Canadian men’s team consistently full of surprises

Every game tells us something. It’s the case whether a team has run up the score in a trouncing or come up just short after 90 minutes.

And yes, while it can be tricky, we can even find insights in those contests disrupted by an early red card and contorted by extended numerical advantage, or disadvantage.

No match is a throw-away. Not even Thursday’s scoreless draw between Canada and Ecuador in which Ali Ahmed was ejected — rightfully — in the sixth minute.

Let’s start there.

Ahmed, who plays at club level for the Vancouver Whitecaps, was sent off for trying to win the ball but instead placing a karate kick to the upper body of Ecuador’s Alan Franco. Certain pundits might insist a player must boot his opponent in the head to warrant such punishment, but their analysis is as ludicrous as Ahmed’s challenge was reckless.

Now, we can say it was a one-off, and it might have been. The 25-year-old does not have a history of dangerous play. At the same time, we can add it to a context that includes Jacob Shaffelburg’s sending-off against Guatemala in the Gold Cup — a context grown out of head coach Jesse Marsch’s suspension in the spring.

Marsch was given his marching orders after throwing a tantrum in the second half of Canada’s 2-1 win over the United States in the CONCACAF Nations League. Furious that Jonathan David hadn’t been awarded a penalty — again, the referee was correct, but that’s beside the point — he was then issued a further two-match ban.

The former Montreal Impact, RB Leipzig and Leeds manager was lucky to avoid similar censure for his outburst at the Ahmed red. He too often loses his cool, and that lack of control extends to his players. Already, the Canadian squad has developed a reputation for hot-headedness.

On a more positive note, it is also becoming known as a group that’s incredibly difficult to break down.

Canada may have been shorthanded for 84 minutes plus stoppages at BMO Field, but you’d hardly have known it. Ecuador, which beat Argentina in September and finished second in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying, failed to get a single shot on target and often looked more likely to concede than to score.

The clean sheet was Canada’s fourth in its last five matches, and it surrendered just a single tally in the other. Over a broader sample size of 10 games, it has given up only three goals. Quite impressively, it has done it with multiple goalkeepers and a backline mixed and matched due to injury.

This is a team that can improvise. A lot of that is down to self-belief and an overwhelming buy-in of Marsch’s system. As a result, you feel there isn’t a side in the world that could blow Canada away. It’ll be competitive in every match it plays.

That said, it could certainly do a bit more goal-scoring.

The flipside of its defensive record is that Canada has scored a troubling 14 goals in those same 10 games, and six of them came against Honduras in Vancouver. Set-pieces are rarely dangerous, and beyond Jonathan David the offence is an unreliable patchwork of contributions.

Canada needs at least another striker — ideally more than one — to emerge as a consistent threat in its final five friendlies before the World Cup. Tuesday’s match with Venezuela (7:30 p.m., TSN) will be yet another opportunity for Promise David (no relation to Jonathan), Theo Bair or Tani Oluwaseyi to show they can be counted on.

Whether in friendlies, tournaments or preliminary squads, Marsch has had a look at more than 20 forwards. He’d no doubt like a couple to work their way into his short-term plans.

The Ecuador match also showcased the ongoing excellence of Niko Sigur and Richie Laryea.

With starting right-back Alistair Johnston having sustained a series of frustrating injuries, Sigur has emerged as not only a capable deputy but also a first-choice option in the position. The 22-year-old, who represents Hajduk Split, might be Canada’s most intelligent player. His positional sense is remarkable, and he has a knack for joining the attack at opportune moments.

Laryea, meanwhile, seems to elevate his game whenever he puts on the Canada shirt. A physical presence who plays on the edge, at 30-years-old he’s become undroppable at left-back.

Generally speaking, the Ecuador draw and run of autumn friendlies has mostly told us things we already know. That’s both good and bad.

On the one hand, you want a team to be mostly set in the run-up to a major competition. You want to see an identity. On the other, you’d prefer a jolt of offence and better discipline.

Thankfully, there’s something else we’ve learned about this Canada team: it always has surprises in store.

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