There was one last dress rehearsal for the Canada MNT before the World Cup.
Les Rouges were facing the Republic of Ireland from Montreal’s Stade Saputo. There were still a few questions heading into the World Cup, but Canada MNT wanted to give the fans a boost of confidence before things got serious.
The Irish were not going to the World Cup after crashing out on penalties against Czechia on March 26. They have not qualified for a World Cup since 2002.
Canada put out a strong lineup. This could potentially be the lineup for the opening World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It was a good start, but a shaky finish. This is a game where the Canada MNT should’ve won.
First half: Canada MNT were in control
Canada MNT looked for a better first half than the one they had against Uzbekistan in Edmonton. During the opening stages of the game, Canada pressed and kept possession. Tajon Buchanan had a close-range shot denied by Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Mark Travers.
Transitions and turnovers were concerns in the Uzbekistan game. The Republic of Ireland nearly opened the scoring as Derek Cornelius gave the ball away. But he and Alistair Johnston cleared Troy Parrot’s chance. That was poor but thankfully didn’t result in a goal.
It felt like a goal was coming for the Canada MNT. They were controlling the game in the Irish’s half. Buchanan and Liam Millar were threats on the wings. The goal came from a corner kick from Stephen Eustaquio that went off Republic of Ireland defender Jake O’Brien.
Ismael Koné was balling out. His through balls were clean, and he was very good at taking on the defenders. It was great to see from the former CF Montreal player.
That was a solid first half from Canada. Luc De Fougerolles was a stable presence at the back. The Canada MNT were doing a very good job pinning the Republic of Ireland in their own box. The press was relentless, and the ball control and passing were very fluid.
If there is one negative to take away, it was the final third. Jonathan David and Cyle Larin needed to get more involved there, and Canada needed more creativity in the box.
Second half: Sloppiness
Larin nearly did get the second goal less than a minute into the second half. However, he skied it over the bar. Koné nearly scored a screamer right after.
All game, Millar was taking on defenders. The Hull City winger made the Republic of Ireland’s defenders look lost. He had a great chance to extend the lead in the 55th minute, but he sent the ball to row Z.
The Irish wanted to keep hitting the Canadians on the counter. Larin got his boot high on Jamie McGrath while defending in the box. It was just a clumsy penalty to give up. Maxime Crépeau made the save off Troy Parrot but couldn’t stop the rebound. The Canada MNT was back to square one.
Canada’s final third play/final touch was still an issue. The shots were still not good enough, and there still wasn’t enough creativity.
It was nearly a disaster for Canada. Substitute Niko Sigur made a huge defensive mistake, and Ireland’s Mason Melia was in alone on Crépeau. But the Orlando City SC goalkeeper made a huge save to keep the game tied. That is why Canada MNT head coach Jesse Marsch chose him to be the number one for the World Cup.
Unfortunately, Canada MNT couldn’t repay their goalkeeper. Their finishing was still poor. They should’ve won this game.
It is concerning to be talking about this heading into a World Cup. Canada still looks ready overall, but they need to find a way to score.
Stat of the match
Canada had 20 shots total and the Republic of Ireland had five. Yet, the Canadians had two shots on target and the Irish had three.
Tweet of the match
It does feel like we have been discussing Canada’s lack of finishing for years. The World Cup is the perfect time for the finishing to come to life.
What was said
Marsch is staying positive.
“I’m sure we may get a million questions, but I’m going to be positive,” he said to the media after the game, per Ben Steiner of Sports Illustrated. “I’ll take a bunch of negative questions, but if you ask me negative questions, I’ll move on to the next one.”
“If this were a meaningful match, we would have had some other kind of strategies.”
Wrap-up
Well, there are still things to work on for the Canada MNT heading into the World Cup. The attack, decision-making, the high defensive line and even the overall shape still need improvement.
It is crunch time. On Friday, June 12, the games begin for real. Canada will open their World Cup campaign against Eden Dzeko and Bosnia and Herzegovina from Toronto Stadium. Kickoff is at 12 pm PST/3 pm EST.
Area 51 Sports Network will have coverage of the World Cup every day of the tournament. You can also listen to the Terminal City FC podcast for additional coverage.
Can Canada impress on the world’s biggest stage?
