Alphonso Davies' stunning solo goal in the 66th minute helped the Canadian men's national team defeat Panama 4-1 at BMO Field on Wednesday night, as Canada moved into third place overall – past Panama – in the final round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers.
Canada remain undefeated through six games (two wins, four draws), more than a third of the way through the 14-game quest for a Qatar 2022 spot. Panama, meanwhile, drop two points behind Canada and into fourth place – one spot out of a guaranteed place in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Davies stole the show midway through the second half with a brilliant individual effort. Showcasing his blistering pace, the Vancouver Whitecaps academy product and current Bayern Munich star made up about 20 yards to keep a ball in play before taking on and beating Panama's Fidel Escobar 1-on-1. With his eyes then set on goal, Davies wrapped his foot around the ball and caught Luis Mejía going the other way, beating the Panamanian goalkeeper at his near post to give Canada the massive 2-1 lead.
From that point on, the floodgates opened. Five minutes after Davies' solo effort, a pinpoint cross from Toronto FC defender Richie Laryea found the head of a streaking Tajon Buchanan, and the New England Revolution star nodded home to give Les Rouges a crucial 3-1 lead.
Before the night was over, Jonathan David pounced on Davies' cross in the 78th minute and slotted home to make it 4-1, putting this game to bed.
Panama got off to a quick start, stunning Canada with a well-taken goal less than five minutes in. A beautiful bit of team buildup play led to Michael Murillo’s run down the right-hand side, and the Anderlecht right back delivered a low cross into Rolando Blackburn. The veteran striker made no mistake, finishing first-time to put the visitors up 1-0 early.
As imperative as he was on the opener, Murillo was liable on Canada's equalizer just over 20 minutes later. Davies' corner kick bounced off the Panamanian defender's head and past his own keeper, sending Canadian supporters into a frenzy that only grew louder as second-half goals flew in.
Goals
- 5' – PAN – Rolando Blackburn
- 28' – CAN – Michael Murillo (OG)
- 66' – CAN – Alphonso Davies
- 71' – CAN – Tajon Buchanan
- 78' – CAN – Jonathan David
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Canada entered undefeated through five games, but were unsatisfied with just one win over that span, making Wednesday night's result against Panama even more significant. The victory moves them ahead of Panama into third place in the eight-team Octagonal and keeps them within reaching distance of the United States, who are just one point ahead of Les Rouges. Panama, meanwhile, will be disappointed not to come away with a point on the road after a strong 65 minutes of work. But with eight games left to play, there's plenty of time for them to bounce back and they'll have their first opportunity to do so next month against Honduras.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Alphonso Davies' goal. He provided the spark with an individual piece of magic, propelling Les Rouges to victory.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: To no one's surprise, it's Alphonso Davies. Is he the best player in Concacaf? It's hard to argue against that.
Next Up
- CAN: Wednesday, Nov. 12 vs. Costa Rica | 9:55 pm ET (Paramount+, OneSoccer)
- PAN: Wednesday, Nov. 12 at Honduras | 8:05 pm ET (Paramount+)
