RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: CanMNT win Canadian Shield title, battle Côte d'Ivoire to feisty 0-0
The Canadian men's national team have won the inaugural Canadian Shield tournament, playing Côte d'Ivoire to a feisty 0-0 draw at BMO Field on Tuesday night. Although Canada lost the ensuing penalty shootout at the end of the draw, their four points from the two games this week meant they topped New Zealand, Ukraine and the Ivorians to lift the trophy.
As expected, it was a very different Canada side that took the pitch on Tuesday compared to the team that beat Ukraine on Saturday. Jesse Marsch made 10 changes to his starting XI, the only constant being Derek Cornelius. This time, Marsch fielded a strike tandem of Cyle Larin and Daniel Jebbison, with Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson on the wings.
Both teams were evidently up for a high-tempo match from minute one, with the Ivorians spending much of the first two minutes in the Canadian half and forcing some good set-piece defending. Canada soon went down the other end and won themselves a free kick, and on the ensuing scramble Joel Waterman put the ball in the net — but Cyle Larin had brought the ball down offside seconds before and the potential goal was waved off.
As the first half continued, though, Canada found it increasingly difficult to hold onto the ball for any extended period. The Ivorians were aggressive with their long balls forward and diagonal to unlock dynamic attackers Simon Adingra and Nicolas Pépé. They seemed to identify spots on the field in which they could stretch Canada, and they caused major concern for the hosts when they got the likes of Sam Adekugbe and Joel Waterman turning toward their own goal to chase; both players received an early yellow card for fairly innocuous fouls, but in both cases an Ivorian player had gotten a step in front.
The sides got to halftime with the score 0-0, but it was a frustrating opening 45 minutes for Canada. They struggled for possession (they had just 42 per cent) and were overrun in midfield; Jonathan Osorio and Ismaël Koné weren't quite at their usual level of composure with the ball, each with a few heavy touches and sloppy passes that sent Côte d'Ivoire going the other way with their lightning-quick transition.
Marsch's lone halftime sub appeared to be a pre-planned one; right-back Richie Laryea, still not quite at full fitness, came out of the match for Niko Sigur.
Canada found themselves under heavy threat again within the first 10 minutes of the second half; Pépé had a chance, unmarked, to score with a header at the edge of the six-yard box, but he put his attempt wide. Still, the Ivorians' waves of attacks came quickly and frequently over the ensuing minutes as Canada sought to get a foothold in the game and slow it down.
As the game entered its last 15 minutes with Canada still struggling to enter the Ivorians' half — and without a shot on target to speak of in the whole match — Marsch chose to bring in arguaby his two most potent weapons on the bench in Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan (much to the delighted surprise of the crowd).
This game was a physical, exhausting one for both sides, and for Canada it was incredibly difficult to find space, or to win the ball back from the Ivorians once they got going forward. Côte d'Ivoire's defenders and midfielders in particular had a knack for positioning themselves cleverly between the ball and a pressing Canadian, either creating enough separation to play a pass forward or forcing the Canadian player to foul.
It was a heated one as well, though; as seconds ticked by and the score stayed at 0-0, both teams showed frustration a few times with harsh challenges and some heated post-whistle exchanges. Both sides, therefore, ended the game wtih a litany of yellow cards, as the Ivorians in particular collected a slew of them in the final 10 minutes for persistent fouling.
Neither team ever did manage to find the net, though, and the 90 minutes ended scoreless.
Thanks to the Canadian Shield's competitive format, however, the night could not end without a winner; the two sides thus lined up for penalties, Canada having already clinched the tournament's title.
In the end, it was Côte d'Ivoire who came out on top in the shootout; although Mory Gbane missed for them, Tani Oluwasey and Luc de Fougerolles couldn't beat the keeper on their attempts as it ended in six rounds.
Box Score
Lineups
Canada: St. Clair; Laryea (Sigur 46'), Waterman, Cornelius, Adekugbe (De Fougerolles 84'); Ahmed, Koné, Osorio (Choinière 62'), Nelson (Buchanan 76'); Jebbison (J. David 76'), Larin (Oluwaseyi 62')
Côte d'Ivoire: B. Sangaré; Singo, Kossounou, Akpa, Konan; Kessié, I. Sangaré (Diomonde 76'); Pépé (Boga 67'), Guiagon (Gbane 76'), Adingra (Zogbe 90+2'); Guessand (Latte Lath 76')
Goals
None
Discipline
19' — Yellow: Sam Adekugbe (Canada)
31' — Yellow: Joel Waterman (Canada)
48' — Yellow: Derek Cornelius (Canada)
59' — Yellow: Ismaël Koné (Canada)
61' — Yellow: Franck Kessié (Côte d'Ivoire)
69' — Yellow: Parfait Guiagon (Côte d'Ivoire)
71' —Yellow: Ibrahim Sangaré (Côte d'Ivoire)
89' — Wilfried Singo (Côte d'Ivoire)
Penalty Shootout
- Canada: J. David (GOAL)
Côte d’Ivoire: Akpa (GOAL) - Canada: Choinière (GOAL)
Côte d’Ivoire: Gbane (MISS) - Canada: Cornelius (GOAL)
Côte d’Ivoire: Boga (GOAL) - Canada: Oluwaseyi (MISS)
Côte d’Ivoire: Latte Lath (GOAL) - Canada: Koné (GOAL)
Côte d’Ivoire: Kessié (GOAL) - Canada: De Fougerolles (MISS)
Côte d’Ivoire: Diomande (GOAL)
Player of the Match
Sam Adekugbe, Canada
The Vancouver Whitecaps fullback showed why he's quite valuable to Canada in stretched-out games, covering the left flank well and largely doing an excellent job tracking Pépé. However with an apparent injury at the end of the match that forced him off the pitch, there will be concern in the Canada camp.
What’s Next?
Up next for Canada is the Concacaf Gold Cup, which they'll begin on home soil in Vancouver's BC Place next Tuesday, June 17 against Honduras (10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT).
