The Jesse Marsch era for Canada Soccer has been filled with highs.
With the former Leeds manager at the helm of the men’s team, Canada won its first-ever World Cup match, emerged from the group stage and even won a knockout-round match. Without question, the arrival of Marsch has led to the program’s best days.
But there have also been lows. On Friday, Canada can take the first step to correcting their lowest of lows. In Guatemala City, Canada meets Guatemala in the first leg of a two-legged CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals tie. The return leg will be played on Monday at Toronto’s BMO Field. The winner will advance to next spring’s Nations League Finals and automatically qualify for the 2027 Gold Cup.
You can catch Guatemala vs. Canada in CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final action LIVE on Friday at 9pm ET on TSN3/5, TSN.ca and the TSN App.
That last part is important because it was at the last Gold Cup where Canada experienced the aforementioned lowest of lows. Playing in Group A, Canada opened its tournament with a 6-0 demolition of Honduras in Vancouver with Tajon Buchanan notching a brace. Relocating to Houston, Canada only managed a 1-1 draw with Curacao thanks to a stoppage-time equalizer in a match they easily should have won on Matchday 2. Regular service was restored for the final match, a 2-0 win over El Salvador, to top the group.
Finishing first in Group A set up a favourable quarters tie with Guatemala in Minneapolis. Los Chapines had finished as runners-up in Group C thanks to an upset win over Jamaica. Canada entered the match as heavy favourites.
The last major tournament ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Canada sought to use the Gold Cup to signal its intent ahead of a World Cup on home soil. A win at the Gold Cup, something Canada had only done once before and not since 2000, seemed within reach. It was another opportunity for Marsch’s side to demonstrate to the United States and Mexico that a new juggernaut in the confederation had arrived.
Just before the half-hour mark, Promise David was taken down in the area and the ref immediately pointed to the spot. Jonathan David stepped up to take and calmly slotted his penalty home to make it 1-0 in the 30th. Canada was on its way.
The goal should have been the impetus for Canada to take control of the match, but it did not. Sloppy and wasteful in the late stages of the half, Canada paid for it in stoppage time. With Guatemala pressing, Canada attempted to break out the other way.
Jonathan David sent a ball into the Guatemala half for Jacob Shaffelburg latch onto with only one defender to beat. The ball was weighted too heavily for Shaffelburg and Steven Robles got there first. Inexplicably, Shaffelburg ran into Robles and came up high on him with his arm. Already on a booking from only minutes earlier, Shaffelburg was shown a second yellow and Canada was forced to play the rest of the match on 10 men.
The dam finally burst for Canada in the 69th minute. Oscar Santis curled in a fine ball into the area for Rubio Rubin, who got a step inside on Derek Cornelius, to head home past Dayne St. Clair to make it 1-1. That scoreline would hold all the way to penalties.
After each side made their first spot kicks respectively, Cyle Larin stepped up for Canada. His effort was a poor one. Kenderson Navarro dived to his right and easily corralled Larin’s shot.
Guatemala captain Jose Carlos Pinto immediately let Canada off the hook. Needing a goal to advance, Pinto skied a ball well over the crossbar. Canada was still alive.
Nathan Saliba buried his penalty before Pedro Altan did the same for Guatemala. Luc de Fougerolles, who had never attempted a penalty before in his brief pro career, was next up for Canada. He hammered his effort, but it caught the inside of the crossbar and bounced out. That set up a chance for Jose Alfredo Morales to play hero. He wouldn’t turn it down. Blasting a shot right into the middle of the net, St. Clair dived the wrong way and Canada’s Gold Cup ended with a whimper.
That loss 18 months ago will be fresh in Canada’s mind as they return to the pitch against Guatemala in what will be the team’s first competitive matches since the World Cup. Canada went 2-1 in the last international window with victories over Chile and Peru and a 1-0 loss to the USMNT. The loss to the United States was Canada’s first friendly defeat in 10 matches.
Returning to the team is captain Alphonso Davies. The Bayern Munich star missed out on the last window, taking advantage of the break in Bundesliga play to get married. But Canada will not be without some significant absences.
Swansea City midfielder and Canada vice-captain Stephen Eustaquio is unavailable after picking up a groin injury during a 4-0 win over Blackburn Rovers on Oct. 31. Long-term absentee Alistair Johnston appeared to be on course to make his way back into the Canada squad, but the right-back sustained a fresh hamstring injury in Celtic’s 2-1 win over Hibernian on Oct. 25 in his first minutes of action since August. Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio and Los Angeles FC’s Shaffelburg have also withdrawn from the squad with injury.
The other quarter-final ties will also go down during this window. Curacao meets Panama and the United States takes on Haiti. In what is perhaps the most highly anticipated matchup, Mexico faces off with Jamaica in Kingston and then Monterrey.