Jonathan David and Canada men’s soccer beat U.S., inching closer to Qatar World Cup

By Ethan Diamandas

Dozens of Canadian flags danced up and down as fans swaddled in winter gear clapped their hands, chanting and singing along to pre-game music while players marched onto the frozen pitch in Hamilton, Ont.

The air at Tim Hortons Field was cold (-8 degrees Celsius at game time) but full of energy, and Canada’s players looked smooth, unfazed by the scope of the moment and unbothered by the absence of their star forward.

With Alphonso Davies sidelined due to COVID complications, Ottawa’s Jonathan David was tasked yet again with leading Canada’s offence, as the men’s national team looked to close out its second ever World Cup qualification and first since 1986.

David, who plays for French Ligue 1 club team Lille, certainly had no problem in the star role in Canada’s previous win over Honduras on Jan. 27. In that match David was electric, and his beautiful chip goal in the 73rd minute sealed a Canadian victory.

In Sunday’s 2-0 victory over the Americans, David played the role of facilitator — and he was at the centre of Canada’s give-and-go score in the seventh minute. Striker Cyle Larin touched the ball to David near midfield and David tapped it right back as Larin barreled towards the box and blasted a strike narrowly past the U.S. keeper.

With his 23rd goal, Larin became Canada’s all-time leading goal scorer, but the Larin-David striking duo had to scrap for chances after the first goal. The U.S. controlled possession for the remainder of the first half, and any David scoring chances were snuffed out almost immediately.

Still, Canada looked clean — its quick transition play left the Americans out of sorts and without any significant offence. In the 53rd minute David corralled the ball from near his own 18-yard box and exploded with a burst of speed. The 22-year-old raced down the pitch, shrugging off contact from American defenders before dishing to Larin for a scoring chance that got the crowd riled up.

The rivalry was on full display, yet when things got chippy, Canada kept its composure.

“You want to play the game, not the occasion,” said Canadian midfielder Liam Fraser. “And I feel that’s exactly what we did tonight. We were able to go there, keep level-headed, and come up with the win.”

Whenever David touched the ball, the stadium amped up. David nearly potted a long-range goal of his own in the 70th minute, but keeper Matt Turner stoned him, and then Larin on the rebound. David hopped and swatted the air in frustration after the missed scoring chance. He’d eventually sub out in the 84th minute.

As the sun began to set and temperatures dropped further, Canada’s keeper, Milan Borjan, kept the fire going. The U.S. pressed Canada hard in the final 15 minutes, and when the Americans squeaked by the staunch defensive trap, Borjan—a Hamilton native—stopped everything in front of him.

“Amazing day for the whole country; for the red and white,” Borjan said. “It’s something special. We’re not stopping here. We’re continuing to win and to qualify for the World Cup. That’s our goal.”

Sam Adekugbe iced the game in stoppage time on a brilliant breakaway goal and Canada’s entire bench ran across the pitch to mob him.

Undefeated through 10 World Cup qualifying matches, the Canadians now sit squarely atop the CONCACAF standings, four points ahead of the U.S. and three ahead of Mexico. Four games remain — up next is El Salvador on Wednesday — and, as it stands, Canada is very likely to qualify for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, which kicks off in November.