Alphonso Davies scores Canada beat Panama in World Cup qualifier
If there was any doubt that Alphonso Davies was the most talented male soccer player Canada has ever produced, he dispelled it in Wednesday night’s CONCACAF 2022 World Cup Qualifying match against Panama.
In need of a solid performance at home against Panama to put themselves in contention for World Cup qualification, Canada provided exactly that and more in a 4-1 victory.
With the victory, Canada moved ahead of Panama in the CONCACAF World Cup qualification standings. With 10 points after six games, Canada is now in the third position.
Thousands of fans waiting outside BMO Field in Toronto in long, snaking lines to get inside missed John Herdman’s team’s lackluster start. Panama was able to make too many quick passes up the wing on a counter-attack due to Canada’s lack of pressure on their ball handlers. For a fifth-minute goal, Canada’s defense left Panama’s Rolando Blackburn largely unguarded.
In the eighth minute, Jonathan David found himself in front of the Panama goal, but he chose to send the ball away.
But, like he has done so many times before, Alphonso Davies was instrumental in arousing Canada from its slumber and altering the game’s outcome. Davies made a number of penetrating runs through the middle of the pitch, dragging multiple Panama players behind him and providing the core attacking threat that Canada lacked in the first six qualifying meetings.
FT from BMO Field! #CANMNT 🇨🇦4:1🇵🇦 #PAN#WCQ #WCQ22 #ForCanada pic.twitter.com/ytf4wlx7IC
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) October 14, 2021
Late in the first half, to the joy of the spectators who had finally made it into the stadium, a near-brawl broke out, demonstrating Canada’s fighting spirit. When Panama’s Edgar Barcenas prepared to take a corner kick, Canada’s Derek Cornelius, stretching in the corner of the pitch, refused to move, bringing both teams from their benches.
Davies landed a corner ball perfectly after taking numerous corner kicks in a row and putting one directly on goal, and Tajon Buchanan deflected it into the goal, which was credited as an own goal for Panama’s Michael Murillo.
Then, in the 66th minute, Davies scored one of his best goals, if not the best in Canadian men’s national team history. Davies used his pace to track down the ball as it was slowly rolling out of bounds, redirect it back inbounds, and delicately pass it through the legs of the advancing Panama defender. Davies kept running towards the Panama goal, came to a halt, and struck a left-footed shot past Luis Mejia.
The floodgates for Canada opened from there. In the 71st minute, Buchanan headed home a superb Richie Laryea cross for Canada’s third goal, and David finally broke out of his rut in the 78th minute with a one-touch strike from close range.
Canada’s next two games are at home, against Costa Rica on November 12 and Mexico on November 16, both at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.
The meeting on Wednesday was the third of a three-game international window that saw Canada draw 1-1 in Mexico and 0-0 in Jamaica.
Atiba Hutchinson, forwards Cyle Larin, Lucas Cavallini, and Junior Hoilett were all out due to injury. Milan Borjan, the goalkeeper, is recovering from COVID-19.
In other matches on Wednesday, the 13th-ranked United States (3-1-2) beat No. 44 Costa Rica (1-2-3) 2-1 in Columbus, Ohio. Later in the tournament, No. 59 Jamaica (0-3-2) took on No. 63 Honduras (0-2-3) while No. 9 Mexico (3-0-2) took on No. 65 El Salvador (1-2-2).
The top three teams in the eight-team CONCACAF round-robin will be able to book their tickets to Qatar 2022 in March. To determine who will join them, the fourth-place team will compete in an intercontinental playoff.