Hoping to show its first-round exit at the Copa America was a fluke, the United States instead displayed an alarming lack of intensity and an abundant defensive disarray that resulted in its first home loss to Canada since 1957.
Jacob Shaffelburg and Jonathan David scored off defensive misplays, and Canada dominated 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday for just its second win over the Americans in 27 matches over 99 years on U.S. soil.
While Jesse Marsch, Canada’s American-born coach, glowed following a win over a team that bypassed him for its coaching opening last year, interim U.S. coach Mikey Varas rebuked himself and his players.
“The mentality is on the players. Sorry, they know it,” Varas said. “That mentality to fight and to run and to sacrifice, I can’t do that for them. I can’t do that for them. That’s on them.”
Coming off defeats to Panama and Uruguay at the Copa America, the U.S. has lost three straight games for the first time since 2015 against Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica. A defeat to New Zealand on Tuesday at Cincinnati would result in the Americans’ first four-game losing streak since 2007.
“All over the park today, our mentality just wasn’t quite there,” defender Chris Richards said.
Varas moved up from assistant after Gregg Berhalter was fired following the Copa America flop. The U.S. Soccer Federation has been trying to reach an agreement for Mauricio Pochettino to become the team’s 10th coach in 14 years but has not commented on the talks, which began in mid-August.
“You just never know how it’s going to translate from training to the game after three training sessions, and I asked a lot of them,” Varas said. “The first goal, that’s on me, both the goals, because when you don’t have a lot of time to work and you want to play a certain way, it creates confusion.”
Before a crowd of 10,523 in a just over half-full Children’s Mercy Park, Shaffelburg put Canada ahead in the 17th minute after Tim Ream’s pass bounced away from Johnny Cardoso. David added his 29th international goal in the 58th when Ream turned over the ball in front of his own goal.
Luca de la Torre scored his first international goal for the U.S. in the 66th minute off a pass from Aidan Morris, who entered with de la Torre four minutes earlier.
Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau used his right hand to bat away Ricardo Pepi’s open shot in the 86th.
“The translation of the ideas weren’t clear enough because you shouldn’t be static and you shouldn’t pass the ball just to pass the ball,” Varas said.
Canada hired Marsch as coach in May and finished fourth in the Copa America. He had interviewed in 2023 with the USSF before Berhalter was rehired that June.
“I’m not bitter,” Marsch said. “Most people, if they ask me a question, I answer it. That’s how I operate in the media.”
Canada outshot the U.S. 17-8, including 11-1 in the first half, and had a 31-12 margin in tackles, the worst differential for the Americans since a 2020 exhibition at Wales. The Canadians had been been winless in 23 consecutive games against the U.S. in America since a 3-2 victory at St. Louis in a World Cup qualifier on July 6, 1957.
“I’d much rather coach Canada than the U.S. right now,” Marsch said. “You can see the mentality that’s been developed. You can see the way this team plays. You can see how much they love playing for the national team and they’re willing to put their careers and lives and the way they play on the line to be the best they can be for each other and for the team.
Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made his second U.S. start and displaced Matt Turner, who hasn’t played a club match since April 2. Ream started following his transfer from Fulham to Charlotte.
No MLS players had started in the prior six matches and just eight of 198 starting positions have been been filled with MLS players in the 18 games the full pool has been available since the 2022 World Cup.
Canada went ahead when Schulte lingered on the ball after a backpass and played it wide to Ream, whose pass to Cardoso bounced away from the midfielder and was picked up by Stephen Eustáquio. He played the ball to David, who one-timed the ball to Shaffelburg. He took a touch and slid the ball past Schulte’s left hand for his fourth goal in 17 international appearances.
David scored after taking Ream’s giveaway and centering to Cyle Larin. Kristoffer Lund’s challenge knocked the ball to David, who beat Schulte to the near post from 7 yards. David’s 29 goals matched Larin for the Canada career scoring record.
De La Torre got his goal when the ball fell near his left foot 8 yards out after Joe Scally crossed on a counterattack to Morris, who spun into the penalty area.
“We just weren’t intense enough at times,” de la Torre said.
