In the first of their two friendlies of this international window (the second being Tuesday’s fixture vs Tunisia), the Canadian Men’s National Soccer Team has drawn Iceland 2-2 at BMO Field in Toronto. In what initially looked like an early-game blowout loss due to a few early missteps by Canada’s injury-replacement defenders, Les Rouges were able to capitalize on a couple of penalty shots in the second half.
To be frank, I’m sure that if you wanted a written summary of the events of today’s game, you’d have gone to CBC for that. Instead, this article will be more opinion-focused, highlighting three standout players from Canada’s performance today. While some players had such pitiful performances that their futures with CANMNT have been questioned, there were also several players today who continued to show why they should be integral parts of Canada’s 2026 World Cup run in a few months. With that said, here are 3 Stars from Canada vs Iceland.
3. Jonathan David
For as much as he’s struggled with club and country over the past half-year since the Juventus move, David earns the 3rd Star today for showing the foundation of what he could be once he regains form. Looking good on-ball and even better in off-ball positioning, David reminded the world that he’s fully capable of being Canada’s Talisman today, playing a major part in Canada’s dominant second half.
Most importantly, both for David’s confidence and for Canada’s result, is that David shot and scored two penalties today to tie the match up. The Reds trusted JD both times, and both times he delivered. Now, fans can only hope that seeing the back of the net will launch David back into prime form. He’s a talent capable of consistently being Canada’s Man-of-the-Match, and he’s well on his way to getting back there.
2. Marcelo Flores
After a long, confusing, and truthfully exhausting saga around which nation would first cap-tie Flores, it seems as though he’s officially chosen Canada – and in his CANMNT debut today, he certainly delivered. Subbing on 63 minutes into the game, Flores quickly showed his elite athleticism and technical ability on the ball, instantly positioning himself as a huge part of Canada’s second-half offensive barrage.
Several times in his less than 30 minutes on the pitch did Flores find himself beating several defenders to get the ball into the box. If he plays like even 75% of how he did today, it’s hard to imagine anyone not named Ali Ahmed or Alphonso Davies getting minutes over Flores on the left wing at the World Cup.
Still just 22 years old, Marcelo Flores may have just made the debut of a potentially long and illustrious career for Canada.
1. Tajon Buchanan
The best way that I can describe the type of performance put on by Tajon Buchanan is that he was shown red at 80 minutes, effectively killing what looked like an inevitable comeback victory, and he was still easily the best player for Les Rouges today.
After a slow first half offensively for all of team Canada, Buchanan essentially ran the offense for the entire second half. With a promising run in the box at 65 minutes, an Icelandic defender had no choice but to foul Tajon, leading to Jonathan David’s first penalty. Over the next 15 minutes, he continued to dominate possession and generate chances.
On the second penalty, drawn by Daniel Jebbison (a close contender for this list), Buchanan was the one who made the initial transition pass to find Jonathan David. As a general rule of thumb, if Canada had a promising position this game, it was set up by Tajon.
There is a lot to criticize about the way that The Reds performed today, but there are also building blocks of a winning strategy for Canada. The amount of chances generated against Iceland’s efficient low-block were encouraging, and it’s also important to remember that several of Canada’s key defenders did not suit up today.
Whatever happens at the World Cup in June, we’re seeing a Golden Generation.
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