Brampton's Larin, Buchanan shine as Canada rout 9-man Qatar - Canada News Beep

Stand up, Brampton.

Cyle Larin, the Brampton Bagsman, and his fellow ‘Flower City’ native Tajon Buchanan found themselves at the centre of Canada’s 6-0 win against Qatar at BC Place on Thursday.

The win was the CanMNT’s first at a World Cup, and secured a significant lead on goal difference over Switzerland atop Group B.

Larin, alongside Toronto native and former Vancouver Whitecaps winger Ali Ahmed, was one of two changes for Jesse Marsch from his starting XI in last week’s 1-1 draw against Bosnia in Toronto, replacing GTA duo Tani Oluwaseyi and Liam Millar.

Thanks to Larin, Canada didn’t have to wait for their opener, with the Southampton frontman sending a packed BC Place into frenzy in the 17th minute. He found himself with the world at his feet as strike partner Jonathan David’s volley was fumbled by Qatari goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada.

All he had to do was smash it home.

Buchanan, alongside David, helped create that opening goal for Larin — a connection that blossomed as the first half went on.

At first, it was only one moment where Buchanan and David’s pressure forced an error out of Qatar winger Edmílson Junior, conceding a corner. It leading to an Ali Ahmed corner finding David on the edge of the penalty area was but the start.

The former Syracuse University man had a hand in Canada’s second goal, through David, as his deflection off Qatar captain and first game goalscorer Boualem Khoukhi landed perfectly for the Juventus striker.

Then, on the third, Buchanan’s tidy feet opened enough space for Alistair Johnston to put a cross on Larin’s head, finished again by David.

Buchanan also came a weak touch away from a goal of his own, as Richie Laryea dished a cutback to the former. But, he could only sit and watch as his shot was cleared off the line by a Qatari defender.

Although the CanMNT were favourites to emerge victorious from Thursday’s meeting, the moment still required Marsch’s squad, and players like Larin, Buchanan, and TFC’s Laryea, to approach the game professionally.

And approach it professionally, they did.

“The way we played as a team, and just the way we fought, the way we scored goals, and no one said we had a goal scoring problem, and we just showed everything, and we kept the ball up,” Larin said to TSN’s Matthew Scianitti after the game.

“I think it was just a complete performance from the team. I guess we just showed the world who Canada is, and showed many Canadians they can do what we did, a lot of the players came from nowhere basically, and so we can play on the world stage.”

Beyond Marsch’s pair of changes, Laryea remained at left-back, extending a now 15-game run in Marsch’s lineup for the TFC defender, dating back to last summer’s Gold Cup. Teammate for club and country, Jonathan Osorio, was available off the bench.

Laryea strutted his stuff early, drifting past Qatari midfielder Jassem Gaber Abdulsallam before having his heels clipped another white shirt in the 4th minute. Chilean referee Cristián Garay quickly waved away the deafening shouts, drawing out the same ire from the Canadian bench that Reds fans have become accustomed to over the four-and-a-half seasons Laryea has called BMO Field home.

That didn’t stop Garay’s cards from making several appearances in this match, however, as Homam Elamin in the first half, and Assim Madibo in the second half were both dismissed for early showers.

Madibo’s second offence was overshadowed by a potentially tournament-ending injury for CanMNT and Sassuolo midfielder Ismaël Koné, touted as a breakout star this summer, with concerns of a major leg injury.

“We did it for Koné also, because we have many players on the team that had the same injury, and it just hurts,” Larin added in his interview with TSN. “Some players were emotional, but I think we showed who we are and our character today.”

Former players from both sides of the 401 Derby ran riot in the second half after Qatar were reduced to nine.

First, Anderlecht midfielder Nathan Saliba, himself the target of transfer rumours from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg, threaded a free kick from 20 yards around the wall and off the inside of Abunada’s right post.

Saliba, a former teammate of Koné’s at CF Montréal, held up Koné’s shirt in the celebrations, paying tribute to the injured midfielder in the 64th minute.

‘Maritime Messi’ Jacob Shaffelburg, who spent parts of four seasons as a first-team professional with Toronto FC from 2019 to 2022 — and several more as a TFC academy product — chipped in a fifth in the 75th minute, thanks to a wicked Mohamed Manai clearance.

Jonathan David completed his hat-trick in stoppage time, joining the illustrious company of Lionel Messi in the process of putting the bow on Canada’s drubbing of the 2022 hosts.

With their first World Cup win, and a massive one at that, Canada now sit top of Group B on goal difference ahead of an all-important Matchday 3 against second-place Switzerland.

A win or a draw next Wednesday against the Swiss would ensure the CanMNT emerge from their group for the first time — and that they would do so as group champions — allowing them to stay in Vancouver through the round of 16, if they advance that far. They would play one of the tournament’s eight third-placed teams in the round of 32.

Time to dream of what could be?

Brampton’s Larin, Buchanan shine as Canada rout 9-man Qatar

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