The Canadian men’s national team returned to action in style, breezing past Curaçao, 4-0, in 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League A action Thursday evening at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The game marked the first time Canada's convened since topping Concacaf’s World Cup qualification process, as their preparation for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup is off to a strong start.
Here are the player ratings for manager John Herdman’s squad.
Canada Men's National Team Player Ratings
The 34-year-old ‘keeper wasn’t really called into action or tested, but did what he had to do to keep a clean sheet.
Often regarded for his defensive prowess, the CF Montréal defender linked up well with Tajon Buchanan on Canada’s right-hand side and was a threat moving forward. He also had a key block in the 57th minute, bailing his 'keeper out.
Vitória led the charge in shutting down Curaçao offensively and chipped in with a rare goal as well – his third in a Canada shirt and first since 2019.
A quiet evening for Kamal Miller, which is exactly what you’d hope for from the center back facing a team like Curaçao. Like Borjan, the CF Montréal defender did everything that was asked of him.
The former Vancouver Whitecaps FC defender looked right at home, assisting on Lucas Cavallini's marker late in the second half. With the chemistry he has developed with Alphonso Davies down the left-hand side, Adekugbe has become almost a must-start for Herdman.
The former New England Revolution star was lively from the jump, creating an opportunity for Canada within the first two minutes of the game. As usual, he was willing to take defenders on and created several opportunities for his side in his 76 minutes of work.
The FC Porto midfielder was pulling all the strings for Canada in the middle of the park. Eustáquio is not the flashiest player, but his relentless work rate and passing ability continue to be essential to the success of the team.
Hutchinson played 65 minutes and, like Eustáquio, was relentless in the middle of the park. The CanMNT veteran set the tempo for his side – on and off the ball.
In his first match for Canada since November, Davies was the most dangerous player on the pitch. Playing at BC Place for the first time since his Vancouver Whitecaps days, the Bayern Munich star won a penalty and converted it to open the scoring before going on to net a second from open play.
It wasn't his greatest performance in a Canada shirt, but David still made his presence felt. His volleyed assist on Vitória’s goal was a thing of beauty.
The Canadian men's national team's all-time leading scorer was largely ineffective in his 65 minutes before being substituted off. He's a proven lethal goalscorer, but tonight wasn't his night.
A victory was anticipated, but given the off-field issues that were stealing the headlines heading into Thursday’s fixture, it would’ve been reasonable to expect a dip in form. Credit to the CanMNT manager: he did not let that happen. Herdman put out a strong starting XI and had his team playing on the front foot from the opening kickoff.
Substitutes
Laryea may not have gotten much playing time with Nottingham Forest in his first season overseas, but the former Toronto FC fullback showed no signs of rust, assisting on Davies' second goal of the match just minutes after checking into the game.
Hoilett's versatility is a valuable asset off the bench. He checked into the game as a striker before dropping into a deeper role after Cavallini and Ugbo came on. Overall, it was a veteran performance for the 32-year-old Brampton, Ontario native.
Samuel Piette only played 39 minutes total for Canada in 2022 heading into tonight, so it was great to see the CF Montréal midfielder get 28 minutes, coming into the game in place of Hutchinson and helping Les Rouges see out the clean sheet.
In form for the Whitecaps, Cavallini checked into the game in front of a home crowd in the 76th minute and scored less than 10 minutes later. He wasn't on the pitch long enough to make a fair assessment, but the fact he's earning minutes for Herdman – and scoring – bodes well for his chance of making the squad for Qatar.
Like Cavallini, Ugbo wasn't on the pitch long enough to make a fair assessment. Perhaps he'll get more of a look on Monday when Canada travels to San Pedro Sula to take on Honduras.
