Cyle Larin (Sportsnet, Twitter)
A famous win for the Canadian Men National Team over their arch-nemesis, the United States of America, was capped off by a stoppage time winner from Sam Adekugbe.
Here are my 5 takeaways from a match that brought Canada a step closer to qualification for the Qatar World Cup.
1. Major Boost from Fans
Maybe my expectations of fans are much lower now, because of my experience watching Leafs games with no fans inside Scotiabank Arena, but the atmosphere in Hamilton was a major benefactor for Canada.
It is very exciting that the entire country has started to rally around this club. 12 000 fans strong were cheering the squad on today in Hamilton. Canada finally has a football team that can compete with elite clubs. Let us not forget that America is ranked 11th in the world, via FIFA. Sure, those rankings are useless (there is no way Belgium should still be ranked no. 1), but the squad that Gregg Berhalter does admittedly possess a lot of talent and quality.
The clubs of Europe, South America and Africa are on a higher level than that of the CONCACAF clubs, so just because Canada has been dominant in this qualifying group, that does not mean they will be successful at the World Cup. Nevertheless, Canada is establishing themselves on the world stage and are building a major fanbase behind them.
This is Canada's golden generation. The funny thing about a golden generation is that it sparks future golden generations down the line. Now that millions are tuning in to this excellent Canada squad, we can expect more young players to start to get into football.
All I'm saying is that Canada has a bright future ahead of them from a footballing perspective.
2. Tactical Flexibility Becoming a Staple of Canadian Football
Positionless basketball is a real thing. Positionless football on the other hand, just doesn't make sense. So much of the sport is based on tactical understanding and positioning. Despite that, this Canadian squad is playing a style in which they adapt to different formations almost at will. They trust each other enough to fall back into different setups often. Just from watching casually, I noticed a 4-4-2 flat, a 4-4-2 diamond, an attacking 3-4-2-1, a simple 3-4-3 and a highly defensive 5-3-2 formation.
Manager John Herdman is doing an excellent job of instilling a limber style into this talented squad. It helps that they have a lot of players like Tajon Buchanan, Sam Adekugbe and Atiba Hutchinson, who are fully comfortable playing in a variety of positions all over the pitch.
As we have seen from Paris St. Germain this year, you can have all the talent in the world, but if every single player isn't willing to take on different roles off the ball, you will not be able to win against the best clubs.
Tactical flexibility is where Canada's strength lies.
3. No Davies, No Problem
This win over the USA was impressive in many ways, but the fact that they did it without three of the first names on the team sheet in Alphonso Davies, Steven Eustaquio and Atiba Hutchinson makes it all the more special.
Davies in particular, is absolutely integral to the success of this team. Even when he is playing at striker and not managing to work his quality into the final third, his piercing runs are vital to open up space for Canada's impressive midfield to work wonders. His myocarditis diagnosis was expected to sting Canada during this bout, but they managed to replicate his impact through other ways. Canada's other natural left-back, Sam Adekugbe, was brilliant tonight. He made some important blocks in his own area and made several dangerous forays into the final third, including the clinching strike in added time.
Jonathan Osorio and Mark-Antony Kaye (then subsequently Liam Fraser) were perfect replacements for the impact lost by Canada's usual midfield duo of Steven Eustaquio and Atiba Hutchinson. Osorio was one of Canada's best players, exerting control in midfield and playing a very physical game.
Squad depth is no longer as big a concern as it was just a week ago.
4. Borjan Becoming a Canadian Hero
A 34-year old keeper playing in the Serbian SuperLeague is one of the most unlikely Canadian heroes, yet here we are. Veteran Milan Borjan is saving games for the CANMNT with his surprisingly acrobatic stops, his obvious leadership and his distribution up the wings.
Today, Borjan's save on Weston McKennie following a Christian Pulisic corner was his heroic moment. With just a few minutes left in the first-half, if that had gone in, it would have completely changed the momentum and shifted the match in the USA's favour. Luckily, the Red Star Belgrade goalkeeper stayed vigilant on his line and pushed it away.
His save in Canada's in stoppage time during a recent match against Mexico was one for the ages and entirely unexpected. Now, moments of individual brilliance are becoming commonplace for the Hamilton native.
Borjan and his grey sweatpants are suddenly the most valuable part of Canada's World Cup qualifying hopes.
5. Poor Work in the Final Third for the USMNT
Despite dominating possession just as they did in their last matchup against Canada, the American squad's finishing ability let them down again.
Unlike Canada's dynamic front two of Jonathan David and Cyle Larin, the USA's striker and wingers were severely lacking in chemistry. Brendan Aaronson worked hard, but had little quality in the box. Christian Pulisic and Gyasi Zardes were rarely on the same page, causing a major disconnect in the final third. Pulisic was particularly ineffective. The "LeBron James of soccer" was in Alistair Johnston's pocket all game. The trio made it way too easy for Canada's centerbacks to break up plays. For a club supposedly in the highest echelon of CONCACAF clubs, this match showcased the many weaknesses of Gregg Berhalter's side.
Their midfield and defending will keep them in games, but for a team with so many highly rated weapons, you'd expect better results. Christian Pulisic has been a major disappointment, both for Chelsea and his national team, since the big-money move from Borussia Dortmund. Ricardo Pepi is still way too raw to influence games like Berhalter needs him to. Brendan Aaronson is much more influential in midfield than he is at right wing. Gyasi Zardes is not capable of carrying an entire strike force on his own; he works much better with a fellow center forward.
I've already seen temperature, a different pitch size and officiating be used as excuses for the USA's loss. Clearly, the Americans weren't watching the same game as me, as their attacking trio was far and away the biggest reason they came up short.
The USMNT should qualify for Qatar, just as Canada likely will, but they need to fix their attacking woes soon if they want to do any damage.
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