- Home
- National Team
- Got The Job Done: Canada vs Panama Match Analysis
Photo Credit: Thiago Szwarc
Got The Job Done: Canada vs Panama Match Analysis
By On a chilly Tuesday night, Canada managed to get the job done against Panama in a 2-1 win at BMO Field in a night where the pitch took as much of a leading role as the 22 players on the pitch.
Tough Conditions Took It’s Toll for Canada
Canadian fans have been waiting to see their team back at BMO Field since that shock loss to Jamaica last fall. Unfortunately for both fans and players, the conditions for the match were less than ideal for how Canada wanted to play. By kickoff, the night had fallen into single digit temperature and the pitch reflected the weather with its frigid and dry ground.
Both teams ended up struggling to get into rhythm, with neither side able to really set up a tempo before a pass went errant or a touch went long.
In the end, Canada had to rely on some individual brilliance instead of their usual team-centred systematic approach to games to get this result over the line. Some good old-fashioned “Maple-pressing” from Canada opened up the scoreline just before the half, as Ali Ahmed was able to fizz a pass to Cyle Larin after regaining the ball just outside Panama’s box, and the joint-leading top goalscorer for the Men’s was able to smash it home to make to 1-0. Even in the second half, where one would hope that Canada could regroup and turn the screw given their newfound momentum, they once again struggled to dominate the game and even gave Panama hope after some mistakes in possession.
That hope turned into something tangible after Panama were able to carve right through the heart of Canada’s defence and equalize off a clever finish from Jose Fajardo. It was simply a case of losing shape after Cristian Martínez turned three rushing Canadian players, before slotting a ball through a disjointed defensive line. Head Coach Jesse Marsch will definitely want to review the footage of that goal afterwards, as he continues to look to mould and improve Canada into his preferred system. The goal was a dagger for Canada considering they had been the more dangerous side all night, but it was a valuable lesson, nonetheless.
Bombito and David Steal the Show in Toronto
Aside from that one moment, however, Canada were relatively solid defensively, all evening. A large part of that had to do with one Moise Bombito at centre-back. Bombito was gigantic at the back, both with his ability to close down defenders with explosive pace, and his tenacity and strength to muscle players off the ball once intertwined with them. More than a few times Panama were able to find some space in-behind, but every time they did, Bombito was there to put out the fire. The OGC Nice player has had an impressive season so far after his move from MLS, and he looks more and more confident after every game that he features under Jesse Marsch. From where he was as a young, up and coming player for the Colorado Rapids ten months ago to the Rolls Royce defender he is today, it’s incredible how much the young man has grown.
The other star of the show was fellow Ligue 1 compatriot Jonathan David, who continued his fine form for both club and country in this game. Having been frustrated for much of the game due to the conditions as well as the Panamanian tactics, David finally broke through after some stellar center-forward hold-up play that allowed him to play a one-two with Liam Millar, ending up with a ‘cool-as-you-like’ one-time finish into the side-netting. It was a finish now typical of the ‘Iceman’, who has shown both calm demeanour and nerves of steel in massive moments – the most recent of which was a game-winning penalty against reigning-champions Real Madrid in the Champions League.
It’s these players becoming accustomed to performing in big matches against top oppositions that will help Canada reach that next step on the global scale. It is truly one of the best differences that Marsch has been able to make since he became Head Coach earlier this year, and it will continue to be a goal of his as he looks to bring more and more young Canadian talent into the squad. We have already seen prospects like Nathan Saliba and Niko Sigur feature, and in this game, we saw another debut in former-Forge FC and CanPL alumni Kwasi Poku. The RWD Molenbeek forward came on near the end of the game to huge applause, as he looks to cement himself for future consideration with the World Cup looming. Hopefully he is not the last young Canadian to burst onto the scene before the world is at our doorstep in two years time.
First Time Being Favourites Gives New Challenges for Canada
While this may be match number eleven for Jesse Marsch in just his first year, it was the first time that Marsch’s team came into the game as outright favorites. For most of the games beforehand, like in Copa America and the friendlies before and afterward, Canada was an underdog, or at the very most an equal challenger. That allowed Marsch to employ a certain kind of transitional, fast-paced, counter-attacking system that focused on winning the ball off of the opposition up high and bursting past their recovering defensive lines.
For this match, they were tasked to try to unlock a deeper, lower block in Panama, one that was as physical as it was robust. Add the pitch difficulties, and it was no wonder Canada struggled to attack, as they had never really been in such a position before. To be the team that is invited to attack and break down defenses instead of the one inviting, set up an interesting predicament for Canada. They were too slow at times in the attack, allowing Panama to get back into shape, and made the wrong decisions once into the final third. In the end, they did manage to break Panama through their more conventional means of pressing high, after Panama decided to play out from the back. But aside from that moment, Canada lumbered in the attack as they tried to unlock a stubborn Panama side.
It actually took Panama scoring – and therefore getting more confident and pushing higher up, for Canada to get their winner through David. Had Panama stuck to their guns of sitting deeper and exclusively hitting on the break, they may have been able to get a more favorable result. But nevertheless, as Canada continues to take strides as a force to be reckoned with, they will need to learn how to be the favourites instead of the underdogs, and the tactical dilemmas that come from that. With Suriname now on the horizon for the Concacaf Nations League Quarter-Finals in November, the challenge will be there again for Marsch and company as it is likely Suriname will try to do one better in Panama and really frustrate Canada.
Header Image Photo Credit: Thiago Szwarc
