Tajon Buchanan and Junior Howlett set the stage for first-period goalscoring Kyle Larrain, Jonathan Osorio and Stephen Ostaccio, allowing the Canadian men’s soccer team to return to the locker room with a 3-1 lead.
Theo Corpiano added a goal for the Maple Leaf reps, who ranked 70th in the world.
Emanuel Riviere was the author of Martinique’s lone goal, in front of a limited number of spectators at Mercy Park Children’s in Kansas City.
Emmanuel Riviere scored the first goal for Martinique in the match.
Photo: usa today sports / Jay Biggerstaff
Canada dominated possession time and were aggressive for most of the match, with Martinique relying heavily on their counterattacks.
But Martinique was dangerous at times and found a way to score the first goal in the 10th minute of play.
I told the players during the pre-match meeting. We’ve been through the last few games with ease and we can concede in the first 15 minutes.
Canadian coach John Herdman said after the match. I told them it would be a gift because it would give us a chance to respond. And that’s exactly what they did.
Canada is bereft of Alphonso Davies, Scott Arfield, Milan Burgan, Jonathan David and Atiba Hutchinson. Davis was in camp, but injured his ankle while training.
Herdman stated that he enjoyed the chemistry that formed between Davis and Buchanan in training.
Sadly, Davis wasn’t around, but Tajon is wowing fans and fans at home.
22-year-old Herdman said. Every team needs a player like him. All the fans appreciate the kind of player who doesn’t ask himself a lot of questions.
Stephen Vitoria served as a captain for the Canadian national team, who played in the starting lineup 179 matches with the national team. Larren (37), Osorio (37) and Hewlett (31) have accounted for 105 of those 179 games.
Martinique opened the scoring after a poor pass from Marc Anthony Kay. Riviere got the ball ahead of Kemal Millet and beat goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.
Herdmann had warned his players before the match that Riviere was a player quality player
, who would not miss a good opportunity if given to him.
Canada responded in the 16th minute, when Laren used his body well at the expense of defender Romario Bartellieri. Larin redirected Hoilett’s corner kick with a header.
Larrain is now tied with Alex Banbury and Lucas Cavallini for fifth as the top scorer (16) in Canadian men’s team history. Dwayne De Rosario holds the record (22).
Four minutes later, Buchanan was faster than Barthellieri and passed to Osorio, who beat goalkeeper Jill Meslin.
Buchanan was complicit in Canada’s third goal in the 26th minute thanks to another strong run down the left flank. He passed the ball to Hoilett, who found Eustaquio trailing alone on the edge of the penalty area.
I congratulated them in the locker room at halftime
Herdman said.
Their response has been great at this point.
With his help, Hoilett rose to No. 1 in Canadian history with 14, surpassing De Rosario’s record of 13.
It’s easy for me to make these passes with the team around me
, and exalté Hoilett. We have great scorers and a good team. It is such an honor to play with this group of brothers.
Canada had more chances to score in the second half before Corpiano completed the scoring.
The Canadian national team will now move in swords with Haiti on Thursday before concluding Sunday’s group stage against the United States.
Natalie Sinclair is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, accurate reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and issues that matter to their communities. Her work highlights timely developments, relevant stories, and practical insights in a professional and reader-friendly manner.