(SP)CANADA-TORONTO-FOOTBALL-CANADIAN SHIELD TOURNAMENT-CANADA VS UKRAINE
(250608) -- TORONTO, June 8, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Viktor Tsyhankov (front) of Ukraine passes the ball during the Canadian Shield Tournament football match between Canada and Ukraine at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, June 7, 2025. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)
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Winnipeg Free Press
29 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Big clubs hover as forward Jonathan David adds to his Canadian record goals total
TORONTO – Good strikers know where to go, to find a crease in the opposition defence, to create an opportunity. And then the great ones finish. Witness Jonathan David's second goal in Canada's 4-2 win over Ukraine on Saturday at the Canadian Shield Tournament. The play started in the Canadian end after a Ukraine miscue. One pass later and the ball found its way to Tajon Buchanan, who beat one would-be tackler, and raced towards the Ukraine goal. David, to his left, matched him stride for stride. As Buchanan neared the penalty box, David altered his run and, on an angle, headed to the goalpost nearest Buchanan. The change of direction took him away from goal, but it also gave him position on the Ukraine defender waiting to handle the expected cross. Instead David nipped in front and when the ball arrived, dipped his head and flicked it backwards, looping the ball into the far corner past the rooted Ukrainian goalkeeper. 'He's a special player,' said Canada midfielder Stephen Eustaquio. 'Probably one of the best players Canada's ever produced. We all are waiting for his next move. I think he has the ability to play in a top-five team, to be honest. So let's see. I'm very happy for him and I hope everything turns out.' Goals No. 33 and 34, adding to his Canadian men's record total, likely did not go unnoticed. Out of contract at France's Lille, David is in demand from big clubs. Comfortable in his own skin, David is a cool customer. Former coach John Herdman dubbed him the Iceman. The 25-year-old from Ottawa lives up to that handle when it comes to the question mark over his football future. 'No list of preferred destinations,' he said after Saturday's win. 'It's always to look at the sporting project, where I can keep getting better.' 'It's exciting, of course, but I'm very calm about it,' he added. 'Just waiting for the moment.' With captain Alphonso Davies recovering from knee surgery and vice-captain Eustaquio headed to the FIFA Club World Cup, David will lead the team at the Gold Cup later this month. But wearing the captain's armband or not, David is key to Canada. The two-time Canada Soccer Player of the Year can score goals and make them, with 16 assists in his 62 appearances. He has played in all 16 of Canada coach Jesse Marsch's games in charge, with eight goals and three assists. 'He's the smartest player I've ever coached,' said Marsch, whose resume includes stops in MLS, England, Austria and Germany. 'And so his understanding of what's happening in the game and how to move around to find the game in the right way, to help the team, I think is at a really high level. 'And the team knows that getting him in the match is really important for us.' Herdman saw his potential early. 'He's a special talent,' Herdman said in 2019. 'I think he's got big things coming.' Born in Brooklyn, David was three months old when his family moved to its native Haiti and six when the family came north to Ottawa. He played for Gloucester Dragons Soccer, Ottawa Gloucester SC and Ottawa Internationals Soccer Club, representing Canada at the under-17 level. A trial with KAA Gent came in 2017 after a scout saw him on video. He went to Belgium twice that year, spending time with the second team before earning a full-time invitation. After high school in Ottawa, he returned to Europe to focus full time on his soccer. He joined Lille in 2020 and went on to score 109 goals in 231 games, including 25 in 48 appearances this season. David made his senior international debut in September 2018 in an 8-0 CONCACAF Nations League qualifying win over the U.S. Virgin Islands. Thirty-two minutes later, he was the youngest Canadian male to score on debut. Five minutes later, he was the fifth player to score twice in his Canada debut. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. David lived up to his nickname again with his fourth-minute opener against Ukraine. With the defence ball-watching or worrying about the immense frame of fellow forward Promise David, no relation, an unmarked David ghosted in and headed the ball at goal. A defender made a desperate goal-line clearance but the ball went right back to David, who controlled his body and knocked it home. David was reminded after the game that he didn't need to be here, given the risk of getting injured without a contract. 'I love playing soccer,' he said. 'Obviously there is still a risk but in my head I'm not really thinking about that. I'm just trying to enjoy my football, to stay fit and when the moment comes, I'm ready.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2025.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Rourke throws three TDs, B.C. Lions dump Edmonton Elks 31-14 in season opener
B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke (12) makes the throw against the Edmonton Elks during first half CFL pre-season action in Edmonton, on Friday May 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson Nathan Rourke reminded football fans why he's one of the CFL's top talents on Saturday. The 27-year-old Canadian quarterback threw for 324 yards with three touchdowns, and rushed for another 54 yards as his B.C. Lions opened the season with a 31-14 win over the Edmonton Elks. 'I think at the end of the day, what was the coolest for me was that, despite not playing our best in the first half at times, we rallied,' said Rourke, who went 27 for 36 on his passing attempts. 'We didn't point fingers, we didn't keep our heads down like it felt like we did a lot of time last year. We just rallied and we stuck together.' The game got off to a promising start for the Lions with Rourke and his teammates steadily working the ball up the field on their first possession to give B.C. a first down at Edmonton's two-yard line. Chase Brice came in for short yardage duty and appeared to stretch the ball into the end zone on third down. A review by the command centre, though, determined the QB went down before getting the ball across the line. B.C. again came within inches of a touchdown early in the second frame when Rourke threaded a crisp pass to Jevon Cottoy directly under the uprights. The Canadian receiver fumbled the ball, then stared at his gloves in apparent disbelief. By halftime, the Lions were behind 7-3. Inside the B.C. locker room, head coach Buck Pierce had a simple message for his team. 'Just be us. Continue to finish,' he said. 'We were doing some things that were kind of self-inflicted. And the guys understood that we needed to ramp up our details and just focus on finishing plays, finishing drives. But I was proud of the effort.' The Lions came alive early in the second half, stringing together a possession that ended with Rourke escaping the pocket, taking a few steps and sailing a 34-yard pass to Stanley Berryhill III in the end zone. Veteran Kicker Whyte made the convert and the Lions jumped out to a 10-7 advantage. Edmonton had an opportunity to level the score minutes later when Vincent Blanchard lined up for a 45-yard field goal, but his kick went wide. Rourke proved on the next possession that he's a dual threat, rushing for 13 yards on one play and 22 on another. He capped the drive with a 37-yard lob to Berryhill under the uprights and another convert from Whyte increased the Lions' lead to 17-7 midway through the third quarter. Rourke is a multi-talented athlete, Pierce said. 'You look at what he can do and how accurate he is, how fast he gets the ball out of his hands and is aggressive also with his legs. So I thought he had great command of the offence tonight,' the coach said. 'He was fantastic on the sidelines with the guys and it was awesome to watch.' Elks quarterback Tre Ford struggled early on Saturday, going 0-for-3 on his first attempts of the game before connecting with Zach Mathias for a six-yard gain on his fourth attempt. He finished the night with 178 passing yards, making good on 18 of his 27 attempts and throwing one interception. He was sacked twice. '(Ford's) still learning. He gets better every time he plays and he has to play to get better,' said Elks head coach Mark Kilam. 'You see some of the dynamic things that he can do – he will always have that and defences have to account for that. But we've got to iron out the functionality of our offence on the day to day.' Ford showed his speed in the dying seconds of the third quarter. He darted around midfield to avoid multiple sack attempts and got a 37-yard pass off to Justin Rankin, who similarly snuck past several B.C. defenders before being felled at the three-yard line. Edmonton opened the fourth with QB Cody Fajardo powering through traffic for his second short-yardage touchdown of the night. Blanchard sent the convert through the uprights to cut the Elks' deficit to three points. B.C. kept pressing and launched a seven-play, 86-yard scoring drive, capped by a 17-yard pass from Rourke to Justin McInnis in the end zone. McInnis, who hails from Pierrefonds, Que., led the CFL in receiving yards last season with 1,469. The Lions defence got to work next with linebacker Ben Hladik picking off Ford's pass and dashing 61 yards to put his team back in prime scoring position. B.C. capitalized with Rourke handing off to running back James Butler, who sprinted into the end zone for the home side's fourth touchdown of the night. Another convert from Whyte put the Lions ahead 31-14. Rourke hopes the way his team rallied on Saturday can be a rallying point later in the season when they need to be resilient once again. 'We've just got to stay together,' he said. 'Every team is good, they're going to have their day. So overcoming adversity is what champions do. That's what we want to be at the end of the year.' Notes Rapper Snoop Dogg performed for the announced crowd of 52,837 fans before kickoff. ... Both Pierce and Killam worked their first games as CFL head coaches. … Saturday marked the first time two Canadian quarterbacks have started and gone head to head in a CFL season opener. Up next Elks: Host the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday, June 19. Lions: Visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday. -- Gemma Karstens-Smith This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2025.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Dedrick Mills, Vernon Adams Jr., spur Stampeders to 38-26 win over Tiger-Cats
Dedrick Mills scored one touchdown in the 2024 CFL season. He started 2025 with three in a single game for the Calgary Stampeders. The Stampeders downed the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats 38-26 in the season-opener for both clubs Saturday. Mills rushed for 94 yards on 17 carries, while quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 19 of 28 pass attempts for 284 yards, and rushed for 33 yards on three carries, in his highly-anticipated Stampeder debut. Mills handed off the white cowboy hat as his team's offensive player of the game to his offensive linemen. 'They did their thing and they got me in the end zone three times, so of course, man, I had to give it to them,' Mills said. 'They deserved it.' Adams' backup P.J. Walker contributed a short-yardage touchdown and Rene Paredes kicked field goals from 42, 29 and 38 yards in front of an announced 18,682 on a breezy, hazy evening at McMahon Stadium. Former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Kenny Lawler scored his first touchdown as a Tiger-Cat. Isiah Wooden returned a kickoff to score, while Marc Liegghio booted field goals from 47, 37 and 25 yards. The Stampeders acquired Adams in a trade with the B.C. Lions a month after their 5-12-1 season ended in 2024. He was intercepted twice in Saturday's second quarter, but distributed the ball efficiently for 428 yards of net offence. Adams scrambled out of the pocket to connect with Clark Barnes on a 65-yard passing play that Mills finished for a 34-11 lead to start the fourth quarter. The Stampeders scored on their first drive of the game when Adams marched the offence 85 yards on nine plays. 'It's always important to get some points on the first drive if you can,' Adams said. 'I like receiving the ball because if we can go down and do that, that puts pressure on their offence to do it. 'Defence did a good job. Rene was Rene. And that was awesome operation on the special teams. 'It wasn't pretty by any means, but it's a win and it's so hard to get wins in this league. We have a really good team and once we get it together, get it clicking, I think we're going to be special.' It was too little, too late when Ticats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell found rhythm in his offence as the Stampeders had built a 15-point lead by the first play of the second half. Mitchell completed 31 of 50 pass attempts for 304 yards and a touchdown throw in an interception-free start, but Hamilton also turned the ball over on downs three times. 'We have to do better jobs on offence, me put the ball in a catchable spot every time and let's put two hands on it, locking it up, getting vertical,' Mitchell said. 'We just want to reward the defence when they're playing that well in the first half. When you're making Vernon throw two picks … in the first half, you've got to take advantage of them and I just think we didn't do a good enough job of instantly kind of turning those into points.' The Tiger-Cats haven't won their first game of the season since 2019, while the Stampeders improved to 3-3 in their last six openers. The game turned on Calgary's kickoff to start the second half when Paredes' kick hung in the wind, which gave Calgary's Jeshrun Antwi time to get a hand on the football. Teammate Kelon Thomas recovered at Hamilton's 13-yard line. After Mills ran the ball to the one, Walker scored and Paredes' convert gave Calgary a 25-10 lead. Stopping the run was among Calgary's priorities this season as the Stampeders were the worst in the CFL at it in 2024. They held the Ticats to 47 rushing yards Saturday. 'Definitely if you can make a team a little more one-dimensional, we had the lead though, which was nice too,' said Stampeders head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. 'I did feel like they tried to run early and we were there and thought we spiked our ends and did some good things. They tried some deep throws on us, really weren't able to do it. We've got some things we can get better at, but a good start for the defence.' As for his new quarterback, Dickenson liked what he saw from Adams in the face of Hamilton's pressure. 'What he does so well though is he escapes. He used his legs. The things we wanted from him, he did,' Dickenson said. 'He got first downs with his legs. He got out of the pocket.' Up next Stampeders: Visit the Toronto Argonauts next Saturday. Tiger-Cats: Host the Saskatchewan Roughriders next Saturday. -- Donna Spencer This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2025.
