Canada secured a historic 2-1 victory over the United States in a friendly match on Saturday, marking their first win on U.S. soil since 1957. The match, held at Children’s Mercy Park, exposed alarming defensive issues and a lack of intensity from the American side.
Jacob Shaffelburg and Jonathan David capitalized on defensive errors to score for Canada, while Luca de la Torre netted a consolation goal for the U.S. The result continues a troubling trend for the American team, which has now lost three consecutive matches for the first time since 2015.
Interim U.S. coach Mikey Varas, who stepped in after Gregg Berhalter’s dismissal following the Copa America disappointment, was critical of his team’s performance. “The mentality is on the players. Sorry, they know it,” Varas said. “That mentality to fight and to run and to sacrifice, I can’t do that for them.”
The match unfolded before a crowd of 10,523 in a partially filled stadium. Shaffelburg opened the scoring in the 17th minute, capitalizing on a misplayed pass by Tim Ream. David doubled Canada’s lead in the 58th minute, again profiting from a Ream turnover in front of the U.S. goal.
De la Torre scored his first international goal in the 66th minute, offering a glimmer of hope for the U.S. team. However, Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau made a crucial save in the 86th minute, denying Ricardo Pepi an equalizer.
Canada’s coach, Jesse Marsch, an American who had previously interviewed for the U.S. coaching position, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance. “I’m not bitter,” Marsch said regarding the U.S. coaching situation. “I’d much rather coach Canada than the U.S. right now.”
Statistics highlighted Canada’s dominance, with a 17-8 advantage in shots and a 31-12 margin in tackles. This tackle differential marked the worst for the U.S. since a 2020 exhibition against Wales.
The U.S. team’s lineup featured Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte making his second start, while Tim Ream started following his transfer from Fulham to Charlotte. The match also highlighted the limited use of MLS players in recent U.S. national team matches.
This defeat raises concerns about the U.S. team’s form and preparation, especially with another friendly against New Zealand scheduled for Tuesday in Cincinnati. A loss in that match would result in the Americans’ first four-game losing streak since 2007.
As the U.S. Soccer Federation continues negotiations with Mauricio Pochettino to potentially become the team’s next permanent coach, this result underscores the challenges facing American soccer and the need for improved defensive cohesion and overall team mentality.
