An unheralded Canadian men’s side arrived at the 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup as distinct outsiders with few pundits giving them much of a chance to advance out of the group stage, never mind winning it all.
But Canada overcame the long odds and pulled off a shocking upset when it beat South American powerhouse Colombia in the final in Los Angeles to be crowned Gold Cup champions, a result that sent major shockwaves in this corner of the soccer world.
Twenty-five years later, Canada entered this summer’s Gold Cup as one of the top contenders, tabbed by many critics to go all the way. But Les Rouges‘ dream of winning a second Gold Cup will have to be put on hold for another two years following Sunday’s shocking loss at the hands of Guatemala.
The Canadians looked well on their way to earning a win in their quarterfinal match at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis when captain Jonathan David opened the scoring on the half-hour mark. But Canada was forced to play the second half a man down after Jacob Shaffelburg was sent off just before halftime, his second yellow card the result of a completely unnecessary foul. Guatemala seized on Canada’s lack of discipline, taking full advantage of its numerical superiority in dominating the second half, tying things up in the 69th minute and then holding its nerve in a 6-5 penalty shootout win.
With the United States still finding its feet under coach Mauricio Pochettino and Mexico not the powerful force it once was, Canada had a great chance to assert itself as the undisputed kingpins on Concacaf by winning this tournament. Instead, the Canadians are going home early, squandering a golden opportunity to end their Gold Cup drought and to make amends for a disappointing third-place showing at the Concacaf Nations League back in March.
It should never have ended this way for the Canadians. Even with all the injuries and absences and Shaffelburg’s early expulsion, there’s simply no excuse for them not beating a team the calibre of Guatemala, who at No. 106 is 70 spots below Canada in the FIFA world rankings. Canada boasts stars who ply their trade at some of the biggest European clubs, while the overwhelming majority of Guatemala’s squad make their living in the country’s modest first division.
History was also on Canada’s side, having won 10 of the 15 previous meetings between the two nations (with only two losses), with Guatemala’s last victory in the series coming on Aug. 18, 2004. This loss stings, and it will leave the Canadians to lick their wounds as they ponder over what might have been.
At the same time, there’s no need to push the panic button following Canada’s premature Gold Cup exit. This was one game. And the final result doesn’t offer a complete picture of the current state of the men’s team.
Questions will and should be asked of Marsch, especially after his questionable substitutions and failure to make adjustments after being reduced to 10 men vs. Guatemala. That shouldn’t cloud the fact that the national team program is in good hands with the American coach at the helm.
Radical changes don’t have to be made ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup that Canada will co-host alongside the U.S. and Mexico. In order for the Canadians to be competitive on home soil next summer, they have to stay on the course that Marsch has plotted out, while at the same time making small adjustments and learning from this failure.
“We’ve made a lot of progress since I’ve been the national team coach and I really like this group and I really believe in them,” Marsch said after Sunday’s loss.
“But we have to find a way now to make sure we’re at our best in the toughest games and in the toughest moments. And we’re going to figure that out. And I promise you we will learn from this and we will move forward.”
The wound is still open, the hurt still fresh, so frustrated Canadian supporters might not want to hear this right now. Be that as it may, a lot of good came out of this Gold Cup, most notably the emergence of midfielders Niko Sigur and Nathan Saliba, both 21, who scored their first international goals for Canada.
Prior to the Gold Cup, Sigur only had one start in five international appearances since making his national team debut last September. He announced his presence at this tournament, starting all four games and winning praise for his composed and mature performances. Likewise, Saliba, with limited international experience, was equally outstanding and showed why Belgian club RSC Anderlecht paid CF Montreal a multi-million-dollar transfer fee this past week for his services.
Centre back Luc de Fougerolles, 19, has yet to break through with Fulham, having to be content with playing for the English club’s youth and reserve teams. You’d never guess he was so inexperienced by the stylish way he quarterbacked a Canadian defence while playing alongside different partners in the heart of the back line.
In the absence of captain Alphonso Davies (out injured) and influential midfielder Stephen Eustáquio (away at the FIFA Club World Cup), Jonathan David stepped up in a big way at the Gold Cup, wearing the captain’s armband with distinction and providing Canada with invaluable leadership.
Winger Tajon Buchanan scored a team-high three goals and appears to have rediscovered his superlative form prior to suffering a broken tibia at last year’s Copa América that sidelined him for months.
Forwards Daniel Jebbison and Promise David also logged steady minutes at the Gold Cup after both recently made their full national team debuts. Centre back Joel Waterman (just seven caps before the Gold Cup) bolstered his claim for more opportunities with a series of solid showings at this competition. Midfielders Mathieu Choinière and Ali Ahmed (before being knocked out of the tournament with an injury) softened the blow of Eustáquio’s absence with their masterful efforts in central midfield.
The expansion of the player pool was a major achievement this summer, giving Marsch even more options ahead of next year’s World Cup, and thus improving Canada’s chances of being a competitive force when it welcomes the soccer world next year.
“A lot of guys, I think, have taken big steps, and have shown that they’re going to be a big part of this moving forward,” Marsch said.
Editor’s note
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 25 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.
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