The temperature was about 20 degrees warmer and the players handled heavy rain on the pitch as a substitute of snow, however the end result for Canada’s national soccer team on Monday night was the identical because it was in 2021.
Jonathan Osorio scored for Canada on the 58-minute mark of the second half and Jayden Nelson added an insurance marker one minute into stoppage time in its 2-0 win over Uzbekistan at Commonwealth Stadium. It was the primary of two pre-World Cup friendlies.
Tani Oluwaseyi gave Osorio a transparent shot from just outside the proper side of the box and his shot eluded keeper Abduvohid Nematov.
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Nelson then chipped the ball past Nematov from in close in the primary minute of stoppage time.
The last time Canada played in Edmonton, in November 2021, they played in -9 Celsius temperatures on a frozen pitch surrounded by snowbanks. On Monday it was warmer, about 11 C, however the pitch was waterlogged after two days of heavy rain that continued throughout the match.
Greater than 44,000 fans braved the cold in 2021 and Monday’s attendance was announced at 46,164.
Canada had a decided advantage in possession time and field position through the primary quarter-hour but couldn’t penetrate Uzbekistan’s five-man defence contained in the box. Canada did create some potential scoring opportunities but couldn’t finish off their in-close passing plays.
Uzbekistan had the higher scoring probabilities in the primary 45 minutes. Eldor Shomurodov had three excellent probabilities but did not convert. He was sent in alone in the sixth minute but his chip over Canadian goalie Maxime Crepeau rolled wide of the online. Crepeau also thwarted Shomurodov with outstanding saves in the twenty sixth and forty third minutes.
But Canada, with quite a few substitutions on for the second half, was much more aggressive offensively and started to seek out cracks in the Uzbekistan defence. Canada created various good scoring probabilities that ultimately resulted in the goals and the victory.
Team Canada now moves to Montreal to play its final pre-tournament game, against Ireland on Friday.
For the World Cup starting June 12, Canada is slotted in Group B with Switzerland, Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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