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Winnipeg Free Press
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canada yet to live up to swagger
We have known for some time that the Canadian men's national soccer team can talk the talk. When they qualified for a first World Cup in 36 years, the players styled themselves the 'Kings of CONCACAF.' When they got there, ex-manager John Herdman's smug disrespect of Croatia nearly caused a diplomatic incident. More recently, head coach Jesse Marsch boasted that his 2025 Nations League squad was the 'strongest' in the country's history; only the trophy would do. Last month he stated the team would not be satisfied with the Gold Cup 'unless we win it.' Ashley Landis / The Associated Press The play of Niko Sigur was a bright spot for underachieving Canada at the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament. Well, they didn't, and they didn't win the Nations League, either. Croatia beat them 4-1 in Qatar, where they were CONCACAF's worst representatives. Herdman is long gone; Marsch served a two-match suspension at the Gold Cup, and Canada's lone tournament triumph in a quarter century was achieved at a friendly event they concocted, hosted and designed for themselves to win. Oh, they can talk all right. When it comes to walking the walk, their route often ends abruptly at the first hurdle. The latest trip-up was what should have been a straightforward Gold Cup quarterfinal against Guatemala. It even started well enough, with Canada dictating much of the play against a quality opponent, only for two yellow cards in the space of nine minutes to derail a campaign that, according to the bluster, was supposed to end this weekend instead of last. Unfortunately, it was one of Canada's more reliable players, Jacob Shaffelburg, who picked up both bookings in first-half stoppage time, leaving his team disadvantaged for the entire second period. The Nashville winger had been hacked at, kicked and generally abused during the final group stage match against El Salvador. Maybe it was frustration; perhaps he just wanted to assert himself. Whatever the rationale, he morphed from the bullied to the bully in the quarterfinal, as did most of the players in white shirts and red shorts. It's not really necessary for us to rehash the result. Canada crumbled under the pressure, conceded an equalizer and lost on penalties. Sometimes that's just the way it goes. When looking back on the four games they played at the competition, Marsch and his staff might even find some happy take-aways. Niko Sigur, who earned his sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth caps at the Gold Cup, impressed as both a right-back and central midfielder. And although he missed the decisive penalty, Luc de Fougerolles provided speed, distribution and smarts from his defensive position. The thing is, when you've announced it's either win or bust, declared yourself a tournament favourite and then beat your chest as you got off the plane, you've foregone the excuse of construing failure as a bit of bad luck. What's more, you take on a certain reputation when this sort of thing happens repeatedly. Canada's national team can rightly think they're one of the best in CONCACAF. What they may not realize is they're also one of the most disliked. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially when the bad feelings are generated by fear. Only, they're not. No, the contempt in which Canada are held has more to do with their own sense of entitlement, a perception of arrogance and some quite evident petulance. To be clear, confidence — even an abundance of it, a swagger — is a key ingredient in a good team. It's commendable the Canadian men have developed so much of it so quickly. Having said that, proclaiming yourselves regional 'kings' and declaring you can 'be winners at the World Cup' will annoy just about everyone else when you yourselves have won exactly nothing. Lecturing the opposition and officials about fair play isn't helpful, either. The old stereotype of every team south of the United States taking dives, feigning injury and sneakily hurting the honest and upright Canadians is not only played out, but also a tired, race-based trope. It's also one that backfires when the Canadians are the bruisers, which happened in the Guatemala match. Wrapping it all together, and transforming disdain into ridicule, is a penchant for whining, complaining and wildly remonstrating that starts with the manager and, more and more, is seeping down to the players. Marsch began the Gold Cup in the press box because of a suspension he was served in the Nations League Finals. After losing his temper at a match official in the group stage opener, he nearly earned himself another one. When 'Canada are under investigation' is a more familiar headline than 'Canada have advanced to the final,' you've got a problem. Some of that problem can be addressed on the training pitch, in the video room and at coach's meetings. As just one example, the past few weeks revealed a tactical naiveté that showed an open door to Guatemala the moment Canada went down to 10 men. This sort of thing can be dealt with relatively easily, provided Marsch shows some flexibility. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. In fact, many of Canada's shortcomings — strategic and behavioural — could be reversed overnight with a bit of humility. They don't have to act like they've never seen a World Cup before, which is precisely what happened at the last one. But they shouldn't be expecting their opponents bow down to them, either. Not when they're still to earn the respect they seem to crave. Not when they repeatedly show that, for all the talk, they've yet to walk the walk. jerradpeters@ @
The Province
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Province
Canadian men downs El Salvador 2-0 in ill-tempered, chaotic game at CONCACAF Gold Cup
El Salvador took no prisoners in a shocking performance rife with ill will — and paid for it Published Jun 24, 2025 • 4 minute read Niko Sigur #23 of Canada is fouled by Santos Ortíz #12 of El Salvador in the first half during the Group Stage - Group B match as part of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup at Shell Energy Stadium on June 24, 2025 in Houston, Texas. Photo by Tim Warner / Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. HOUSTON — Canada advanced to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 2-0 win over nine-man El Salvador in a chaotic, ill-tempered game Tuesday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Captain Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan scored for No. 30 Canada at Shell Energy Stadium. No. 81 El Salvador took no prisoners in a shocking performance rife with ill will — and soon paid for it. The Central Americans were reduced to 10 men in the 35th minute when veteran midfielder Santos Ortiz, after scything down Niko Sigur, was shown a second yellow card. And midfielder Jairo Henriquez, after video review, was shown a straight red for elbowing Alistair Johnston in the face in first-half stoppage time. The second red came soon after El Salvador goalkeeper Mario Gonzalez stopped David's penalty after Jacob Shaffelburg was taken down in the box by Jeferson Vlladares. Mario González of El Salvador makes a save against Promise Akinpelu of Canada in the first half Photo by Tim Warner / Getty Images There were 22 fouls in the first half alone, with El Salvador called for 13. Canada had 71 per cent possession in the half with a 5-2 edge in shots (1-0 in shots on target). A member of the El Salvador support staff was also shown a red card at the end of the first half. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Canada dominated the second half, making the most of its numerical advantage. Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau could have taken the night off. David put Canada ahead in the 53rd minute, picking the corner of the goal after a slide-rule pass from Mathieu Choiniere. It was David's 35 goal for Canada, adding to his national men's record. Buchanan, on his 50th Canada appearance, added to the lead in the 56 minute, roofing a pass from Sigur after an El Salvador turnover. It was his eighth international goal. Canada coach Jesse Marsch emptied his bench in the second half, likely to protect his starters, as Canada controlled play. By winning the group, Canada avoids No. 33 Panama, which won all three of its matches to top Group C, in the quarterfinal. Instead it will face No. 106 Guatemala, the Group C runner-up, on Sunday in Minneapolis. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Canada has a 10-2-2 record against Guatemala but drew 0-0 the last time the two met in group play at the 2023 Gold Cup in Houston. Panama will next face No. 75 Honduras, which finished second in Group B after beating No. 90 Curacao 2-1 with a stoppage-time goal in San Jose, Calif. Santos Ortíz #12 of El Salvador is issued a red card in the first half Photo by Tim Warner / Getty Images Marsch was back on the sideline after serving a two-game ban arising from being sent off in the CONCACAF Nations League third-place match in March, protesting the lack of a penalty call. He said later he was doing so at the behest of his players, who felt disrespected and had asked him to stand up for them. The Canadians could have secured their place in the quarterfinals on Saturday with a win over Curacao. But they had to settle for a 1-1 draw after conceding a 94th-minute goal. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Canada still went into the Group B finale in the driver's seat, one point ahead of Honduras, two ahead of Curacao and three ahead of El Salvador with a sizable points differential advantage. In Group C play earlier Tuesday, Panama beat No. 63 Jamaica 4-1 and Guatemala downed unranked Guadeloupe 3-2, with CF Montreal midfielder Olger Escobar scoring one of the Guatemala goals. Guatemala defeated Jamaica 1-0 and lost 1-0 to Panama in earlier play. Canada opened with a 6-0 win over Honduras in Vancouver before facing Curacao and El Salvador in Houston. It was 28 Celsius, feeling like 32 C, at kickoff for the 9 p.m. local time kickoff on Tuesday. Marsch made eight changes to his starting 11 with only Jonathan David, Shaffelburg and Sigur retaining their place. Tuesday's starters went into the game with a combined 343 caps compared to 220 for the starting 11 in the Curacao game. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It was Marsch's 20th game in charge of Canada. His record is 9-4-7 with two of the draws turning into penalty shootout losses (against Ivory Coast and Uruguay) and one into a shootout win (Venezuela). The game was delayed for some eight minutes soon after kickoff for Ortiz to receive treatment after taking an accidental boot to the head from Richie Laryea in taking the Canadian down. Ortiz, who was cautioned on the play, remained in the game — at least temporarily. Santos Ortíz takes a boot to the face by Richie Laryea in the first half Photo by Tim Warner / Getty Images El Salvador played a physical game from the get-go. Ortiz could have been sent off for a nasty studs-up tackle on Shaffelburg in the 16th minute, but escaped with a yellow card from American referee Joe Dickerson. Roberto Dominguez got a yellow in the 20th minute for a clothesline that sent Buchanan flying through the air. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Soon after, Harold Osorio came close with a header off an El Salvador free kick that went just wide. Canada defender Luc de Fougerolles saw yellow in the 25th minute for a challenge that replays showed him getting all ball. Canada's Promise David (no relation to Jonathan David) missed a sitter in first-half stoppage time when he could not head Derek Cornelius' cross into the goal at the far post. El Salvador's squad is almost entirely comprised of players with domestic clubs other than midfielders Brayan Gil (FC Baltika, Russia), Enrico Duenas (Top Oss, the Netherlands) and Harold Osorio (Chicago Fire, MLS). El Salvador played Curacao to a scoreless draw and lost 2-0 to Honduras in its first two outings. The Canadian men came into the game with a 10-5-4 record against El Salvador, winning 3-0 and 2-0 when they met in September 2021 and February 2022. Read More
National Post
18-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Tajon Buchanan's brace lifts Canada to Gold Cup blowout win over Honduras
Article content Niko Sigur has made some special memories over his years of watching soccer at BC Place. Article content He added another Tuesday as he scored his first goal for Canada and helped his country thump Honduras 6-0 to open their Gold Cup campaign. Article content Article content 'Of course, it feels really nice,' Sigur said of the strike. 'Something I'm working for all these years. You don't always see right away the work paying off, but this is one of those days that it is.' Article content The 21-year-old rightback/midfielder from Burnaby, B.C., was part of a well-rounded offensive onslaught for the 30th-ranked Canadians on Tuesday. Article content Sigur opened the scoring in the 27th minute, and Tani Oluwaseyi followed with a tally in first-half injury time. Tajon Buchanan notched a brace with goals in the 48th and 65th minutes, substitute Promise David scored in the 75th, and Nathan Saliba sealed the win with a strike in the 90th minute. Article content Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair stopped all four on-target shots he faced from No. 75 Honduras. Article content The victory was a 'total team' effort, said Canada's assistant coach, Mauro Biello. Article content 'I can't look at one guy and find someone who had an off game. Everybody came out with the right mentality,' said Biello, who stood in for head coach Jesse Marsch on the touchline as he sat out the first game of a two-game suspension. Article content 'We played within our identity, and we were able to not give them much and score goals. And that's part of who we want to be. And I think for this first game of the tournament, super happy to get it started in that way.' Article content The Canadians settled into the game midway through the first half and took charge when Sigur scored in the 27th minute. Article content Sigur passed off to Jonathan David at the top of the penalty area and, when David chipped it right back, he sent a right-footed shot sailing in past Honduras 'keeper Edrick Menjivar. Article content His first goal for the senior national team came in his sixth appearance, and with ample friends and family in the announced crowd of 24,286. Article content 'I don't often get to play in front of my family and friends in Croatia. I've maybe got two, three people I have to give tickets to,' said Sigur, who plays for signed with Hajduk Split in Croatia's first division back in December 2023. 'This night was a little different. But it means the world to me. Article content 'And with the World Cup coming, we have two group stage games here (in Vancouver). But we have a little bit of work to do in between, so we'll get to that.'
CBC
18-06-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Tajon Buchanan's brace lifts Canada to 6-0 Gold Cup win over Honduras
Social Sharing Niko Sigur has made some special memories over his years of watching soccer at Vancouver's B.C. Place. He added another Tuesday as he scored his first goal for Canada and helped his country thump Honduras 6-0 to open their Gold Cup campaign. "Of course, it feels really nice," Sigur said of the strike. "Something I'm working for all these years. You don't always see right away the work paying off, but this is one of those days that it is." The 21-year-old rightback/midfielder from Burnaby, B.C., was part of a well-rounded offensive onslaught for the 30th-ranked Canadians on Tuesday. Sigur opened the scoring in the 27th minute, and Tani Oluwaseyi followed with a tally in first-half injury time. Tajon Buchanan notched a brace with goals in the 48th and 65th minutes, substitute Promise David scored in the 75th, and Nathan Saliba sealed the win with a strike in the 90th minute. Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair stopped all four on-target shots he faced from No. 75 Honduras. The victory was a "total team" effort, said Canada's assistant coach, Mauro Biello. "I can't look at one guy and find someone who had an off game. Everybody came out with the right mentality," said Biello, who stood in for head coach Jesse Marsch on the touchline as he sat out the first game of a two-game suspension. "We played within our identity, and we were able to not give them much and score goals. And that's part of who we want to be. And I think for this first game of the tournament, super happy to get it started in that way." WATCH | Buchanan strikes twice in Gold Cup opener: Tajon Buchanan strikes twice as Canada crushes Honduras in opening Gold Cup match 7 hours ago Duration 2:28 The Canadians settled into the game midway through the first half and took charge when Sigur scored in the 27th minute. Sigur passed off to Jonathan David at the top of the penalty area and, when David chipped it right back, he sent a right-footed shot sailing in past Honduras 'keeper Edrick Menjivar. His first goal for the senior national team came in his sixth appearance, and with ample friends and family in the announced crowd of 24,286. "I don't often get to play in front of my family and friends in Croatia. I've maybe got two, three people I have to give tickets to," said Sigur, who plays for signed with Hajduk Split in Croatia's first division back in December 2023. "This night was a little different. But it means the world to me. "And with the World Cup coming, we have two group stage games here [in Vancouver]. But we have a little bit of work to do in between, so we'll get to that." WATCH | Is Canada ready to win the Gold Cup?: Is Canada ready to win the Gold Cup? Plus, Holly Ward talks her NSL journey 21 hours ago Duration 15:58 Oluwaseyi doubled the lead in the third minute of first-half injury time, collecting a pass from Richie Lareya and quickly blasting a shot into the top corner of the net from the side of the six-yard box. He celebrated by running to the touchline and grabbing the jersey of Canadian defender Sam Adekugbe, who's away from the team after suffering a torn Achilles tendon last week. The offensive onslaught continued early in the second half. Lareya crossed a ball into Oluwaseyi, and the Minnesota United forward back-heeled it to Buchanan. Stationed at the side of the six-yard box, Buchanan popped a shot up and in under the crossbar to give Canada a 3-0 lead in the 48th minute. The 26-year-old forward — who currently plays for Spain's Villarreal CF — struck again in the 65th off a corner. Mathieu Choiniere swung a ball in, and Oluwaseyi jumped up, trying to head it on net. The Honduran 'keeper made the stop, but couldn't cover the ball and Buchanan tucked it in for his second goal of the night. "I feel confident. Enjoying my football, that's the most important thing," Buchanan said of his recent play. "Playing with a smile on my face. And just got to keep pushing hard and keep improving." Promise David came on in the 71st minute for Oluwaseyi and quickly made an impact, scoring in the 75th. With less than a minute to go in regulation, Saliba fired a left-footed shot into the top corner of the Honduras net to seal the score at 6-0. The Canadians have been emphasizing offence during training over the past two weeks, said Jonathan David, the team's captain for the tournament. "I think before the camp and throughout the camp, we talked a lot about being more ruthless. That was a big talking point," he said. "So I think we just try to work on that in training and always try to support the chances that we have. And I think so far, it's been going on pretty well to this point." Canada will return to action on June 21 when the squad faces No. 90 Curacao in Houston. The team will wrap up Group B play against No. 81 El Salvador on June 24. The winner and runner-up from each of the four groups advance to the knockout stage in the 16-team tournament. The finale will be held in Houston on July 6. Canada won the Gold Cup in 2000 and finished third in 2002. When the tournament was last held in 2023, the country lost to the United States in a penalty shootout in the round of 16.
The Hindu
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
CONCACAF Gold Cup 2025: Canada thrashes Honduras 6-0
Tajon Buchanan scored two second-half goals and Canada routed Honduras 6-0 on Tuesday in Vancouver in the CONCACAF Gold Cup opener for both sides. Niko Sigur and Tani Oluwaseyi added first-half goals for the host before Promise Akinpelu and Nathan Saliba rounded out the scoring. The result leaves Canada atop Group B after the group's other two teams, Curacao and El Salvador, played to a scoreless draw in San Jose, Calif., earlier on Tuesday. Sigur netted his first goal for his country to open the scoring in the 27th minute. The 21-year-old played 1-2 passing sequence with Jonathan David while entering the Honduras 18-yard box, and he knocked in a right-footed shot. Oluwaseyi took a pass from Richie Laryea and blasted a 6-yard left-footed shot over Honduras goalie Edrick Menjivar to double the lead in first-half stoppage time. Buchanan (48th and 65th minutes), Akinpelu (75th minute) and Saliba (90th minute) turned the contest into a blowout. Canada will face Curacao in Houston on Saturday ahead of the Honduras-El Salvador matchup at the same venue that day.
