Canada’s win leaves the US at a crossroads
From his seat at SoFi Stadium, Joseph D’Hippolito describes a match in which Canada took advantage of their opportunities, while the US wilted once again.
More history
According to Doug McIntyre of Fox Sports, the US has now lost back-to-back home games to Canada for the first time since the two countries began playing each other in 1925.
Opta adds that this is Canada’s first win over the US in a competitive match on American soil since a World Cup Qualifying victory in St. Louis in 1957.
Thierry Henry on the US
The French legend is on the analyst desk in Los Angeles for CBS Sports, and had this to say afterward:
“I’m worried for the United States at the World Cup. Yeah, the stadium are going to be full, people are going to turn up, but ultimately it’s on you to make sure that they vibrate with you.”
He was referencing both the US’s flat performances and the lack of US fans in the stands at both games of the Nations League finals.
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History
For the first time since 1985, Canada has beaten the United States in consecutive meetings.
FINAL: Canada 2-1 USA
Canada has won the latest edition of the increasingly-volatile rivalry between the sides 2-1 in the Nations League finals third place game. With the loss, the US finishes the tournament in fourth after winning every previous edition of the (still somewhat new) tournament. Tani Oluwoseyi opened the scoring for Canada, Patrick Agyemang equalized, and Jonathan David netted the winner.
96 min: Gio Reyna has an impact, but not in the way US fans will have hoped. After taking down Jacob Shaffelburg on the sideline, Reyna has a few choice words for the Canada midfielder. The teams briefly come together, but the scuffle doesn’t go any further. This one is basically over.
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94 min: Two more good chances for the US! Diego Luna has a square ball in the box blocked by Bombito. It falls to Arfsten, whose curling effort sails wide. That could be the last gasp for the US, who do not appear to be playing with enough urgency in the closing stages down a goal.
90 min: Chance! A driven corner kick finds Brian White in a sliver of space at the six-yard box but his effort is blocked back into play. Moise Bombito with a huge play to prevent an equalizer for Canada.
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88 min: It must be said, referee Katia Itzel García has done a wonderful job tonight. There have been a few big calls but she’s gotten them all correct, including the sending off of Marsch.
85 min: Big chance for the US! After earning a freekick from 35 yards out, Gio Reyna hits a perfect chipped ball over the wall to Mark McKenzie, who finds Luna on the far post. Luna’s attempt at a finish was closed down well and stopped by Dayne St. Clair. Huge save from the Canadian goalkeeper!
82 min: The US are pushing for an equalizer but they’re having a very hard time making it through the Canadian midfield. Canada doing a great job closing down passing lanes and staying alert.
Substitution (78 min): Brian White enters for the US in place of Patrick Agyemang. Notably, this leaves Josh Sargent on the bench after a disappointing outing against Panama on Thursday.
Some perspective from a Canada fan
Got one response from a Canada fan to my “are you having fun?” query from before, and it’s a pretty good one!
I have been enjoying watching Canada. I’ve seen so many years of misery, and the last six years have been so different and wonderful, even with the occasional lows. – Adrian
Loving the positive outlook here. (Though it’s probably easier to have when you’re up 2-1.
75 min: It’ll be interesting to see how Reyna and Luna play together, with both at their best pulling the strings as No 10s. So far, it seems like they’re sharing the load, with Luna occupying the left half-space and Reyna the right. Tessmann and Musah behind them. Weah and Agyemang paired up top in possession.
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Having fun? Eh….
Earlier, I asked fans of both teams if they were having fun. Some interesting responses from US faithful:
As a US fan, I’m not having fun. As a US/Swiss dual national I was debating about going to see my 2 countries play in June in Nashville, but frankly, at this point, it seems like a pretty big cost to go see uninspiring soccer. – Alex
Given the high ticket prices for US friendlies, I get it. But by the same token – live soccer is usually very good! And you don’t get many chances to see both of your dual-national countries play each other. If you’re financially able, I’d still go.
As much as I want to cheer on the old red, white, and blue, I can’t help but feel nervous that a win for us might be used as a bludgeon against our neighbors to the north, another round of ammunition for a certain toddler-in-chief. I think the better outcome would be for Canada to take this one. – Khalid
What would make you think this result would be politicized? Could it be, perhaps, the rampant politicization of sporting contests between these countries lately?!
70 min: Three major USMNT players leave the field at once in a triple swap. Pulisic, McKennie and Adams all exit, with Tanner Tessmann, Yunus Musah, and Gio Reyna.
68 min: Another strange scene – Pulisic was supposed to be substituted just after that last run to earn a freekick, but waved off the chance and refused to come off so that he could take the freekick. Pochettino looks bemused on the broadcast.
Not quite a Sarri/Kepa situation, but still potentially not a great look for the USMNT’s captain on the day.
67 min: Entertaining scenes as Ismaël Koné bear-hugs Pulisic for a full 30 yards on the break. Pulisic does well to continue the run before finally earning a freekick.
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Read more about Jonathan David
Canada’s goalscorer is among the most talked-about strikers in Europe. The Guardian’s Joe Callaghan spoke with him about the pressure that comes with that, his hopes for this third-place game, and the title of “best player in Concacaf.”
GOAL! Canada 2-1 USA (Jonathan David, 59 min)
David is having a tremendous season and shows why with a smart finish, pulling the ball away to create space from his defender in the box and finishing with a beautiful curling effort against Matt Turner.
59 min: Jesse Marsch, seemingly re-creating this scene from Spinal Tap, is STILL being shown running the bowels of SoFi Stadium for a place where he can watch the rest of this game.
Red card! (Jesse Marsch, 54 min)
Jonathan David was bearing down on goal on a breakaway with Max Arfsten in hot pursuit. When the pair arrived in the penalty area, Arfsten and David both went to ground as David cut the ball back. It looked at first glance like Arfsten might have made contact with David, but the referee correctly called no penalty.
Jesse Marsch, obviously, did not agree. The American head coach of Canada went ballistic on the sidelines, crossing over in the the US technical area and on to the field to protest the call. He was immediately shown a red card, and will now watch the rest of the match from the locker room.
The right call in both cases, even though it deprives us of more highly-entertaining Marsch reaction shots.
54 min: Huge no-call from the refereeing crew on a Jonathan David breakaway, and Canada head coach Jesse Marsch is absolutely losing his mind.
51 min: The US gets away with a bad giveaway in midfield as the resulting through ball goes to an offside attacker. The same old issues (chance creation, badly-timed giveaways) remain for the US.
49 min: A possible penalty shout as Canada feels Tyler Adams took down Jonathan David in the box. No call on the play but Canada is appealing. CBS rules expert Christina Unkel seemed to think it was simple side-to-side contact, and the VAR agrees. No penalty.
Second half underway
One change to report for the US: Marlon Fossey comes on in place of Joe Scally.
A genuine question for USMNT & Canada fans
Are you having fun watching your team right now? Why or why not?
You are welcome to answer via my email or BlueSky handles listed above.
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Alphonso Davies update – Just saw the first replays of the incident that led to Davies’ removal. He went down after going shoulder-to-shoulder with Patrick Agyemang in the first half. Davies went down holding his knee, which is a worrying sign.
Halftime: USA 1-1 Canada
The whistle blows and the teams head back into the locker room tied. Everyone take a deep breath.
45+ min: On a breakaway, Diego Luna works a combination on the right flank with Christian Pulisic, then spies a long switch and hits an arching pass right into the path of Tim Weah, who can’t control it. Luna hasn’t had a ton of chances to play in dangerous balls in the attacking third, but when he gets those chances he’s done well (including on the goal).
43 min: The US are looking a bit more confident and on the front foot after the goal, as you might expect. Canada still doing a better job creating clear-cut chances, though.
GOAL! Canada 1-1 USA (Agyemang, 35 min)
Patrick Agyemang finishes off a smart feed from Diego Luna after a run in the box, and we’re all square in Inglewood with a nice goal against the run of play!
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Question time
Why is Marsch not starting Larin? – James on BlueSky
Probably because he knew Oluwaseyi was going to score!
But seriously, I think Oluwaseyi’s repeated involvement and the energy he’s brought to that position has caused a lot of problems for the US. Marsch might have thought the matchup would be a bit better, and if so that appears to be the correct call so far.
Yep, it’s a goal. 1-0 Canada. Glad we all made absolutely sure.
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But wait… As we all must do in the year 2025, we are waiting for confirmation that the previous goal we just enjoyed should not be ruled out for reasons.
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GOAL! Canada 1-0 USA (Oluwaseyi, 27 min)
Tani Oluwaseyi opens the scoring for Canada after a deflected ball in the box found him all alone at the six. Not a great defensive sequence there for the US at all, but a calm, composed finish by the Minnesota United man.
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25 min: Mark McKenzie gets his head to a nice cross from Alistair Johnston that looked to be right on target to Tajon Buchanan in the six-yard box. US are getting put under pressure by all manner of aerial services at the moment.
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22 min: Another big chance for Canada off a long throw-in from Alistair Johnston. The ball bounced around in the box before falling to Ismaël Koné in the box, but his shot on goal was deflected and there was also an offside call somewhere in there.
I wouldn’t say Canada is dominating this game by any means, but they’re certainly getting the better of the scoring chances.
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17 min: CBS Sports sideline reporter Nico Canto reporting that Alphonso Davies went straight down the tunnel to the locker room after being removed from the game. A worrying sign, perhaps, for Bayern Munich ahead of their return to Bundesliga action next weekend.
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Question time
Two via e-mail from Kurt Perleberg:
1. This week USMNT Manager Mauricio Pochettino said that by 2030 or 2035 the USMNT would be the number one team in the world of international soccer, what should US Soccer do for that to make it a reality?
Frankly I don’t think US Soccer, as an organization, can do anything to achieve this because they are not literal miracle workers. I understand that Pochettino is an optimistic and ambitious guy, which makes him a good hire for the perpetually-hopeful American psyche … but given how good the top 5-10 teams in international soccer are at any given time, and where the US is now as a player pool, this simply is not happening.
2. Do you think that Darren Watkins (AKA IShowSpeed) could make it to the USMNT in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
No.
13 min: Yep, there’s that sub. Hajduk Split’s Niko Sigur comes in for Alphonso Davies. Johnston will now move to left back while Sigur will play on the right.
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12 min: Away from that Johnston/Agyemang tackle, Alphonso Davies is down behind the play, and it looks like Canada is readying a sub for the Bayern Munich star. That’ll be worrying for Canada.
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10 min: Alistair Johnston comes in recklessly with an aerial challenge on Patrick Agyemang, but escapes punishment from the referee.
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9 min: Canada once again has a nice scoring chance. The Canadians worked the chance directly off a quick throw in, with the ball coming to Jonathan David on the left. His service into the box was blocked by Arfsten.
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Well, this is exciting. We’re four minutes in and already both teams look very up for this game. Both have fashioned half-chances from very direct play, with searching balls up to physical center forwards. This might not end up being the prettiest game in the world, but there’s decent entertainment value possible.
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2 min: Already an interesting chance for the US, as a ball ricochets at midfield to send Tim Weah down the wing, but his effort at a cross gets deflected out for a goal kick.
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1 min: We are underway from Los Angeles!
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The crowd, once again, is incredibly sparse for a US game at home. The stadium PA countdown is reverberating off a LOT of empty seats.
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The anthems have begun. I’ve always quite liked “O Canada.”
OldSteve asks on BlueSky: Is Gio just cooked?
Cooked? No. He’s 22, and coming off a tumultuous few years that have involved multiple injuries, re-injuries, an incredibly public falling-out with his national team coach with an embarrassing level of involvement from his parents, and who knows what other things are taking place behind the scenes.
There’s no doubt that Reyna is one of the most talented players in the US pool, and also that he is creative and able to pick locks in away few in the pool can. But right now, he’s simply not getting enough game time, and not making the most of the time he is getting. There’s ample time for things to turn around, so he’s not cooked yet. But this down period has lasted a long time.
Paramount+ has just shown a promo for the next couple episodes of Pulisic, the docuseries on Paramount+.
Our own Leander Schaerlaeckens reviewed the series so far and used it to make a broader point about this USMNT: They’re as notable for being mostly silent as they are for their talent on the field.
So, why no Gio Reyna?
Mauricio Pochettino has said in the lead-up to this tournament that he would use the opportunity to evaluate and build a relationship with the players who had yet to appear in camp with him – including Reyna and Tyler Adams.
He reiterated that point to the media yesterday, while referencing Reyna’s lack of playing time with Dortmund and seemingly referencing some disappointing training performances.
“The most important thing is how he’s showing in every single training session and spending time with us, because I think maybe he’s not at his best,” POchettino said. “But he’s here for us to try to get to know him and, from there, to help him arrive at his best. That is the reality.”
Pochettino then delivered a line that is already being dissected every which way: “I am so honest and what I think I see is this important player, who was also an important player in the past. I think it’s a player we need to recover and put to the same level as the rest of the players to have the possibility to compete in the World Cup.”
And here’s the starting XI from Jesse Marsch’s Canada.
The XI to begin our podium push, presented by @GE_Appliances 👇
— CANMNT (@CANMNT_Official) March 23, 2025
Le XI pour débuter notre course au podium, présenté par @GE_Appliances 👇#CANMNT pic.twitter.com/ySxoPg3iVZ
Like Pochettino, Marsch has made a bunch of changes from Thursday. Three of them, to be exact.
In are Mathieu Choinière, Tajon Buchanan, and Tani Oluwaseyi.
Out are Jonathan Osorio, Stephen Eustáquio, and Cyle Larin.
The US lineup is in!
Our Starting XI for today's match. pic.twitter.com/mWaplGdNxH
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) March 23, 2025
In all, Mauricio Pochettino makes five changes from the XI that lost to Panama. In particular, this is a big spot for Diego Luna, who starts presumably as the No 10 in midfield, with Charlotte FC’s Patrick Agyemang taking Josh Sargent’s place up top.
At first glance this figures to be a four-man backline to start, with Max Arfsten on the left and Joe Scally on the right. Cameron Carter-Vickers and Mark McKenzie are the center backs.
Notably, Gio Reyna remains on the bench, while Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah all start.
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Hello, folks! Alex Abnos here, updating you thoughout this big time, heavyweight Concacaf matchup … in the Nations League third place game. The US’s limp display v Panama, Canada’s 2-0 loss to Mexico, and President Trump’s repeated trade war and “51st state” threats have set up the most politically-charged match for “bronze” that you’re ever likely to see.
Alex will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Leander Schaerlaeckens on what went wrong for the US in Thursday’s semi-final:
On the eve of what turned out to be his first loss in a competitive match in charge of the United States men’s national team and the end of his honeymoon with his newish employers, Mauricio Pochettino said something accidentally prescient.
“Football is about timing and it’s about form and the situation of the player,” he said to a room of reporters ahead of the US’s 1-0 loss to Panama.
At the time, form appeared to be on the affable Argentinian’s side. Christian Pulisic is playing some of the best soccer of his career at Milan. Weston McKennie has, improbably, become a stalwart once again at Juventus, the very club that tries to dump him every summer. Tyler Adams is finally healthy and ticking over sweetly at the base of the Bournemouth midfield. Josh Sargent is having yet another productive season with Norwich in the Championship. Chris Richards has grown into his immense potential at the heart of the Crystal Palace defense. You could go on like that for a little while longer.
You can read the full article below:
