Canada ends winless skid, caps year with composed victory over Venezuela

FORT LAUDERDALE — Winless in its previous three matches, the Canadian men’s team got back on track in its final game of the year by earning a 2-0 victory over Venezuela in Tuesday’s international friendly at Chase Stadium.

Both teams were reduced to 10 men in the span of a few minutes in what was an ill-tempered and chippy contest at times that came very close to boiling over on several occasions. It was hardly champagne football from Canada on this night. But it was a professional performance from the Canadians, who have to be commended for their game management and for keeping their composure to see things out to the end.

Notably, NHL legend Wayne Gretzky was in attendance and delivered a pre-game talk to coach Jesse Marsch and the Canadian team.     

“I don’t think there’s a better person to come in and speak to our team about being Canadian, about being united, about competing for the country. He was fantastic,” Marsch said. 

Here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s match in Florida.

Canada’s scoring drought comes to an end 

Growing concerns over Canada’s scoring woes will subside a little after this result. But whether Les Rouges can sustain and build upon this will be the big question in the lead-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in less than seven months. 

Ismaël Koné found the back of the net in the first half, and substitute Promise David scored a late goal to seal the win for Canada. Koné’s fourth international goal ended Canada’s scoring drought at 342 consecutive minutes (just over seven halves of soccer). The team’s previous goal came in its last win, a 1-0 decision over Wales in Swansea on Sept. 9, when centre back Derek Cornelius scored via a fabulous free kick from 25 yards out, his first goal for his country. 

Both of Canada’s goals against Venezuela were well taken. In the 23rd minute, Richie Laryea latched onto a slide-rule pass from Jayden Nelson down the left wing and made a great run into the penalty area. His attempt on goal produced a very poor clearance by Venezuela’s Nahuel Ferraresi and the ball fell to Koné who slammed it home into the top left corner from 12 yards out.

Canada sealed the win with seven minutes remaining when Joel Waterman played a gorgeous ball over the top that released Niko Sigur down the right side. The youngster delivered an early cross from the wing into the box for David, who took a touch before slotting it past goalkeeper José Contreras.  

“Things we still need to work on are some of our quality in the buildup phase moments, and then how that leads us into the attack a little bit more and how we can (convert) some more of our possession into chances and chances into goals,” coach Jesse Marsch said. 

“We got two goals, but I do think that this team has more quality with the ball in it, and more ability in the last third (of the pitch) to make more chances … There’s more work to be done, but we’ve made a lot of progress.” 

While one goal drought came to an end for Canada, the scoring dry spell of top forward Jonthan David continues unabated. David, 25, ranks as the men’s team’s all-time top scorer with 37 goals in 73 caps. But the Juventus forward has struggled at club level since moving to the Turin giants this summer with only one goal in 14 games in all competitions. For Canada, he has now gone five games without a goal (tied for his longest goal drought for the national team) after scoring in each of his previous three appearances.

Marsch is already dealing with selection issues over which forward will start next to David at the World Cup. Cyle Larin is without a goal in his last 11 national team appearances, a streak of futility that dates back over a year. Marsch recently said that Tani Oluwaseyi was in pole position to start next to David, but the Villarreal striker has only two goals in 20 appearances for Canada.  

If David can’t get going for both club and country in the next few months, goals could be hard to come by for Canada at the World Cup. 

Defender Alfie Jones very impressive in this Canadian debut 

A day after taking his Canadian citizenship oath, English-born centre back Alfie Jones impressed in his much-anticipated national team debut for Canada against Venezuela.  

The new Canadian citizen played the full 90 minutes, forming an effective partnership with Derek Cornelius and then Joel Waterman (who came on for the injured Cornelius) in the middle of a four-man defence that didn’t let the South Americans penetrate. Comfortable on the ball all night, Jones helped Canada transition from defence to attack with his excellent distribution out from the back. 

Tuesday’s game was a long time coming for Jones. The 28-year-old centre back was first approached by Jesse Marsch more than a year ago after being alerted to his potential to represent Canada by national team winger Liam Millar, a former teammate of Jones’ at Hull City. 

Jones had long given up on playing international soccer, so Marsch essentially gave him a lifeline and a chance to play in next year’s World Cup, something he had only previously dreamed about. Jones repaid the faith of his new national team manager on Tuesday, showing why Marsch was so keen to bring him in and why Canada Soccer did all it could to expedite the citizenship process.  

Marsch was impressed with how Joes looked “so natural in fitting in so well” for Canada on both sides of the ball. 

“I thought his overall aggressiveness, his winning of aerial duels, a couple moments in the box where they’re putting in good balls, and he positioned himself really well to clear the ball. And then (in possession), I thought he was also outstanding and helped set up plays and help the initial line of breaking down the opponent. So, I think a pretty complete performance from Alfie,” Marsch offered. 

Although the mild-mannered Jones is lanky in build, he is by no means a shrinking violet. Playing in England’s lower leagues and the Scottish Premiership forced him to embrace the physicality of his position and ingrained a sense of toughness in his playing style. 

Jones brought a sense of calmness to Canada’s back line with his poise under pressure and used his big frame to stop Kevin Kelsy dead in his tracks as the Venezuela striker was lurking inside the penalty area and looked certain to get off a dangerous shot. 

“Obviously, with our back line being high, we always have to be ready for that ball in behind. So, I just try to be in a position (where) I can be on the front foot and be aggressive,” Jones said. 

Canada’s defence continues to hold firm 

While Canada’s attack had sputtered in recent games, the defence has been rock solid and almost unbreachable. Tuesday’s clean sheet was the team’s third in a row and fifth in six matches — a 1-0 defeat to Australia, who scored on its lone shot on target in Montreal in October, being its lone blemish. 

Last month’s 0-0 draw vs. Colombia in New Jersey saw the Canadians keep the high-scoring Cafeteros in check by limiting them to a single shot on target. Ecuador, which, like Colombia, survived the gruelling South American qualifiers to earn a World Cup berth, didn’t even register a shot on frame in last Thursday’s 0-0 stalemate against Canada in Toronto.  

Similarly, Venezuela found Canada’s back line impregnable. La Vinotinto recorded 10 total shots, but only three were on target, and none of them seriously tested goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, who earned one of the easiest of his 10 career clean sheets for Canada. 

Jones was a tower of strength in the middle of the back line alongside both Derek Cornelius and Joel Waterman, while Richie Laryea and Niko Sigur provided exemplary defensive support from their fullback positions. 

“Jesse (stressed to) us this window that we needed to keep clean sheets, that we need to be strong, we need to be intelligent. I think we can be really happy with (tonight),” Sigur said. 

Canada’s successful run at last summer’s Copa América was highlighted by its dynamic group of attackers, who looked positively fearless in going up against the very best South America had to offer. At the time, it looked like that would be the path forward for this Canadian team, relying on its quickness, athleticism and attacking directness to beat opponents 

But now, the Canadians’ sturdy and resolute defensive play has become the clothespin upon which their success hangs. Canada has become a tough team to beat, able to wear opponents down with its aggressive defending, allowing it to grind out results. It’s that kind of profile that will serve Canada well at next summer’s World Cup when the stakes are so much higher, the calibre of competition is stiffer, and the margin of error is minuscule. 

“If you’ve followed my career, I’ve probably won a lot more 4-3 games than I have 1-nil or nil-nil matches. But we’ve managed to create real stability in the way that we play and in the aggressiveness that we play. That, along with good goalkeeping, I think, has meant that we’ve been very stingy. We haven’t given much away, even against really good opponents,” Marsch said.