-yard box.
Borjan was the busiest of the two goalkeepers, as he was called upon to make four saves (compared to three by Panama’s Orlando Mosquera). David’s goal seemed to be a wakeup call for the Central Americans, who immediately forced Borjan into making a pair of crucial saves on tricky long-range shots. Borjan also came up big twice in the second half when Panama was pressing for an equalizer, so it’s not an exaggeration to suggest he kept the game from slipping through Canada’s fingers.
It took only minutes for Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David to link up in attack after the Bayern Munich star was subbed on. In the 69th minute, the ball found its way to David and he played a ball for Davies inside the penalty area. The Canadian speedster took a touch in full stride and then blasted his angled shot into the top left corner past a helpless Orlando Mosquera.
Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David have now scored in the same match for Canada on five occasions. The last time they did it was on Oct. 13, 2021, also against Panama, in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.
“We took a step tonight. But it means nothing unless you win [Sunday’s final] … We’ve got that little bit of desire in us, and it’s exciting. But we’ve got some work to do. We’ve got two days to get this team recovered; they’re pretty beat up. So, it’s going to be a hell of a ride.” – Coach John Herdman in the post-match press conference.
1) Jonathan David: The Lille forward opened the scoring midway through the first half and then set up Alphonso Davies’ goal that put Panama away for good.
2) Alphonso Davies: The Bayern Munich star was Canada’s super sub on the night. He came off the bench and immediately made a huge impact for the Reds.
3) Milan Borjan: The Canadian goalkeeper came up with a number of timely saves at critical junctures that prevented Panama from getting a foothold in the match.
