ANALYSIS – Tani Oluwaseyi scored his first-ever CANMNT goal as Canada controlled the tempo for most of the game. Alistair Johnston and Moïse Bombito in particular had fantastic games as Canada’s defence was exceptional in Sunday’s game.
Tani Oluwaseyi and the CAMNT Get Important Win Over USA
CANMNT Defence Was Fantastic
One of the big reasons why the CANMNT won the game was because of their defence. In particular, Bombito and Alistair Johnston made key defensive stops against the USMNT. Some examples of this include:
- Brian White had the ball on his feet following a corner, but Bombito was alert and cleared the ball at the right moment.
- Johnston made two incredible defensive plays to keep the ball out of line.
- Derek Cornelius cleared the ball in the 21st minute of play.
There was also a moment where Bombito helped Niko Sigur defend against a USMNT player. Sigur had a good game and did a decent job after Alphonso Davies got injured in the 13th minute of play.
CANMNT Had Control of the Game
For most of the game, the CANMNT looked like they were in control. Some examples of this include:
- Tajon Buchanan made a cross early in the game and looked ready to play.
- The throw-ins by Alistair Johnston were top-notch, as he troubled the Americans throughout the game offensively.
There were also some great runs from Jonathan David and Oluwaseyi. After slipping just a few minutes earlier, Jonathan David received a pass from Ali Ahmed and put the ball in the top-shelf for the game-winning goal.
Tani Oluwaseyi Scored His First-Ever Canada Goal
Oluwaseyi had an unforgettable game for the national team. He made his mark and scored his first-ever goal for the national team. He made some great runs throughout the game put himself in the right place and at the right time and was first to the deflected shot, which he put in the back of the net.
Oluwaseyi is playing well for Minnesota United FC, recently getting the MLS Player of the Week, as he scored two goals for Minnesota in a 3-3 draw against Sporting Kansas City. He will be a player to watch out for. Since he plays in MLS, he probably will be featured in this year’s edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup as well.
Game Overview: Jesse Marsch Got a Red Card
One of the things to note is that after no penalty was called for David and the CANMNT, Marsch let the referees know it, and as a result, he got a red card. This is what the head coach of Canada, Marsch said about what happened (Source: Thomas Bristow of The Mirror US):
“My frustration (regarding the possible penalty) paled in comparison to their anger,” Marsch said regarding his players post-match. “And the reason why is because I think they felt that disrespect for a long time.” “Look, man, there’s no debate,” Marsch continued. “The fact that it’s not even reviewed is inexcusable.”
READ MORE: Raúl Jiménez and Mexico’s Solid Defence Led to Win Over Canada
Marsch may feel that this was the case with the missed penalty call against Mexico in the last game. This emotion might have carried to this game against the U.S. This was fortunate for Marsch as he might have been blamed if Canada lost the game. However, he did make a good call to bring Oluwaseyi into the starting lineup, as he scored his first-ever goal for the national team.
Five minutes after Marsch got the red card, David scored what would eventually be the game-winning goal.
Also, this is what Johnston said about the game (Source: The Canadian Press of The Globe and Mail):
“Of course, it’s only a third-place game, but man that means a lot, I think to the people back home. It means a lot to me,” said Canadian fullback Alistair Johnston, who was exceptional on the day. “And I’m really proud of the team. I’m proud of every single guy that went out there and stepped up.”
This is the first time Canada has defeated the U.S. twice in a row since the 1980’s. They also won 2-1 back in September against the U.S. While it was not a championship game, the Canadians have shown in recent matchups that they are not just USA’s equal, but actually a better team than the U.S. right now.
Both Canada and the U.S. will now look forward to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup as the next big competition. However, it is expected that most of the players for both national teams playing in Europe will not be featured in this edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
The U.S. will play against Turkey on June 7 at 3:30pm ET and then against Switzerland on June 10 at 8:00pm ET.
Mexico Wins the 2025 Concacaf Nations Cup and Games Coming Up
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Big congrats to Mexico to win the Concacaf Nations Cup. Panama fought valiantly, but a terrible handball late in the game, resulted in Jimenez scoring his fourth goal of the tournament. As of right now, Raúl Jiménez has a legitimate argument for being considered the best player in Concacaf.
For the CANMNT, before the Concacaf Gold Cup starts, the Canadian Shield will take place. All games will be at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario and will feature teams such as New Zealand, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ukraine. They will first play against Ukraine at 3:30pm ET on June 7 and then against the Côte d’Ivoire at 8:00pm ET on June 10. The Canadians will also play at least one game at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. For a team that only played two games at home last year, this is a big deal for the CANMNT and for the program itself.
Photo Credit: CANMNT X Account on March 23, 2025.
