Letting David be David, hitting sixth gear and other notes from CanMNT's 'good, not great' draw vs. Colombia

There was a moment Tuesday night, a fraction of a second and gliding like a ball over wet grass, where Canada seemed destined to channel the accomplishments of their past to humble Colombia, this time courtesy of Jonathan David’s right boot in the 75th minute.

He hit the ball well, smashing it past goalkeeper Álvaro Montero in what felt like a statement finish following a quiet performance against Australia last week. But Canada weren’t destined to beat Colombia like their 2000 Gold Cup-winning squad, nor was David to play the hero, as the referee immediately called the goal off.

That was as close as head coach Jesse Marsch’s players got to scoring at Sports Illustrated Stadium. The evening ended a scoreless draw, sending thousands of yellow-clad Colombian fans away in disappointment. But it’s fair to say, even though Canada emerged with a hard-fought draw against one of the world’s best programs, their gaffer had dared to hope for more.

“I think it was a good performance, not a great performance,” Marsch told reporters postmatch. “I felt most of the game we were in fourth or fifth gear and we could’ve really pushed ourselves into sixth gear and had another level of tactical clarity, aggression, confidence on the ball, clarity in the final third, clarity for the last action.

“Now, if we get the goal and we win 1-0, and it’s not just barely offside, then you’d tilt everything and say great performance. I told them, without trying to be a wise guy, I expect them, against teams like this, to be good — to be better on the day and to win.”

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Canada arguably started their strongest available team with Tani Oluwaseyi, who looks more confident every camp, and wily midfielder Stephen Eustáquio drawing in for Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba. Marsch again opted to rotate his keepers, choosing Dayne St. Clair on Tuesday as Maxime Crépeau played at home in Montréal versus Australia.

There’s no doubt that Canada held their own on Tuesday, standing tall in yet another hostile environment as Sports Illustrated Stadium filled with Los Cafeteros’ supporters. The noise was deafening. And Marsch himself, who has coached countless hours in that venue, noted he’s never felt like such a visitor in Harrison, N.J. than against the din of faithful Colombians.

Marsch’s faith was also on display: he essentially chose the same backline that’s played since the Romania friendly, forgiving Niko Sigur’s ill-fated giveaway against the Socceroos. Sigur rewarded his coach in spades as he looked dialled in from the first whistle and played much larger than his 5-9 frame, winning nine of his 15 duels while trying to contain Bayern Munich’s own Luis Díaz. Young Luc de Fougerolles, who came in for former CF Montréal defender Joel Waterman, was equally as engaged, showcasing that Canada’s youngest players can play in some of the biggest matches.

“I knew those guys would turn around and have a good performance today and they did,” said Marsch. “We’ve given up in those four matches (Romania, Wales, Australia and Colombia), against high quality opponents, one goal with a young backline and for me, that says a lot about the overall development of the group and defensively the structure of the team.

“I told the guys, when you look forward to the World Cup, clean sheets are at a premium. If you get clean sheets, you always give yourself a chance.”

(Photo by Audrey Magny/Canada Soccer)

But there’s also something to be said for Canada’s lack of goalscoring this window: Tuesday represented the first time they’d gone scoreless in consecutive matches since last year’s Copa América. There’s been little change in formation as Marsch has continued to run a 4-4-2. And some of the names that helped propel the program in recent years, be they Larin or Jacob Shaffelburg, have gone cold.

It’s one of the reasons Marsch opted to bring in Oluwaseyi for this match, but even the Villarreal man left him wanting more.

“Tani’s more of a guy that can really operate off the last line, he can be a really good pressing player for us so I thought he had a really good performance and helped fill the role of what we needed for the day. I would’ve liked to see him get behind their backline a little bit more and make more runs to be available, which opens up more space for Jonathan (David), opens up more space for Ismaël (Koné),” he said.

It’s one thing to be good defensively but Canada looked unsure in the final third on Tuesday. The play that leads to the last play was often scuffed or rushed, the ball either misplayed by a hair’s breadth or scuttled into a Colombian defender’s shinpads. They looked, in a word, sheepish and lacked the quiet confidence they displayed in September’s performances.

Part of that lies at the feet of David, who was uncharacteristically quiet through the last two matches. He has, of course, undergone a lot of change at the club level with his move to Juventus. It’s not that David was poor. But Canada’s fortunes depend on the 25-year old striker being brilliant. So, how do you ask more of a player who has already given so much but still has so much more to give heading into the World Cup?

Well, you don’t.

“I can’t tell Jonathan David how to be Jonathan David,” said Marsch when asked about his superstar striker. “He knows how to do that. We’ll keep trying to solidify some roles and work with relationships. Again, if we can keep being a structurally sound defensive team we’ll always be able to create chances and we have enough quality on the pitch that we’ll always be dangerous.”

Canada’s draw on Tuesday night, in a vacuum, is a good result. But given the expectations they’ve set for themselves, and their goalscoring woes versus Australia and Colombia — two very different opponents — questions remain around how they get the best out of the most talented squad in program history.