Canada held by Curaçao in frustrating Gold Cup group stage draw

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Canada’s berth in the Gold Cup quarterfinals will have to wait.

After leading for most of the match thanks to a 10th-minute Nathan Saliba goal, Canada continued to allow Curaçao into their second group stage match. Curaçao’s Jeremy Antonisse scored in stoppage time, a goal that had been coming as Canada continued to defend poorly late in the game. Curaçao, ranked 90th by FIFA, had two goals disallowed beforehand.

The 1-1 draw was probably a fair result, but still highlighted how much better Canada will have to defend in tight matches and how they’ll need to take advantage of leads moving forward. Considering how long Canada was ahead, this result should feel like a letdown for Jesse Marsch’s side, which had been in buoyant form.

“We had warnings to tell us to be more careful,” Jonathan David told TSN/OneSoccer after the game. “It’s frustrating to get it done like that. We have to keep moving forward.”

Here are The Athletic’s takeaways:

Canada let Curaçao back into the game

As of late, Canada has been displaying some of its finest football since Marsch took over: they have lost just one of their last 11 games. And through many of these games, Canada has dominated, only increasing their confidence leading up to the 2026 World Cup.

Canada’s slip against Curaçao wasn’t so much the other shoe dropping, but it was a reminder of how they’ll have to toughen up against stingy opponents. Things got feisty, but Curaçao kept pressing in their own way, having two goals called back due to offside. Canada couldn’t stop the dam from bursting as Curaçao scored in the waning moments.

Jeremy Antonisse’s late equalizer snatched a point for Curaçao. (Catherine Ivill / AMA / Getty Images)

Curaçao pressed Canada well enough in the first half, making a game of things. Some questionable defending at times from Canada provided Curaçao with some opportunities. Jürgen Locadia’s excellent strike did lead to a Curaçao goal before it was called back, thanks to a video assistant referee ruling it offside. Canada’s questionable defending on the play is worth noting, though. The match ended as more even than perhaps some might have expected.

But the sun and near-oppressive heat in Houston slowed the pace of the play, making for minimal back-and-forth. Curaçao’s insistence on fouling Canada in the second half didn’t help matters, either. Things turned ugly through a plodding second period.

Here’s the thing, though: Marsch and Canada’s coaching staff have tried to improve Canada’s game management. Marsch wants a still-growing Canada team to learn to stay calm, work the referee and grind out wins when they need to instead of trying to constantly run away with games.

Against Curaçao, they ticked almost every box. But it still wasn’t enough. They need to continue to learn to lock down games more effectively when they have a lead.

Expect Marsch to put his team through the paces in the coming days.

Nathan Saliba is solidifying his Canada role

The early story of Canada’s Gold Cup is how quickly some of their up-and-comers are rising. Niko Sigur had himself a game in Canada’s opener, and 21-year-old Nathan Saliba was right on his heels.

And in his second straight start — and second ever for Canada — Saliba had zero letdown. He commanded the middle of the park with direct runs and smart passes.

There’s a ton of confidence in Saliba’s game right now. A seemingly likely mid-season transfer to Anderlecht in Belgium is undoubtedly filling Saliba with self-belief. And that’s part of what Marsch appreciates in his game. It’s evident in how mature Saliba’s decisions with the ball are for such a young player.

Never was that more evident than in the early stages. Saliba called his Canada teammate Zorhan Bassong away from a ball that had bounced in the air following a free kick. In doing so, Saliba didn’t waste a second, craftily smashing a volley into Curaçao’s goal. Make it two starts and two goals for Saliba wearing a Canada jersey.

“We really believe that he can be an important player for us,” Marsch said of Saliba after his first goal.

It’s difficult to see Marsch turning away from Saliba in the middle of the park through the remainder of the Gold Cup, or at least until Stephen Eustaquio possibly returns from Club World Cup duty.

Nathan Saliba commanded the middle of the park with direct runs and smart passes. He could be powering his way into a World Cup starting role. (Omar Vega / Getty Images)

Big picture, if Saliba continues to rise to the occasion and show enough personal development over the next year, can he lock down a World Cup roster spot? Performances like the one against Curaçao make it seem likely.

Reminder: Marsch loves developing young players in national team camps. If Saliba’s performances remain as solid, it’s starting to feel like a World Cup start wouldn’t be out of the question, either.

Comeback for Ismaël Koné?

One of Canada’s most up-and-down performers of late has been Ismaël Koné. The midfielder, on the verge of breaking out as a true star at the 2024 Copa America, instead took a step back partly thanks to a failed move to Marseille last summer. Koné struggled to earn playing time. A loan to Rennes followed, but Koné’s confidence dipped. The once-silky midfielder offered little for Canada in the process as well.

It was worth wondering what Koné would offer in his first start for Canada this tournament: Koné missed early training sessions because of a family matter.

Surprisingly, Koné put up the kind of performance that turned back the clock. It was the kind of dynamic showing that could turn Koné’s tournament around for the better. Koné separated himself from the likes of Jayden Nelson, Joel Waterman and Tani Oluwaseyi, neither of whom had their best games in attack.

In just 70 minutes, Koné finished second among all Canadian players with 55 touches.

Koné’s strength and swagger spoke volumes. The midfielder was at his silky best, shaking off defenders with ease while moving through the middle. He looked more like an attacking midfielder than a box-to-box player. And Marsch likely wouldn’t complain, considering Koné’s midrange passing hit the mark, too. Koné created one chance and had five passes into the final third.

And so if you’re Marsch and you’re looking for positive takeaways from a game that sometimes staggered, how could you not feel bolstered by a reemergence of one of your most talented players? The mental fortitude needed to return from a trying family matter and put in a compelling performance is impressive. If Koné can build off this performance, that would be even more impressive.

So what now?

Canada still sits atop Group B with four points from two matches. Their final group stage game is on Tuesday against El Salvador. A win would see them come out of Group B in first place and earn a date against the second-place team from Group C in the quarterfinals. Jamaica and Guatemala sit tied for second in Group C through two matches.

(Top photo of Jürgen Locadia of Curaçao and Canada’s Mathieu Choinière: Omar Vega / Getty Images)

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