The Result Carries Weight
EDMONTON — Canada posted a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan in an international friendly Monday, giving head coach Jesse Marsch a reason to feel better about his team's offensive prospects.
Jonathan Osorio and Jayden Nelson scored second-half goals in front of an announced crowd of 46,164 at Commonwealth Stadium, where cool, wet conditions made for a sluggish match.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
"There's been a lot of talk that we haven't scored goals from the run of play, understandingly so because we hadn't," Marsch said post-match. "But I kept saying the goals are coming because I know we have a lot of firepower."
Canada generated few clear chances in the first half but came alive after the break. The defensive effort was once again solid: Canada has conceded just three goals across its last 11 matches.
The Moment That Swung It
"If we can continue on that pace, we give ourselves a chance to have a good World Cup," Marsch said.
Canada plays its second pre-tournament friendly Friday in Montreal against Ireland before opening World Cup group play June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Group B also includes Switzerland and Qatar.
Marsch is managing several injury concerns. Midfielder Marcelo Flores suffered a ruptured ACL over the weekend, while team captain Alphonso Davies remained sidelines though he did some light jogging Monday.
"It felt nice to get on the pitch and do some running," said Davies, an Edmonton native. "We will have to see how everything goes in the next couple of days. We have to take it step by step."
The Race Tightens
Marsch said the team wants Davies back only when he's fully ready, not rushed. "It's important that he is free, that he doesn't feel pressured to come back."
The match was played amid heavy rain that left portions of the newly laid pitch waterlogged. Weather has not cooperated for Canada's recent games in Edmonton—a November 2021 friendly against Mexico was held in minus-9 Celsius with snowbanks lining the field. More than 44,000 fans braved that cold; nearly as many showed up Monday despite the rain.