Canada Defeats the U.S. for Third-Place CONCACAF Finish
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By Kaus Pandey
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Summary:
- The Canadians ended the CONCACAF Nations League in the third position.
- Jesse Marsch’s team defeated the United States 2-1 at the SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
- The team now has a 6-4-5 record under Marsch.
Canada came out with flying colours from the match against the United States on Sunday, ending its CONCACAF Nations League run in third place.
The 2-1 win at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, gave Canada a 6-4-5 record under Marsch while earning them $600,000 in prize money.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s Raul Jimenez scored twice in the game against Panama, helping his side end the night with a 2-1 score. Panama’s Adalberto Carrasquilla converted a first-half penalty.
Alistair Johnston: “That Means a Lot”
Head coach Jesse Marsch downplayed any political subtext in the North American rivalry but still tapped into his squad’s competitive spirit.
Before kickoff, he showed players a video of the infamous Canada-U.S. Four Nations Face-Off hockey brawl, setting the tone for an intense encounter.
26-year-old fullback Alistair Johnston from Vancouver , who delivered a standout performance.
Of course it’s only a third-place game, but man that means a lot, I think to the people back home. It means a lot to me. I’m really proud of the team. I’m proud of every single guy that went out there and stepped up
Mauro Biello: “Jessie Was Sticking Up for His Team”
Tani Oluwaseyi and Jonathan David found the net. Marsch was forced to watch much of the match from a stadium box after he was ejected in the 54th minute for protesting a non-call on a potential penalty.
Just five minutes later, David put Canada ahead.
Assistant coach Mauro Biello said.
Jesse was sticking up for his team. And in the end, for sure, it galvanized the boys. They saw the trust and how much it means to him and we were able to come back and get that second goal.
David’s winning strike came courtesy of Ali Ahmed’s assist. The Lille forward spun away from a defender and curled his shot past U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner, marking his record 32nd goal for Canada.
Canada controlled much of the match but had to fend off a late push from the U.S. Key defensive stops from goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and centre backs Moise Bombito and Derek Cornelius preserved the win.
David commented on the “great character” his teammates displayed “even in the difficult moments“, adding that they “stuck together and ultimately got the win“.
Patrick Agyemang scored the only goal for the U.S. in the 35th minute. This result marked Canada’s second straight win over the Americans, a feat last achieved in the 1980s.
