In front of a sold-out crowd of 19,619 supporters in Montreal, head coach Jesse Marsch’s side dominated long stretches of play but had to settle for a 1-1 draw against the Republic of Ireland Friday in their final friendly before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
While the result might not have been what Canada wanted, their performance offered plenty of reasons for optimism.
Les Rouges controlled possession, dictated the tempo, and created the overwhelming majority of chances during the match, only to be denied by a combination of wasteful finishing and a resilient Irish side that punished one costly mistake.
By the final whistle, the Canadians had registered 20 shots and largely dictated proceedings, but only two efforts found the target.
“I thought our guys had a really good game. Obviously, we wish we could have gotten more goals and gotten the win but I think the energy from this side, the way to go after the game, the ideas in the game, were really good,” Marsch said afterward.
Millar sparks lively Canadian display
From the opening minutes, Canada looked the sharper side.
Tajon Buchanan forced an early save from Irish goalkeeper Mark Travers, while the combination play down the left flank between Liam Millar and Richie Laryea repeatedly stretched Ireland’s defensive shape.
Millar, in particular, was at the heart of Canada’s best attacking moments. His relentless pressing and direct running created problems throughout the first half and eventually helped produce the opening goal in the 26th minute.
After capitalizing on a loose pass from Travers, Millar forced Ireland into conceding a corner. Stephen Eustaquio’s delivery into the penalty area then caused confusion among the Irish defenders with Jake O’Brien inadvertently turning the ball into his own net.
Loading ...Jonathan David then nearly helped double the lead shortly afterward, sliding a clever pass into Millar inside the penalty area. Ismael Kone also tested the Irish defence as Canada continued to pile on pressure.
Canada’s dominance was reflected in the halftime statistics, holding 68% possession while limiting Ireland to just two shots.
“I think we were the better team for sure with the amount of chances we created,” said Stephen Eustaquio, who captained the team.
“Obviously we need to tune up a couple of things. I think the most important right now is our behaviors and not as much of the result. Obviously we wanted to get Montreal a victory but it didn’t happen. I’m very proud of the boys. I think we did a very good job today.”
Crepeau shines after Ireland fight back
Canada continued to control possession and create opportunities in the second half with Millar missing a promising chance from inside the penalty area before Cyle Larin saw a dangerous effort saved by Travers.
Yet despite Canada’s territorial dominance, Ireland found a route back into the match just after the hour mark.
Larin was penalized for a challenge on Jamie McGrath inside the box, and although goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau brilliantly saved Troy Parrott’s penalty, Chiedozie Ogbene reacted quickest to the rebound and converted the equalizer.
The goal shifted momentum and introduced an element of tension into a match Canada had largely controlled. Marsch’s frustration boiled over midway through the half when he was shown a yellow card for protesting after Eustaquio was left on the turf following a challenge.
Ireland then nearly stole the victory late on when Mason Melia found himself through on goal after a Canadian defensive lapse.
However, Crepeau once again came to the rescue, producing a brilliant late stop to deny Melia and preserve the draw. It was precisely the type of decisive moment that convinced Marsch to hand the veteran goalkeeper the No. 1 role heading into the World Cup.
“We know that we can count on him,” Marsch said. “He saved the penalty and it was frustrating that we did not follow up well enough. But then what a great save on the one time we let them get out on the counter where Max came up big.”
While the result denied Canada a winning send-off, the overall display reinforced the belief growing around this squad ahead of its World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto.
“Goals make a difference and so do mistakes, so we just got to clean some things up,” Marsch said. “But I think you know other than getting the win it was a really good performance.”
