The Canada MNT continued their homecoming tour with a friendly match against Peru at Montreal’s Stade Saputo.
It was a sunny Saturday afternoon in Montreal, and the Canadians looked to get another win. After a 1-0 win over Chile in Toronto last week, Canada MNT still struggled with low blocks and goals.
The Peruvians are currently ranked 51st in the FIFA rankings. They were coming off a 4-1 loss to the US last week in Orlando.
Canada put out some youngsters in their starting XI. Owen Goodman made his first start between the sticks. Toronto FC’s Richard Chukwu was also making his first Canada MNT start, Ralph Priso was paired with Luc de Fougerolles at the back, and Daniel Jebbison started alongside Jonathan David up top.
It was safe to say this was a job well done for Canada. Head coach Jesse Marsch seemed pleased.
First half: Shaffelburg scores two
Liam Millar had a great chance to open the scoring less than a minute into the match. However, he couldn’t get a good shot off despite the open cage.
It was a physical and fast start. Peru were fast on the counter-attack and even forced a couple of minutes. David also had a great chance to open the scoring. The Atletico Madrid striker took Jebbison’s pass, but he just missed the target. You would expect him to score that.
Canada MNT also had problems keeping the ball as Peru’s counterpress seemed to be an early problem. However, Canada did get their goal.
Jacob Shaffelburg stood by the left post and tapped in the flick-on by Jebbison. The LAFC winger had a good game against Chile and now got a goal against Peru. He was at the right place at the right time. Maybe it was the power of the moustache.
Canada MNT displayed more hunger after the goal. They were winning tackles, and their build-up looked more dangerous. Shaffeburg got his brace in the 35th minute. Millar charged into the box and got around Peru left-back Marcos Lopez and delivered the cross. Peruvian goalkeeper Diego Romero completely messed up at grabbing the cross, and Shaffelburg was once again at the back post to slot the ball home. Both Shaffelburg and Millar have been dynamite in this game.
De Fougerolles and Priso looked solid at the back. As the half went on, they got better at limiting chances for Peru. Nathan Saliba and Stephen Eustaquio were also great in the midfield. Saliba in particular was doing really well with his progressive passes and tackles.
Canada MNT looked quick with their transitions, and their press was nice to watch.
Second Half: Canada MNT keeps the Pressure On
Canada continued to put the pressure on Peru. Saliba was once again slicing Peru with his passes. Jebbison was in the right places to score, but his touch let him down.
There was a bit of a scare when Canada’s defenders were high up the pitch and Peruvian veteran Gianluca Lapadula was off to the races. Thankfully for Canada MNT, he couldn’t test Goodman.
Tani Oluwaseyi had a great chance to make it three for Canada. For some reason, he decided to pass to Promise David instead. Oluwaseyi had a clear chance on Romero; a shot would’ve been a better decision.
Oluwaseyi also nearly had an assist that would’ve been played all over Sportscentre throughout the week. His backwards pass found Jacen Russell-Rowe on a partial breakaway. However, the shot became an easy save for Romero.
Canada MNT were buzzing. The substitutes brought new life. But they couldn’t get good shots on Romero.
Mathieu Choniere has never scored a goal for Canada. The Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec native almost had it as his free kick hit the bar. What a moment that would’ve been.
But in the end, it was a solid win for the Canada MNT. Two wins in two games in this window for them. Other than a couple of chances, they did not make Peru look dangerous. Their press and ball movement worked well.
Goodman did not face a single shot on target, but his distribution was good. That is not bad at all for a debut. It was also nice to see Samuel Piette come off the bench in front of his home fans. This was his send-off as he is retiring from international duty. Piette was a part of Canada’s 2022 World Cup squad and has had a solid international career.
Stat of the match
Shaffelburg scored his first goal for the Canada MNT since November 19, 2024. He also scored a brace that day against Suriname. Canada won 3-0 in the CONCACAF Champions Nations League quarterfinals in Toronto.
Tweet of the match
All jokes aside, Goodman did help out with his distribution.
Wrap-up
Canada’s international window wraps up with a game against the US on Tuesday from Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota. Kickoff for that game is at 5:30 pm Pacific. That is a big test for the Canadians.
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