Canada shuts down Uzbekistan in second-half surge

Canada’s second-half – Canada returned to Edmonton with a statement 2-0 win over Uzbekistan in a friendly, scoring through Jonathan Osorio and Jayden Nelson after a risky first half and a strong second-half overhaul.

A cold, rainy night outside Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium wasn’t the kind of setting Canada usually wants when it’s trying to convince itself—and its supporters—that the next step is taken care of. Then the second half arrived, and the atmosphere changed.

Canada marked its first return to the stadium since a memorable 2-1 win over Mexico on Nov. 16, 2021, and this time it did it with control. On Monday, Les Rouges beat Uzbekistan 2-0 in its penultimate match before this summer’s FIFA World Cup. Jonathan Osorio and Jayden Nelson scored for the Canadians, with Tani Oluwaseyi twice credited with assists off the bench.

The result didn’t just move Canada a step closer to the World Cup. It also turned a question mark from the first 45 minutes into a clearer identity for the final 45.

Canada’s first-half worries, then a second-half statement

Canada sits 30th in the current FIFA world rankings, 20 spots above Uzbekistan, which will make its World Cup debut this summer. On the pitch, though, the first half belonged to Uzbekistan. The visitors carried the bulk of play and looked far more dangerous, reflected in a 9-3 edge in total shots.

Jonathan David and Cyle Larin were rather anonymous for Canada in the opening period, and it was Uzbekistan’s Eldor Shomurodov who consistently tested them. The best chances of the first half fell to him, and if he had been more clinical, Uzbekistan could have gone into halftime leading 2-0.

Canada needed a reset. The response came from coach Jesse Marsch, who made wholesale changes, bringing seven players off the bench at the start of the second half. That group included both eventual goal scorers, Jonathan Osorio and Jayden Nelson, as well as Tani Oluwaseyi.

The effect was immediate. Canada dominated the final 45 minutes, with Oluwaseyi playing a playmaking role that set up both goals. Osorio—Canada’s most experienced player with 9 caps—showed the finishing and composure that made it hard to ignore his quality. Nelson backed up his own case with a sharp attacking display.

Even without scoring, David still found a brighter rhythm after the change. David didn’t score but got into dangerous scoring positions after being subbed on in the 70th minute, an encouraging sign in his first game back for Canada after suffering a hip injury in February.

On defense, Alfie Jones also made his return matter. Jones came on with 20 minutes left in regulation, helping Canada lock things down once the momentum had swung.

Marsch insisted the friendly’s bigger job wasn’t individual auditions. Still, this was the kind of night that lets a coach glance at World Cup readiness and feel something concrete.

“My focus is less on evaluating individuals and making sure that everybody understands their roles and understands the kind of behaviours we want. and that we’re clear with exactly what the game needs to look like. ” Marsch said. “And so. for the most part. I thought we executed that. but there’s still little things in there that we can tighten up. and we will.”.

A turning point, shown in Canada’s goals

The game’s swing wasn’t only about intensity—it was about how Canada finally produced from open play again.

Both Nelson and Oluwaseyi looked especially lively after being subbed on at the start of the second half. It was Oluwaseyi who sparked the opening goal. Canada forced a turnover inside Uzbekistan’s half, and the ball eventually found its way to Oluwaseyi. He played a great pass into the penalty area for the TFC captain.

Osorio took a touch and fired a low shot at the near post that sneaked in underneath goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov to break the deadlock.

Nelson put the game away in injury time with his third goal for Canada. He scored via a chip shot after Oluwaseyi forced a turnover inside Uzbekistan’s half of the pitch and set him up.

For Canada, it was relief as much as it was celebration. These were Canada’s first goals from open play in three games in 2026. The earlier outings told a quieter story: in a 2-2 draw with Iceland in Toronto on March 28. both goals were scored by Jonathan David from the penalty spot. Then Canada was held to a 0-0 draw versus Tunisia three days later.

Before those matches, Canada hadn’t scored from open play since Ismaël Koné’s first-half strike in a 2-0 win last November versus Venezuela ended the team’s overall goal drought at 342 consecutive minutes.

Marsch couldn’t miss the significance of it, either.

“There had been a lot of talk about (how) we haven’t scored goals from the run of play, understandably so, because we hadn’t. But I kept saying the goals are coming, because I know that we have a lot of firepower,” Marsch said.

The goalkeeper question still doesn’t end—Crepeau made the case

Canada’s second big storyline in Edmonton was the goalkeeper situation, and Marsch gave nothing away—at least not clearly.

He hasn’t yet declared who’ll be Canada’s starting goalkeeper at the World Cup. with Maxime Crépeau and Dayne St. Clair involved in a tightly contested battle for the job for close to two years. Marsch revealed before Monday’s match that both would play one half each against Uzbekistan. and he said nothing should be read into who was starting.

Crépeau made the most of his time. In the 27th minute, he delivered a big save to deny Eldor Shomurodov. Shomurodov latched onto a dangerous through ball, probed forward, and unleashed a driving shot just outside the box. Crépeau got down low and tipped it wide of the far post.

His positioning drew praise in the way it cleared pressure. The stop read as a goalkeeper bailing out defenders as the play developed in real time.

St. Clair replaced Crépeau at the start of the second half and made a decent save as well. He stopped Igor Sergeev’s left-footed shot after Sergeev had peeled away from Canadian defender Luc de Fougerolles.

But overall, Crépeau looked more impressive on the night. He faced more pressure in the first half when Uzbekistan controlled the game, while St. Clair played in a period when Canada dictated terms.

Canada’s final World Cup tune-up match is Friday versus Ireland in Montreal. Still, Marsch remains tight-lipped on who starts this summer.

“We would like to make a decision about the goalkeeper this week,” Marsch said. “Once again. they both delivered really good performances. which is what I expected. and now I have to make a decision. So, there’s some responsibility on my shoulders, right?. But again. I can’t make the wrong decision. because we have two really good goalkeepers that have delivered performance after performance for the national team. They both deserve to be the starter.”.

It was a night that started with uncertainty and ended with an answer—two goals from open play, a second-half transformation led by substitutes, and a goalkeeper battle where Crépeau left a mark that won’t be easy to ignore.

Canada vs Uzbekistan FIFA World Cup 2026 Jonathan Osorio Jayden Nelson Tani Oluwaseyi Eldor Shomurodov Maxime Crepeau Dayne St. Clair Jesse Marsch Commonwealth Stadium international friendly