They left it until late, but Canada are 1-0 aggregate leaders in their Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals series against Suriname.
Junior Hoilett's 81st-minute strike has Les Rouges in the driver's seat ahead of Leg 2 at Toronto FC's BMO Field on Nov. 19. Here are the biggest takeaways for head coach Jesse Marsch's side coming off Friday's successful road trip to Suriname's Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion.
It may have been close, but it's a massive step.
While the 1-0 scoreline won’t excite many, Canada demonstrated impressive poise against a strong, emerging Concacaf side despite an injury-riddled squad.
“We stayed calm in the match and knew they would be a tough team to break down,” Marsch said postgame. “If we could get two goals, then we could have had more of a routine performance, and because we don't find a way to get that goal in the first half with some big chances, the game is in the balance, and then we have to put a lot of energy into it.”
Canada isn’t in the position it wants to be. Yet, they handled the away leg calmly and secured a slight advantage heading home
“It's a tough place to play down here,” Marsch added. “It doesn't put us in the position that we want in the series... but we'll be excited and up for the challenge for the second match.”
This was an adjusted, scrappy defense – and it worked.
With injuries to Alphonso Davies and Derek Cornelius, the CanMNT needed to adapt. CF Montréal’s Joel Waterman slid to center back alongside former Colorado Rapid Moïse Bombito, while Toronto FC’s Richie Laryea started in Davies' place.
The central pairing in the 4-2-2-2 combined throughout the match to start Canada’s attacking progression. They were noticeably composed on the ball, and Canada created several first-half chances playing out of the back.
“I thought Joel [Waterman] was aggressive... I thought he was good on the ball, aggressive, defensively, and positionally, and did quite well overall,” Marsch said. “Given that he hasn't played a match in a few weeks, I thought it was a great performance and one where he's showing that he understands what we're trying to do tactically.”
Bombito ended the night with 62/72 successful passes, helping the CanMNT establish a possession base while shutting down any deep Suriname attacking threats. At the same time, the fullbacks, Laryea and former CF Montréal and Nashville SC defender, Alistair Johnston, shut down Sheraldo Becker and Gleofilo Vlijter, who created Suriname’s few chances.
Davies and Cornelius remain the primary options moving forward. Still, developing further options has been a focus for Marsch, and the backline showcased that with the clean sheet.
“We're trying hard to build a bigger squad and more guys we can count on. The performance from Waterman was very good, and Richie Laryea can always offer a lot to us,” Marsch added. “We're building more squad depth, which is really important for us.”
It was a night of rotation for Marsch’s men.
While the backline shifted, Minnesota United forward Tani Oluwaseyi earned his second national team start. At the same time, Junior Hoilett played – and scored – for the first time under Marsch, and former New England Revolution star Tajon Buchanan returned from injury.
With swift change comes opportunity. And for Oluwaseyi, he cashed it.
“If he had finished, it would have been a perfect performance,” Marsch said of Oluwaseyi. “For not having many starts, he did great.”
The 24-year-old started alongside Lille’s Jonathan David up top, pushing the Suriname defense, and allowing David to drop back and link up with the midfield.
Just how unlucky could he be with the double-post? Still, in a 61-minute appearance, he had four shots and five touches in the Suriname box, a strong showing in his still-young international career.
The night was shorter for Hoilett and Buchanan’s return to the CanMNT, yet both still showed well in just 12 minutes.
Hoilett not only showcased himself with a quick goal, but also offered a different approach to set pieces, something Canada has struggled with in 2024.
“His savviness and understanding of how to make plays in the last third are why we brought him; we thought that in this match, we might need him to make a play or two,” Marsch said on Hoilett. “He’s also very good at set piece delivery, and it was a timely performance for him.”
