Canada scored five goals in a record 5:0 victory over Dominica in Concacaf Nations League Qualifying at BMO Field in Toronto. The victory keeps Canada on pace to finish top-six and earn their place in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup and 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League Group A. The five goals equaled the Men’s National Team record for goals in a domestic match.
“We had to deal with their physicality, that was a tough Dominica team,” said John Herdman, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Head Coach. “All I care about is seeing this team move forward. There’s a lot of young players that were given an opportunity and they’re taking it, too. The next game against St. Kitts is going to be tough away, it might take a little something different in the tactics and the players.”
It took Canada just three minutes to open the scoring, the second-quickest goal in team history. Alphonso Davies made a fantastic run down the left wing and cut the ball back to Jonathan David (3’) who finished with a powerful shot past the Dominica goalkeeper.
“It’s the best feeling in the world to play and represent the country and to try and do something special,” said David, who now has three goals in two Concacaf Nations League matches. “We’re happy to get the win to and we’ll keep building.”
Canada doubled its lead through Junior Hoilett (14’) who received a perfectly weighted square pass from David after a deft little touch from Lucas Cavallini. Four minutes later, Hoilett was brought down in the box and was awarded the penalty which Cavallini (18’) calmly chipped straight down the middle to give Canada the 3-0 lead.
A Dominica own goal made it 4-0 just two minutes into the second half after Hoilett’s shot hit the post and bounced off Malcolm Joseph. Cyle Larin (82’) rounded out the scoring for the Canadians, crashing the net as Davies put another dangerous low cross into the net from the left side.
Canada controlled the match for the full 90 minutes, dominating the possession and playing the majority of the game in their opponent’s half. Dominica’s best opportunity came in the 71’ when second half substitute Zachary Brault-Guillard came across as the last man back for Canada to clear the ball off the feet of the Dominica attacker.
Canada featured six teenagers in the match, including debutants Alessandro Busti, Ballou Tabla and Zachary Brault-Guillard. Busti, the youngest goalkeeper in Men’s National Team history, posted the clean sheet.
Veteran Atiba Hutchinson, meanwhile, made his 78th appearance for Canada, moving him into fifth place on the all-time Canada list.
\u200bAfter three matches, John Herdman became the first Head Coach to start his Men’s National Team career with three-straight clean sheets. Canada have scored 14 goals in those three matches.
Canada now look ahead to a November away match in Concacaf Nations League Qualifying against St. Kitts & Nevis. Canada round out the four-match series with a home match against French Guiana on 26 March 2019.
The 16 October 2018 home crowd of 10,253 is the highest-recorded attendance to date in this preliminary round of Concacaf Nations League Qualifiers