Alphonso Davies made a dramatic return to B.C. Place on Thursday night.
Playing his first game in Vancouver since October 2018, the superstar midfielder scored twice, powering the Canadian men’s soccer team to a decisive 4-0 win over Curacao to open their CONCACAF Nations League campaign.
“Coming back to the stadium for training, the memories came back to me and I was excited,” said Davies, who drew international awe as a teenager playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps. The ‘Caps transferred him to German soccer giant Bayern Munich in a $22-million US deal in July 2018.
“I played here when I was 14 till 17. So I was excited. Scoring just brought back all the memories from my last game with the Whitecaps. And I’m just grateful that I was able to score today.”
The victory followed a week that saw the Canadian players miss two training sessions and refuse to play a friendly game against Panama in Vancouver due to an ongoing contract dispute.
“That was a dominant performance, I think, from our lads,” said head coach John Herdman. “Really proud of them, given everything that’s gone on the last few days, for them to come out with that sort of intent. Yeah, really impressed.”
WATCH | Alphonso Davies leads way in return to national team:
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Steven Victoria and Lucas Cavallini also scored for the 38th-ranked Canadians, who outshot the visitors 22-5 and 9-0 in shots on target.
It was a quiet night for Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan, who did not have to make a single save. Eloy Room made five stops for No. 79 Curacao.
Canada continues its Nations League play on Monday when they take on No. 82 Honduras in San Pedro Sula.
The home side was dominant from start to finish on Thursday.
Davies opened the scoring in the 27th minute after being hauled down inside the penalty area by Jurien Gaari.
The 21-year-old Canadian stepped up to take the kick, composing himself with a deep breath before sending a low rolling shot into the bottom-left corner of the net. He pumped his fist and blew a kiss to the crowd before being mobbed by his teammates in celebration.
‘He’s a once in a generation player’
Thursday marked Davies’ first game back with Canada since coming down with myocarditis, a mild heart condition he contracted after a bout of COVID-19 in December.
“With Alphonso, you’ve got to respect, he’s a once in a generation player, he’s a special player,” Herdman said. “To think we went [six] games in World Cup qualifying without him, that was a big test for our team.
“It’s not just speed, it’s not power. It’s he’s a very intelligent football and a guy that, from what I’ve seen, is really committed to his craft.”
The team missed Davies a lot, Cavallini added.
“It’s good to have him back,” he said. “We were happy to see him and have him with us. Especially he brings a lot of joy to the team and for most importantly, he brings a lot of quality.”
Davies helped set up Canada’s second goal of the night with a corner late in the first half.
His ball in was stopped by Room, but the Curacao ‘keeper couldn’t hold on and Jonathan David collected the rebound. He sent a ball to Vitoria who headed it in to give Canada a 2-0 lead.
Canada’s Sam Adekugbe, right, jumps into the pile as players celebrate Steven Vitoria’s goal against Curacao during a CONCACAF Nations League soccer match in Vancouver on Thursday. (Darry Dyck/The Canadian Press)
Two shirtless protesters with “Save Old Growth” messages written on their bodies briefly affixed themselves to the Curacao goalposts midway through the second half. They were removed by security and led off the field by police.
Canada exploded out of the brief pause with another goal off a give-and-go.
Davies sent the ball to substitute Richie Laryea deep in the penalty area and Laryea quickly put it back on Davies’ foot. Davies tapped it in from the top of the six-yard box in the 74th minute for his second goal of the game.
The crowd of 17,216 rose to give Davies a standing ovation when he was replaced by Ike Ugbo in the 76th minute.
Canada sealed the score at 4-0 in the 86th minute.
Sam Adekugbe dished a pass in to Cavallini inside the six-yard box and the ball deflected off the Vancouver Whitecaps’ striker as he toppled to the turf.
Cavallini came off the bench in the 76th minute for Tajon Buchanan.
“We have to be able to keep that intensity 95 minutes of the game,” Cavallini said. “Obviously, the starters put in a hell of a shift but us finishers have to go in and finish the job. And that’s how everything panned out today.”
Thursday’s game marked the first Canada has played on home soil since clinching a World Cup berth with a win over Jamaica in Toronto on March 27. It’s the first time Canada has qualified for the tournament since 1986.
The squad was scheduled to play a friendly warm-up match against Panama in Vancouver on Sunday but the game was called off at the last minute when players refused to take the field due to heated contract talks with Canada Soccer, the sport’s national governing body.
The players issued a statement saying they want more transparency from the organization, an equitable compensation structure for both the men’s and women’s national teams, and World Cup compensation that includes 40 per cent of prize money and a “comprehensive friends and family package” for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Canada blanks Curacao as Davies’ brace leads the way
15 hours ago
Duration 1:12
Alphonso Davies scores twice as Canada opens their CONCACAF Nations League campaign with a 4-0 victory over Curacao.
Canada Soccer has yet to reach a new deal with the athletes, but players returned to training on Monday, and on Wednesday the organization’s interim general secretary, Earl Cochrane, said negotiations have been positive.
Thursday’s game was a way for the team to thank its fans, said defender Alistair Johnston.
“Those fans deserved it. We put them through a bit of a ringer this week, and we know how difficult that is,” he said. “We’re all soccer fans at the same time. And we know that having to cancel matches is not ideal. So getting out there and finally be able to play in front of that Vancouver crowd was something that really meant a lot to us.”
Curacao opened its CONCACAF Nations League campaign with a 2-1 win over Honduras on Monday.
The group stage of the 2022-23 tournament will serve as the qualifier for the 2023 Gold Cup. Group play will continue in March 2023 and the Nations League finals scheduled for June 2023.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
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