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CBC
2 hours ago
- Sport
- CBC
Tajon Buchanan's brace lifts Canada to 6-0 Gold Cup win over Honduras
Social Sharing Niko Sigur has made some special memories over his years of watching soccer at Vancouver's B.C. Place. He added another Tuesday as he scored his first goal for Canada and helped his country thump Honduras 6-0 to open their Gold Cup campaign. "Of course, it feels really nice," Sigur said of the strike. "Something I'm working for all these years. You don't always see right away the work paying off, but this is one of those days that it is." The 21-year-old rightback/midfielder from Burnaby, B.C., was part of a well-rounded offensive onslaught for the 30th-ranked Canadians on Tuesday. Sigur opened the scoring in the 27th minute, and Tani Oluwaseyi followed with a tally in first-half injury time. Tajon Buchanan notched a brace with goals in the 48th and 65th minutes, substitute Promise David scored in the 75th, and Nathan Saliba sealed the win with a strike in the 90th minute. Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair stopped all four on-target shots he faced from No. 75 Honduras. The victory was a "total team" effort, said Canada's assistant coach, Mauro Biello. "I can't look at one guy and find someone who had an off game. Everybody came out with the right mentality," said Biello, who stood in for head coach Jesse Marsch on the touchline as he sat out the first game of a two-game suspension. "We played within our identity, and we were able to not give them much and score goals. And that's part of who we want to be. And I think for this first game of the tournament, super happy to get it started in that way." WATCH | Buchanan strikes twice in Gold Cup opener: Tajon Buchanan strikes twice as Canada crushes Honduras in opening Gold Cup match 7 hours ago Duration 2:28 The Canadians settled into the game midway through the first half and took charge when Sigur scored in the 27th minute. Sigur passed off to Jonathan David at the top of the penalty area and, when David chipped it right back, he sent a right-footed shot sailing in past Honduras 'keeper Edrick Menjivar. His first goal for the senior national team came in his sixth appearance, and with ample friends and family in the announced crowd of 24,286. "I don't often get to play in front of my family and friends in Croatia. I've maybe got two, three people I have to give tickets to," said Sigur, who plays for signed with Hajduk Split in Croatia's first division back in December 2023. "This night was a little different. But it means the world to me. "And with the World Cup coming, we have two group stage games here [in Vancouver]. But we have a little bit of work to do in between, so we'll get to that." WATCH | Is Canada ready to win the Gold Cup?: Is Canada ready to win the Gold Cup? Plus, Holly Ward talks her NSL journey 21 hours ago Duration 15:58 Oluwaseyi doubled the lead in the third minute of first-half injury time, collecting a pass from Richie Lareya and quickly blasting a shot into the top corner of the net from the side of the six-yard box. He celebrated by running to the touchline and grabbing the jersey of Canadian defender Sam Adekugbe, who's away from the team after suffering a torn Achilles tendon last week. The offensive onslaught continued early in the second half. Lareya crossed a ball into Oluwaseyi, and the Minnesota United forward back-heeled it to Buchanan. Stationed at the side of the six-yard box, Buchanan popped a shot up and in under the crossbar to give Canada a 3-0 lead in the 48th minute. The 26-year-old forward — who currently plays for Spain's Villarreal CF — struck again in the 65th off a corner. Mathieu Choiniere swung a ball in, and Oluwaseyi jumped up, trying to head it on net. The Honduran 'keeper made the stop, but couldn't cover the ball and Buchanan tucked it in for his second goal of the night. "I feel confident. Enjoying my football, that's the most important thing," Buchanan said of his recent play. "Playing with a smile on my face. And just got to keep pushing hard and keep improving." Promise David came on in the 71st minute for Oluwaseyi and quickly made an impact, scoring in the 75th. With less than a minute to go in regulation, Saliba fired a left-footed shot into the top corner of the Honduras net to seal the score at 6-0. The Canadians have been emphasizing offence during training over the past two weeks, said Jonathan David, the team's captain for the tournament. "I think before the camp and throughout the camp, we talked a lot about being more ruthless. That was a big talking point," he said. "So I think we just try to work on that in training and always try to support the chances that we have. And I think so far, it's been going on pretty well to this point." Canada will return to action on June 21 when the squad faces No. 90 Curacao in Houston. The team will wrap up Group B play against No. 81 El Salvador on June 24. The winner and runner-up from each of the four groups advance to the knockout stage in the 16-team tournament. The finale will be held in Houston on July 6. Canada won the Gold Cup in 2000 and finished third in 2002. When the tournament was last held in 2023, the country lost to the United States in a penalty shootout in the round of 16.
New York Times
9 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Canada smashes six past Honduras in spectacular start to Gold Cup campaign
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Jesse Marsch might not have been on the touchline as the Canada head coach serves a two-match suspension for a red card in March, but Canada still showed all the hallmarks of a Marsch-led team as they ran Honduras into the ground to open their Gold Cup campaign. With assistant coach Mauro Biello directing traffic, Canada looked in a different class to Honduras in their 6-0 win. Two goals from Tajon Buchanan and strikes from Niko Sigur, Tani Oluwaseyi, Promise David and Nathan Saliba made the difference. Advertisement Canada entered the Gold Cup as one of the tournament favorites. They now have a commanding lead atop Group B after a plodding 0-0 draw between El Salvador and Curacao. The five-goal haul was the most Canada has scored since Marsch took over in May 2024 and the most Canada has scored in any game since a 7-0 round one World Cup qualifying win over Aruba in June 2021. If Canada can continue to play as aggressively as this through the summer heat in the United States, there's little reason for them to lose the favoritism tag they've earned. Canada next plays Curacao on June 21. The difference in quality between a Canadian side with the likes of Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan and a Honduras side currently ranked 75th in the world by FIFA was one thing. But the manner in which Canada executed Marsch's game plan was another. Canada's performance has Marsch's fingerprints all over it. Most notably, Canada pushed the tempo, employed physicality and pressed a Honduras team that sat back into submission. Perhaps the most rewarding takeaway for Marsch will be how relentless his team moved until the final whistle. Marsch is undoubtedly asking a lot of players who just finished their European club seasons to run other teams into the ground. But he got what he asked for against Honduras. It was another very notable step from Canada towards solidifying their tactical identity ahead of the World Cup. Nathan Saliba moved with purpose and quickness with the ball through the middle of the park. The 21-year-old is on the verge of a summer transfer from CF Montreal and looked ready for more Gold Cup starts. Ali Ahmed played in front of his home crowd like a player possessed, taking multiple heavy fouls from Honduras and continuing to drive play in wide areas. Mathieu Choiniere showed the bursts of physicality he'll need in a central midfield role. Joel Waterman, now likely fourth on Canada's center-back depth chart, stepped into plays with authority. Tani Oluwaseyi undoubtedly reminded Canada's coaching staff why he should be called upon as second forward. By pressing Honduras' back line relentlessly, the Minnesota United forward ensured he could create chances. His 47th minute goal showcased his power. Finally, Tajon Buchanan continued to look like a different player than the one who struggled to return after breaking his tibia at Copa America. His two goals were the result of his aggressiveness to get to the right places near goal. Advertisement All in all, it was Canada's relentlessness and movement that earned them the win. And it should earn them even more confidence in playing the Jesse Marsch way, too. Canada's 21-year-old Niko Sigur certainly has a sense of timing. In his first start for Canada in British Columbia, the province he was born in, Sigur connected with Jonathan David for some clever link-up play and fired home his first senior national team goal. It was just his sixth start for Canada and Sigur's first time back in BC Place since serving as a ball boy in an international game six years ago. In the build-up to his goal, Sigur showed a deft turn with the ball and confidence pressing forward in the final third. His heads up play was a reminder of how few players like Sigur Canada has in their squad. Sigur started at right back but showed the presence of mind to move deep into a midfield position, which he can also play. Sigur raising the jersey of injured defender (and Vancouver Whitecap) Sam Adekugbe was a class touch as well. There's no doubting Canada has other intelligent midfielders, like Stephen Eustaquio. But it's not just Sigur's smarts that stood out play after play in Canada's attack – it was the speed in which he processed the game and moved forward. He closed down on opposition attacks well, too. That combination of pace and game-changing ability to break through lines? It has Sigur on the verge of becoming an indispensable Canadian player in 2026. Marsch has three tiers of players he is considering for his final World Cup roster, with the first group being locks. As Sigur confidently dictated play throughout the entire game – from multiple positions no less – he likely now finds himself in that top echelon. So much of the talk surrounding this Canada team at the Gold Cup has been focused on how their stars showed up for the tournament, and, well, one United States' star did not. Now, that narrative could be a product of Canada's longstanding inferiority complex with their southern neighbors shining through. But the narrative was reinforced Tuesday afternoon when Alphonso Davies, recovering from an ACL tear suffered in March, arrived at Canada's hotel to support his teammates. The Bayern Munich star left back met with his team and then watched Canada's win live in BC Place. Advertisement BC Place is the stadium where Davies began his own ascent, with Vancouver in MLS, into the star he is now. Davies looked at home, his grin shining in a way you might not expect from a player having suffered a crushing injury. But he had reason to smile: even without him and other starters like Moise Bombito, Eustaquio and Alistair Johnston, Canada always looked a step ahead of Honduras. Did Davies' appearance contribute to the result itself? Unlikely. But did it reinforce how strong Canada's team harmony feels with the World Cup less than a year away? Almost certainly. The vibes in Canada's camp leading up to the Gold Cup have been noticeably positive. If Canada can continue to keep their spirit high and match those vibes with added experience come the World Cup, they'll only increase their chances of getting their first win in the tournament.
