Canada 1-0 Peru: Jonathan David scores winner, assistant referee collapses in first half

After 344 minutes in charge, Canada head coach Jesse Marsch finally saw one of his players score a goal. And it was a game-winning goal at that.

Amid an excessive heat advisory for Kansas City, Canada found a way to hold on and earn a crucial win in a major international tournament thanks to a second-half goal from Jonathan David against a 10-man Peru.

But it wasn’t easy.

The sun beat down on the field at Children’s Mercy Park, its impact most noticeable when assistant referee Humberto Panjoj appeared to collapse, leading to a stoppage in play during added time in the first half of the Group A match. Stretchers were immediately brought out for the linesman before he was treated by medical personnel, taken from the field and replaced after halftime.

The first half also included a controversial no-call on a head butt incident, then in the second half, Peru was punished with a red card for defender Miguel Araujo’s challenge on Jacob Shaffelburg.

The Athletic‘s Joshua Kloke shares his takeaways from the match…

What happened to the assistant referee at the end of the first half?

The heat has been unrelenting all week in Kansas City, with temperatures hovering in and around 100 degrees. There has been a heat advisory in the city throughout the day as well.

During first-half added time, as Canada was about to take a free kick in Peru’s half, assistant referee Panjoj fell to the floor. Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau was the first to notice and sprinted to Panjoj. As he did, Crepeau yelled to referee Mario Escobar for his attention. The game was paused as stretchers were immediately brought for Panjoj.

Medics assist Panjoj (Hector Vivas, Getty Images)

Approximately five minutes later, Panjoj was taken off the field on a stretcher.

For the majority of the first half, roughly two-thirds of the pitch was covered in shade by the stadium’s curved coverage. The section not covered by shade was where Panjoj had to patrol.

At halftime, nearly every fan seated in the west side of the stadium moved towards shaded areas as the stadium appeared about half full.

How did Canada’s breakthrough goal happen?

The difference, at least on paper, between these sides is Canada’s individual attacking quality. Many of its best attackers play in Europe’s top leagues. But throughout most of the game, many of Canada’s best players struggled to make an impact.

That is until one of Canada’s best weapons — its speed — tilted the game in its favour.

On a quick counter-attack, pacey winger Shaffelburg, a halftime substitution, collected a pass and turned on the jets. By not overthinking things and taking the ball directly towards the goal from just inside the opposition’s half, Peru was caught flat footed.

As he usually does, David timed his run perfectly to get himself open for Shaffelburg’s lengthy pass. After a few smart touches, David then pushed a shot past Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese for the first goal under Marsch.

The first-ever goal for Canada in Copa América ✅
The first goal for Canada in the Jesse Marsch era ✅

Jonathan David made history for Canada today 👏🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/eB0aME1Wdh

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 25, 2024

The goal was David’s 27th for Canada in his 50th appearance. That pushes him within two goals of Cyle Larin for Canada’s all-time goalscoring lead.

It always had to be David. Marsch has maintained an unyielding admiration for his forward’s soccer IQ and ability to keep a level head when the game doesn’t always unfold the way he hopes it will. David’s composure was the difference and a reminder of why he’s currently being sought after in the Premier League.

GO DEEPER

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How did refereeing decisions impact the game?

Referee Escobar had his hands full in a game that promised physicality long before kickoff. Peru coach Jorge Fossati said of Canada’s performance against Argentina that there was a “thin line between strength and violence,” which seemed like an attempt to earn favour with Escobar and start practicing the dark arts a little earlier than necessary.

Yet on the pitch, it was Fossati’s side that was more physical. How, for example, did Escobar not give Peru midfielder Marcos Lopez a straight red for head-butting Canada defender Alistair Johnston in the first half? The question boggles the mind when you add that the play was reviewed by VAR as well.

Peru didn’t let up with their overtly chippy play in the second half as the heat persisted and tensions rose. Escobar eventual used VAR to reviewed Miguel Araujo’s potential foul on Canada’s Shaffelburg. A red card was awarded for the foul and Peru were sent down to 10 men. Full credit to the Canadian side for keeping its cool as the foul took place right in front of its bench. Marsch stressed ahead of the game how important discipline would be to his side. They were the only team to practice it in the oppressive Kansas City heat.

RED CARD 🟥

Peru's Miguel Araujo is given a red card for this challenge after review ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/FxxhiHcQA9

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 25, 2024

Yet even with the man advantage, it took time for Canada to make the most of its opportunities. Canada struggled to get a hold on the game in possession and generate any kind of creativity in its build up until David’s goal. They will need to continue to create more chances to have any hope of getting out of Group A.

What does this result mean for Canada?

Canada desperately needed a win under Marsch for a variety of reasons.

First, the progress they’ve shown tactically in a short amount of time since Marsch took over in May has been impressive. But that progress came without results — or a goal scored, for that matter — and this win is a reminder of what can come from the positive steps Canada is making.

Canada earned its first win under Marsch on Tuesday (Hector Vivas, Getty Images)

The confidence Canada felt after holding France to a 0-0 draw in a June friendly was good, but getting a result in a competitive game is another matter. They showed composure as tempers flared and as Peru tried to manipulate the game.

This result came against a team ranked 31st in the world by FIFA and should now be considered among the biggest wins in Canadian soccer history. Canada have long believed that with the talent at its disposal, it should be considered in the same echelon as teams such as Peru. They now have a result to prove it.

Now, Canada can feel even more confident heading into its final group stage match against Chile. With its first win in a major tournament in a generation under their belt, Canada finds itself in a decent spot to advance.

What did the managers say?

Peru coach Jorge Fossati: “I don’t think it is logical to play at this time with this temperature.”

“In the first half, we challenged Canada more than Argentina challenged them (in a 2-0 win last week). And I am talking about Argentina, the current world champions. We created greater opportunities more than we created against Chile. I think I am fair to say that we created a great 60-minute match.”

Canada coach Jesse Marsch: “We talked about wanting to make a big statement, wanting to make history, and wanting to show we were ready for bigger challenges… And in the end, with the savviness of Peru, with the experience of Peru, to manage all of the game appropriately and keep our discipline and not cross the line, not put ourselves in jeopardy of bad cards and fouls, that showed a level of maturity. I’m really pleased for them. I’m really proud of them.”

What’s next for each team?

Argentina vs. Peru — Saturday, June 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET/Saturday, June 30 at 1:00 a.m. UK (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida)

Canada vs. Chile — Saturday, June 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET/Saturday, June 30 at 1:00 a.m. UK (Inter & Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida)

Required reading

(Top photo: Hector Vivas/Getty Images)