World Cup 2026 is fast approaching, and as Canada plays host to the tournament for the first time in history, the men’s team has never been more equipped for success.
Jesse Marsch’s Canada are still a work in progress. They will still take time this month to gel together, and harmonize. They showed that in the first half of their 2-0 win over Uzbekistan. But Canada have never had a more talented set of men’s footballers ready to shine at a major tournament.
Here is what we learned from Canada’s 2-0 win over Uzbekistan.
WHO WILL REPLACE FLORES?
Embed from Getty ImagesJust days ago, Marcelo Flores suffered a torn ACL. Flores impressed in Canada’s draw with Tunisia in March, showing a high level of composure and creativity with the ball at his feet. Flores was going to push for a place in Marsch’s team down the left-wing, alongside Liam Millar, Ali Ahmed, and the ever-versatile Alphonso Davies.
With Flores no longer available for selection, Marsch has two options.
- Plan to push Alphonso Davies higher up the pitch, and bring an extra defender as coverage.
- Replace Flores with another dribbly, creative, cutting-edge player.
In Monday’s match against Uzbekistan, Marsch explored both options.
Embed from Getty ImagesAnyone watching Vancouver Whitecaps the past few seasons or the first half of Canada’s fixture against Tunisia, will know that Ralph Priso had every right to feel hard done by in being left out of Marsch’s plans. Had the squad been for 27-players, Priso would have made the team.
He’s an outstanding progressor out from the back, and an exceptional defender. He’s tough in the tackle, quick to handle passes over the top, and a great 1v1 battler.
Embed from Getty ImagesAs far as I can tell, before Monday night, Priso had never played left-back. A defensive midfielder converted into centre-back last season with Whitecaps down in numbers at the back, Priso has demonstrated tremendous versatility. But in just 45-minutes of action, he made that left-back slot his own.
He steadily progressed the ball out from the back with nice, clean and crisp passes across the grass for his striker. He linked well with former Whitecaps teammate Jayden Nelson down the left-side. He stood his ground in defensive battles, giving Uzbekistan nothing down the right side.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis, coming after Canada looked completely disjointed in defense across the first half. Once Priso, De Fougerolles and Sigur entered the frame to join Derek Cornelius, Canada were completely solid.
Marsch should be encouraged by that, knowing that Priso can be a solid option in three positions now. At 23-years of age, Marsch has even more reason to take the youngster along for the ride.
However, his quest to secure his spot in the squad may have been made for difficult by the brilliance of Jayden Nelson on the same night.
Embed from Getty ImagesJayden Nelson played like a man possessed to prove Jesse Marsch wrong.
He’s hungry. He’s in-form. He’s the best version of Jayden Nelson. The player that wants the ball at his feet all the time. Willing to go 1v1 against any defender. Overlapping to score goals, creating down the wing, and putting in a decent defensive shift.
This is a Jayden Nelson that would have easily made the squad had he made one of the wings his permanent place at either Vancouver or Austin this past year. But lately, he’s been fighting for a starting birth from the bench.
It’s hard to convince a manager of a national team from the bench. But Jayden Nelson never gives up. He always works hard. He always has a positive attitude about him. And he always wants to be part of the action. This is the kind of character that Jesse Marsch wants in his team.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn 45-minutes of action, the former Whitecaps man did everything he could to convince Marsch that he should be the one to replace Flores. He scored the game-sealing goal. He completed 4 take-on’s. He buzzed around the left-wing full of energy and verve when others in the team looked tired. He made his mark on the match, and only a few others can genuinely say that.
Whether Marsch opts for Nelson or Priso, Canadian soccer fans can feel absolutely confident that he’s made a great decision for the sake of the team. Both would be excellent additions to the team, and give opposition teams something to contend with.
THE DEPTH IS DEEP
Embed from Getty ImagesIn previous tournaments, Canada’s depth looked thin. They had a great starting eleven four years ago in Qatar. But not enough coverage for key players off the bench. Not enough game-changers that could come on and make a difference when it mattered most.
Against Uzbekistan, it was the subs that looked like starters. All of the subs looked like they had something to prove. They looked hungry. They looked fresh. They were more confident in carrying out their role and key tasks.
On the one hand, it’s worrying that Canada’s starting eleven looked so disjointed and disorganized. They should have been at least one or two goals down in the first half. They were quickly beaten with passes in behind their defense, and nowhere near compact enough in that 4-4-2 – a formation normally built around compactness and organization.
Embed from Getty ImagesIsmaël Koné and Liam Millar looked lively and bright. Most others struggled to find the spotlight.
As soon as the back-four changed to Sigur, De Fougerolles, Cornelius and Priso, Canada became so much more solid. They rarely let passes go in behind. They rarely let Uzbekistan develop any rhythm. They battled in the air as effectively as they did on the ground, and they controlled the flow of the match in possession much better than the starting four.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut it wasn’t just the defensive line. Mathieu Choiniere looked so solid on the ball, keeping the game ticking along. Jonathan Osorio brought energy and intensity with a touch of class on the ball, rarely putting a foot wrong.
Best of all: Tani Oluwaseyi. The Villarreal striker played a fantastic role in dropping deep to claim Priso’s passes out from the back, acting as both a creative link and a key play-maker in the final third. He assisted both goals with perfect timing of the pass, and involved himself in exactly the ways Jonathan David would have been hoping for: dropping to draw defenders with him, thus allowing space to open for the wings to get into the box.
Even Promise David looked electric in his return from injury, scoring a definitely on-side goal that was disallowed. If this truly is Marsch’s second string and not his first, Canada are in great shape for this tournament.
Embed from Getty ImagesThere is still one more match to go before the tournament kicks off next week, with Canada facing off against Ireland on Friday. That will be the final test before Jesse Marsch makes the call on Flores’ replacement, and how he wants his team to set-up on June 12th against Boznia & Herzegovina. For now, Canada can enter the tournament in good spirits, knowing that this is the greatest men’s team they’ve ever assembled.
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