Canada forward Cyle Larin, right, reaches out to take control of a pass as Mexico defenseman Victor Guzman, center front, defends in the first half of an international friendly soccer match, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
ARLINGTON, Texas – Canada and Mexico played to a scoreless draw Tuesday in a men’s soccer game that was an international friendly in name only.
Mexico, ranked 17th in the world, played a physical game from the start, bundling over the 40th-ranked Canadians at will. But while there were far more fouls (41 in total with Mexico called for 23) than scoring chances, each goalkeeper had to make a highlight-reel save to keep a clean sheet.
Not many were on hand to see the drab game. Attendance was announced at 32,623 at the 80,000-capacity AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys
Tempers flared in the 18th minute when Julian Araujo was yellow-carded after catching Canada captain Alphonso Davies with a studs-up challenge. Seconds later the Bournemouth defender somehow escaped further punishment when he stepped on Mathieu Choiniere’s foot.
American referee Victor Rivas, the 2023 MLS Referee of the Year, was kept busy. Cesar Huerta followed Araujo into the book in the 26th minute.
Mexico was called for 13 fouls in the first half, compared to six for Canada. Both teams had three shots on goal, with one of those on target in the first 45 minutes.
While Canada looked to play the ball up the pitch, Mexico – unsuccessfully – opted for the long ball in a blunt instrument approach to the game.
The first chance for either side came in the 43rd minute with Mexican goalkeeper Luis Malagon making an outstanding one-handed diving save to stop a Cyle Larin header off an Ali Ahmed cross. Seconds later Canadian ‘keeper Dayne St. Clair had little problem handling a looping Huerta shot, Mexico’s first on target.
Canada had 57 per cent possession in the first half.
Derek Cornelius’s header, off a Choiniere corner, missed the mark early in the second half. At the other end, St. Clair stopped Santiago Gimenez after a fortuitous bounce sent the Mexican forward into the Canadian penalty box.
Canada was coming off a 2-1 weekend win over the 16th-ranked U.S. in Kansas City, marking its first victory over the Americans on U.S. soil since 1957.
The Mexicans are starting over under Javier Aguirre after Jaime Lozanowas fired following an early Copa America exit. The 65-year-old Aguirre kicked off his third stint at Mexico’s helm with a 3-0 victory over 94th-ranked New Zealand at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday.
Aguirre was a loud, unhappy presence on the sideline Tuesday. He managed a costume change at halftime, opting for a track suit after shedding his suit jacket in the first half.
The Mexican coach was booked in the 56th minute for his constant complaining. Choiniere was then yellow-carded for felling a Mexican with Jonathan David replacing him soon after.
Richie Laryea was booked in the 65th minute for taking down Huerta. Mexico’s Alan Mozo followed into the book.
St. Clair made a big save in the 72nd minute, tipping a Roberto Alvarado shot over the crossbar. Mexico came on in the latter minutes, with Davies making a big block.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old from Burnaby, B.C., came on in the 77th minute for his first cap. Sigur, whose parents are of Croatian descent, represented Croatia as a youth international before switching his allegiance to Canada.
Tani Oluwaseyi, Kamal Miller, Jacen Russell-Rowe and Stephen Afrifa, winning his second cap, also came off the bench for Canada.
Canada and Mexico last met in November 2021 in World Cup qualifying play in the chilly confines of Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium dubbed “Iceteca,” in a play on Mexico City’s storied Estadio Azteca.
A 2-1 win secured Canada’s position atop the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
While Canada was unbeaten in its two previous outings (1-0-1) against Mexico, it came into Tuesday’s contest with a 5-20-9 career record against the longtime CONCACAF powerhouse. The Canadians were 1-7-3 against Mexico since a 2-1 quarterfinal win in February 2000 en route to their famous Gold Cup triumph.
Canada coach Jesse Marsch made four changes to his starting 11 with St. Clair, Laryea, Jonathan Osorio and Liam Millar slotting in for Maxime Crepeau, Alistair Johnston, Jacob Shaffelburg and David.
Both Johnston (Celtic, Scotland) and Joel Waterman (CF Montreal) have returned to their clubs as injury precautions. Shaffelburg went home to Nashville for the birth of his child.
The Canadian starters had a combined 356 caps going into the game with Jonathan Osorio (79) and Larin (74) accounting for 153 of those.
The Canadian men play next at Toronto’s BMO Field where they will host No. 35 Panama in an Oct. 15 friendly.
Canada came into Tuesday’s game with a 2-3-4 record – albeit against elite opposition, including a pair of 2-0 losses to top-ranked Argentina – since Marsch took the reins in May, with one of those ties turning into a shootout loss to No. 11 Uruguay in the Copa America third-place game and another into a shootout win over No. 37 Venezuela in the Copa quarterfinal.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
