Ali Ahmed (11) reacts after being shown a straight red card during an International Friendly against Ecuador at BMO Field on Thursday in Toronto.Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
In the long run – and certainly come next summer – Jesse Marsch and Ali Ahmed may look on the events of Thursday night as a blessing in disguise.
In terms of adversity, a sixth-minute red card was probably not what Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch had in mind going into this game, but in terms of testing his team’s resilience and resourcefulness ahead of next summer’s World Cup, it probably wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
As it was, Canada failed to find the net for the third straight match, earning a goalless draw against a South American opponent tipped by many to be one of the dark horses next summer. Of course, there is an obvious lesson to be learned as well in terms of discipline, and Ahmed’s momentary madness could well be a case study for the entire Canadian squad too.
“With the circumstances, we treated that match like a World Cup game, and anything can happen in a group stage or a knockout and we got to be prepared for everything,” said defender Kamal Miller afterwards. “I think it’s a great lesson for the guys, and we’re just going to take the positives. It’s a great result.”
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Marsch had complemented the strength and intensity of the Ecuador team in the days leading up to the match, and so it proved. Right from the opening kickoff, Canadian captain Stephen Eustaquio and Ecuador’s Moises Caicedo, who has been one of Chelsea’s best players in the English Premier League this season, threw down the gauntlet, accidentally clashing heads in the centre circle, with the game stopped momentarily as a result.
Minutes later, Canada found themselves down a man when Ali recklessly – and needlessly – lunged after a ball with his foot up, studs raking over the upper arm of Ecuador right back Alan Franco.
Referee Fernando Hernandez of Mexico showed no hesitation despite the early stage of the match, brandishing a red card and sending the Vancouver Whitecaps winger to an early shower.
While he disagreed with the decision, Marsch was more than happy with his side’s response.
“I think this might be our most important game that we’ve played, even though it’s just 0-0,” he said. “Really, I think developed more confidence in the maturity of who we are.”
After getting over the initial shock, which culminated in Marsch getting in a sideline tussle with Ecuadorean captain Piero Hincapie over the ball – seemingly just to give the officials a piece of his mind – Canada found its feet.
Canada’s Kamal Miller, left, battles for the ball with Ecuador’s Kevin Rodriguez Cortez during Thursday’s friendly soccer game.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
In spite of what seemed a very pro-Ecuador crowd – with yellow, blue and red clothing dotted around the 28,740 at BMO Field as the sound of cow bells frequently rang out – Canada inched its way back into the game, and should have taken the lead.
With Ecuador pushing forward – the beneficiaries of 79-per-cent possession in the opening half – Tani Oluwaseyi, who scored a hat trick for Spain’s Villarreal in the Copa del Rey last month, got on the end of a 12th-minute Richie Laryea cross, forcing a reflex save off the shoulder of goalkeeper Hernan Galindez.
“I think the fact that we were a man down really made us push ourselves a couple more kilometres on the GPS, but at the same time, I think we did a very mature performance,” Eustaquio said. “We were smart. I think the best opportunity of the game is Tani’s. I’m happy for the boys.”
At the other end, Dayne St. Clair – recently named Major League Soccer’s goalkeeper of the year – barely had anything to do. In spite of the makeshift defence in front of him – first-choice defenders Alphonso Davies, Moise Bombito and Alistair Johnston are all in various stages of rehab for assorted injuries – Canada restricted its opponent to just one shot in the first half, with Enner Valencia lashing wide of the near post in the 29th minute.
“I think whenever you go down a man, you kind of have to look to the guy next to you, beside you and behind you, and know that you’re gonna have to do it together,” St. Clair said. “So I think for us, we have that real character and that brotherhood and family feeling, where you know that the guy beside you is gonna go to war with you.”
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Canada has become very familiar with South American opposition ever since playing in the Copa America last summer. Thursday’s game against Ecuador was the team’s eighth against teams from FIFA’s Conmebol region in the 26 matches since Marsch took over as head coach in May last year, with the team recording one win, five draws and two defeats (both to the defending world champion, Argentina).
But while Ecuador might be only the fifth-best team in the South American region based on the world rankings (No. 23, behind Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia), its form in qualifying for next year’s World Cup – setting up its fifth trip to the tournament – suggested it may currently be superior to some of those heavyweights.
Head coach Sebastien Beccacece upset the form book in leading his team to a second-placed finish in the nine-team table, with the team losing twice and giving up just five goals in 18 matches, easily the best defensive record in the region.
However, Ecuador also struggled to score goals during its road to the World Cup (just 14) and showed exactly why in the 74th minute. Caicedo served up an inviting cross, putting it on the head of Valencia at the edge of the six-yard box, but for the second time in the game, Ecuador’s all-time leading international scorer – with 48 goals – missed the target.
At that point, Marsch decided to introduce fresh legs, with Nathan Saliba, Jonathan Osorio and Junior Hoilett all making an appearance, followed shortly afterwards by Theo Bair and Jayden Nelson.
Unfortunately, squad newcomer Alfie Jones, who qualifies for Canada through his grandmother, was unable to get his citizenship squared off in time for the game, with Marsch’s coaching staff hopeful that he will be able to make his international debut on Tuesday, when Canada plays Venezuela in Florida.