October 15, 2024...Men's Friendly match Canada vs Panama game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Tuesday October 15, 2024 Men's Friendly match between Canada and Panama played at BMO Field
in Toronto at 7:30pm.

Canada (all red uniforms, white names and numbers)

........................16 Maxime Crepeau
20 Ali Ahmed...15 Moise Bombito...13 Derek Cornelius...19 Alphonso Davies (cpt)
.................8 Mathieu Choiniere...7 Stephen Eustaquio
........22 Richie Laryea...10 Jonathan David...14 Jacob Shaffelburg
.........................9 Cyle Larin

Subs:...1 Dwayne St. Clair (gk)...2 Jamie Knight-Lebel (def)...3 Sam Adekugbe (def)...5 Joel Waterman (def)
...6 Niko Sigur (mid)...11 Theo Bair (fwd)...12 Tani Oluwaseyi (fwd)...21 Jonathan Osorio (mid)...23 Liam Millar (mid)
...24 Zorhan Bassong (def)...25 Nathan Saliba (mid)...26 Kwasi Poku (fwd)
head coach Jesse Marsch

Panama (all white uniforms, black names and numbers)

......................22 Orlando Mosquera
4 Fidel Escobar...14 Jiovany Ramos...16 Carlos Harvey...10 Edgar Barcenas
19 Ivan Anderson...20 Anibal Godoy (cpt)...5 Abdiel Ayarza...26 Kahiser Lenis
..............17 Jose Fajardo...13 Freddy Gondola

Subs:...1 John Gunn (gk)...12 Cesar Samudio (gk)...18 Ricardo Phillips (mid)...23 Michael Murillo (def)
...2 Cesar Blackman (def)...24 Edgardo Farina (def)...25 Roderick Miller (def)...8 Adalberto Carrasquilla (mid)
...6 Christian Martinez (mid)...7 Jose Luis Rodriguez (mid)...9 Eduardo Guerrero (fwd)...11 Tomas Rodriguez
head coach Thomas Christiansen

Game officials:...referee Tori Penso...referee's assistants Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt (all from USA)
...fourth official Myriam Marcotte (from Canada) (all black uniforms)

In a pregame ceremony, Stephen Eustaquio was presented with an award for 2023 Canadian Male Player of the Year. Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, and Richie Laryea were presented with awards for all reaching 50 performances for Canada. There was also a t-shirt toss sponsored by Allstate Insurance for a chance to win better seats. Hmm. How far can they throw them--20 rows? It needs to be 50 rows back to make a real difference!

First Half:...game starts 7:44pm...Canada defend north end on this cold evening.
There's a brief spell of rain during the national anthems which quickly stops but it makes the field slippery.
The first six minutes has most of the action take place in the Panama half. It's a good start for Canada but they get no shots nor corners.
6 min...Can goalie is out to left near edge of box to smother a through ball.
6 min...Can Cornelius gets back to poke away ball in box for cornerkick on right.
7 min...Pan Gondola cornerkick from left has Can Eustaquio pop up ball at 8 yards on right wide with header. Pan Godoy
on right edge of box knocks it forward down middle where it hits Can player. Pan Harvey kicks it along 15 yard line where
Pan Ayarza slides to shoots low shot that deflects off sliding Can Ahmed at 12 yards and deflect into left side of net
but the offside flag was up.
8 min...Pan goalie catches through ball pass at 12 yards ahead of Can Larin.
8 min...Can Eustaquio gets back to poke away ball on right side of box preventing shot.
9 min...Can Larin rush to top of box on left and taps ball to Can Shaffelburg for rush up left to end line and high cross drifts behind net.
10 min...Pan YELLOW card...Ayarza earns it for tackle from behind on Can Choiniere at Pan 50 yard line.
11 min...Can Ahmed with good pressure results in panicky Pan goalie clearance.
12 min...Can David receives upfield pass at 30 yards on slight right. He cuts to center and shoots low 22 yarder
on slight right that diving goalie deflects side left of post.
12 min...Can Choiniere cornerkick from left has Pan Ayarza pop header away from edge of 6 yard box.
14 min...Can players pressure in Pan end near right cornerflag has Pan eventually win goalkick.
16 min...Can Bombito gets back to beat Pan player's long freekick from 80 yards to just outside Can box.
18 min...Can Eustaquio 45 yard freekick from right has a defender at top left of box cleared.
20 min...Can Ahmed low cross from 25 yards on right is cleared from box.
21 min...Can Laryea long throw-in from right is headed across box that's partially cleared. Can David one-touches 18 yarder
up middle that's smothered by goalie in center of net.
23 min...Pan Ayarza can't get away shot from 22 yards on slight right.
24 min...There is some roughing between players before Can can get away a freekick from near the center line on right.
Can Larin and Pan Gondola are the players in the middle of it.
25 min...Can Ahmed taps forward and left for Can Laryea who crosses that drifts behind net.
25 min...Pan Fajardo rush up left but Can Bombito jostles him enough that he chips cross from 15 yards onto top of net.
26 min...Can Ahmed turns and passes from 75 yards down middle of field to find Can Larin who takes 22 yard shot from slight right
on 1 v 1 with Pan Escobar that's batted down by goalie in center of net.
28 min...Can Laryea long throw-in from right is cleared by defenders on edge of 6 yard box.
28 min...Can Bombito beats Pan Fajardo for ball on Pan through ball pass to 25 yards.
30 min...Pan Barcenas 40 yard freekick from left is over to Pan players who chips down middle but defender heads away.
31 min...Can Davies threads pass centering from left that deflects off Pan Harvey at 10 yardsss who gives up cornerkick to prevent
Can Shaffelberg getting shot.
31 min...Can Choiniere cornerkick from left has ball drop into 6 yard box but defender in crowd of players clears.
32 min...Can Shaffelburg cornerkick from right is cleared by defender. Can Ahmed turns breakout around at Pan 45 yard line
with popped up header. Can Eustaquio rush down middle and passes to Can David on right at 7 yard line who stops and
Can Shaffelburg pops up ball too and has Pan Godoy slide past him and over end line. Can David rolls pass to middle where
Can Eustaquio surrounded by three defenders taps to left where Can Ahmed shoots 15 yarder over net.
34 min...Pan Gondola concedes cornerkick away from Can Laryea on right.
35 min...Can Shaffelburg cornerkick from right has Pan Godoy as nearest defender on right side of box pop up header to clear ball.
35 min...Can YELLOW card...Eustaquio earns it for pulling down Pan player at Pan 25 yard line preventing breakout after
cornerkick is partially cleared.
36 min...There's some jostling before a throw-in at the Pan 20 yard line before Can gets a chance to start play.
38 min...Pan Escobar is down injured at Pan 33 yard line.
39 min...Can Davies does good dribbling cutting from left to middle.
39 min...Pan YELLOW card...Barcenas earns it for roughing on right near center line.
42 min...Can Shaffelburg tries to beat Pan Ramos on run down left but rolls ball over end line.
43 min...Canada Cyle Larin GOAL...Pan goalie Orlando Mosquera rolls clearance from goal line forward to Pan Anibal Godoy
on edge of 18 yard box. He's boxed in by four Can players and is bumped by Can Stephen Eustaquio charging in from 25 yards.
Eustaquio rolls ball to right past Can Jonathan David who is bumped but Can Ali Ahmed recovers at Pan 20 yard line top right corner
of box. Ahmed rolls pass diagonally into box where Larin steps forward and shoots 8 yarder forward on left into top left side
of net over sliding goalie at 6 yards.
46 min...Can Eustaquio threads pass up left to Can Larin in clear who runs to 7 yard line and chips cross through box just a step
too far ahead of charging Can Shaffelburg.
47 min...Can Davies makes big block on Pan Anderson getting ball around goalie outside right side of box.
48 min...half ends 8:32pm.

Halftime:...Dwayne DeRosario is presented with an award for being named to the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame by Paul Stalteri.
Hey they were teammates with the 1997 Toronto Lynx.
There's also the Maple Lodge Farms chicken mascot getting fans to dance to the 'Chicken Dance'.

Second Half:...starts 8:48pm.
45 min...Can Eustaquio chips pass from 30 yard line on left to right top corner of box for Can Ahmed but defender head away.
48 min...Can Bombito makes two stops in a row of passes into Can box from middle of box.
50 min...Can YELLOW card...Choiniere earns it for trip of Pan Fajardo injurying him at Can 30 yard line.
51 min...Pan Barcenas 30 yard freekick from slight right is cleared with header in box. Pan then wins another freekick.
52 min...Pan has Barcenas, Godoy, and Escobar line up for freekick with Barcenas finally taking it on 25 yarder from slight right
that's chipped over bar.
54 min...Can Choiniere cornerkick from left has defender head away in 6 yard box.
55 min...Can Ahmed centering pass from right is across 18 yard box and retreating Pan Escobar prevents Can Larin getting to ball in box.
56 min...Pan looks like they are going to sub in Phillips but wave it off.
57 min...Pan YELLOW card...Gondola earns it for kick on Can Choiniere clearance injurying him as he crossed into the box from the left.
58 min...Can Davies recovers loose ball at Pan 45 yard line in middle and dribbles forward and to left where he passes forward
from 30 yard line to charging Can Shaffelburg who has Pan Ramos make slide tackle and poke ball from 8 yard line for cornerkick.
58 min...Can Davies takes quick cornerkick from left is rolled upfield for Can Eustaquio who crosses in along 7 yard line from
near left sideline. Leaping Pan Ramos in front of crowd of players heads from middle to left and Can Choiniere blasts 15 yard
shot from slight left low to left side of net where diving goalie pushes wide left. Can Shaffelburg crosses from 12 yards high and back
into center of box where Can Ahmed whiffs on blasts from edge of 18 yard box.
60 min...Pan sub...Martinez replaces Ayarza.
...........Pan sub...Phillips replaces Gondola.
60 min...Can Larin is injured at center line on right.
61 min...Pan Anderson pass to Pan Fajardo but tangled in his legs at 8 yards for no shot.
62 min...Can Cornelius stetches out on top right corner of Can box to break up through ball pass.
62 min...Can Shaffelburg is injured on run to left end line by sliding tackle wins freekick.
63 min...Can Choiniere 22 yard freekick from left near end line has ball headed down on right side of 6 yard box but cleared.
64 min...Can Davies gives up cornerkick on left to holds up Pan Fajardo pushing against him at 22 yard line.
64 min...Pan Barcenas cornerkick from left is low and cleared. Barcenas gets ball back and his cross into the box is also cleared.
65 min...Can sub...Osorio replaces Choiniere.
............Can sub...Millar replaces Shaffelburg.
66 min...Pan play ends up with a Can goalkick with Pan Fajardo deflecting long throw-in from left over end line.
66 min...Can Millar pass to Can Davies on left is shadowed by defender for ball to roll over Pan end line.
68 min...Panama Jose Fajardo GOAL...Pan Christian Martinez turns at Can 40 yard line in center and passes
forward when two Can players squeeze in at 35 yard line. Pan Fajardo runs between Can Ali Ahmed and Can Alphonso Davies
to get to pass at 22 yard line. He almost falls but gets to ball to chip 15 yarder down middle over sliding
goalie Maxime Crepeau at 12 yards and ball bounces into open left side of net.
69 min...Pan YELLOW yard...Fajardo earns it for pulling his shirt off celebrating goal. There was a delayed presentation of the card
until he moved back downfield.
70 min...Can Eustaquio 25 yard shot up middle is caught by goalie in center of net.
70 min...Can Larin long run up right on 2 on 1 with Can Millaar but pass along 10 yard line is broken up by huge sliding stop
by Pan Ramos.
71 min...Can Millar pusshes ball over left end line while deking Pan player.
72 min...Pan sub...Rodriguez replaces Fajardo.
74 min...Can Davies on rush downfield eluding Pan Godoy sliding tackle at 35 yard line and rolls pass from slight left
at 25 yard line forward and left to open Can Millar at top left of 18 yard box. He steps around Pan Ramos to get
away 15 yard shot that diving goalie palms wide right of post at 3 yard line.
75 min...Pan sub...Carrasquilla replaces Godoy.
............Pan sub...Murillo replaces Lenis.
76 min...Pan player pass to Pan Murillo for shot into wide left webbing of net but wins cornerkick.
78 min...Can sub...Bair replaces Larin.
..............Can sub...Saliba replaces Eustaquio.
79 min...Can YELLOW card...Cornelius earns it for play at Pan 30 yard line in center.
80 min...Can Bombito and Pan Barcenas bump together on Barcenas run down left but ball rolls for goalkick. Barcenas is injured.
81 min...Pan Murillo can't get away from defenders multichecks on run in Can end.
82 min...Can Saliba intercepts pass at Pan 40 yard line on left and he passes to right from 30 yard line over to Can Ahmed on slight right.
He taps ball forward for Can David on right edge of box who holds up for other Can players to get into box. David chips cross and leaping
Can Bair heads 7 yarder down middle that goalie catches overhead just under bar on right side of net.
83 min...Can Bombito concedes cornerkick to prevent Pan Rodriguez shot.
84 min...Pan cornerkick on right is multi pass of short kicks but ends up being flagged offside.
85 min...Can Bair rolls 22 yarder foeward that diving goalie smothers on left post.
86 min...Can Jonathan David GOAL...Pan goalie Orlando Mosquera punts ball away from 15 yard line. Can Derek Cornelius jumps higher
than Pan player to head ball forward from 65 yard line down center. The ball bounces forward to David who turns at Pan 45 yard line
and eludes tug by Pan Christian Martinez at Pan 38 yard line to pass from 30 yards in middle over to Can Liam Millar at top left corner of box.
Millar runs along left edge of box and rolls centering pass from 7 yard line and charging David in alignment with left post
one-touches roller into right corner of net past reach of diving goalie.
87 min...Can Millar is checked from behind by Pan Murillo.
90 min...Pan sub...Jose Luis Rodriguez replaces Anderson.
..............Can sub...Waterman replaces David.
..............Can sub...Poku replaces Ahmed.
91 min...Can Davies makes big headed clearance from right side of box keeping ball away from Pan Murillo. Can Cornelius then makes big clearance
in box to clear Pan Martinez low deflected cross along left end line.
92 min...Pan Murillo is called offside on right but blasts shot off near side post. That starts a pushing match between the two teams.
94 min...Pan Carrasquilla and Can Osorio have an incident in the center circle but Osorio doesn't get baited into a fight.
95 min...game ends 9:38pm.

Final Score:....Canada......2......Panama......1.........

After the game the Canadian players and team officials formed a circle on the field. Then they went over to greet The Voyageurs fans in the South End stands. They also did a circle around the field to wave to other fans who stayed behind.

Attendance was announced near the end of the game as 23315 on this cold night. The stands were mostly full except for the top deck on the East side.

Referee Tori Penso from the United States led an all female officiating crew with the assistant referees also from the USA. This game was pretty rough at times with a few pushing incidents but she mostly kept the play moving. Post game stats showed Panama committed more fouls 15-13 than Canada. She gave out seven Yellow cards (four to Panama) with only the Yellow after the Panama goal for Jose Fajardo pulling his shirt off as the non player-fouling. I thought it was a fairly called game.

Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch said the rough play was expected from Panama and his team can be physical too.

This was Canada's only game during this FIFA international window. A lot of teams played two games during this opening including Panama who had been beaten 2-0 by the United States at the Q2 Stadium in Austin Texas on Saturday. The Canadian team had trained for a few days in Montreal where they connected to the community.

Just a few days before today's game, it was announced that Canada would be back here on Tuesday November 19th. Lucky Toronto although I expect that night will be even colder. This will be the second leg of the CONCACAF Nations League Quarterfinal. Canada has the advantage in playing the second game at home because the team they will be drawn against will have a lower ranking having qualified from the League A group stage results. Canada received a bye to the quarterfinal along with the United States, Mexico, and Panama so Canada won't face any of them until the semi-final. The team is 'TBD' (to be determined) which is not the greatest way to sell tickets but there's a month to build the buzz.

The field was not in great condition with a bumpiness in the ball rolling across the field. A pregame rain even for a moment made the field slippery. Jesse Marsch said after the game that Canada and the Panamian team agreed not to practice on the field so I assume both teams used the BMO Training Ground in Downsview over the last few days as the groundscrew got this field ready for tonight. Will next month's home game field conditions be worse as the weather gets colder?

Tonight Cyle Larin scored his thirtieth goal for the Canadian Men's senior team. Later in the game, Jonathan David scored his thirtieth goal as well. It's great to see a duel between the two players although long term it's expected that David will ultimately finish ahead of Larin because he's five years younger in age. Third place in all time scoring is now retired player Dwayne De Rosario with 23 goals. DeRo was here tonight to receive an award for being named to the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame.

Kwasi Poku earned his first cap for Canada. He was brought into the game at 90 minutes just to set that record in front of his GTA hometown. He was playing for Forge FC in the Canadian Premier League as recently as July and was transferred to RWD Molenbeek of Belgian second-division in August. This is the story that the CPL and Canadian soccer wants to tell creating a pathway to the national team through other methods besides Canadian MLS team academies. I'm pretty sure that he didn't get a touch on the ball coming in so late tonight.

Defender Jamie Knight-Lebel and forward Santiago Lopez were also potential first cap players for Canada but didn't get into the game. I suppose if Canada had built a 4-0 halftime lead they would have seen the field although I did see Santiago on the game sheet tonight marked as 'Not Eligible'

Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
twitter @RocketRobin01

Canada starters

Panama starters

Stephen Eustaquio (7) is presented with the Canadian Male Player of the Year (2023) award.

Richie Laryea (22), Jonathan David (10), and Alphonso Davies (19) are presented with awards for making fifty appearances for Canada.

Panama Jose Fajardo (17) takes opening kickoff.

Canada Richie Laryea (22) takes throw-in.

Panama Edgar Barcenas (10) gets ready to take freekick.

Canada Cyle Larin (9) and Jonathan David (10) line up to take second half kickoff.

A Panama cornerkick is cleared in the Canadian box.

Handshakes after the game.

Canadian players salute The Voyageurs after the game.

Full Time Stats (from One Soccer) 

                         Canada       Panama     
Goals                        2            1   
Shots                       15            5  
Shots on target             10            1  
Possession                  54%          46%
Corners                      8            4  
Fouls                       13           15   
Pass Accuracy               76%          70%

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