October 10, 2025
Canada defeated by Australia at Stade Saputo in Montreal
It has been eight years since the Canadian men’s national soccer team last played in Montreal, but their return celebration was cut short when Australia tallied a late goal to earn the win.
It was a frustrating match for Jesse Marsch’s Canada side, as they deserved to score on several occasions and just weren’t able to capitalize on their golden chances. Finishing plays is beginning to become an issue despite the Canadian squad earning quality chances to do so.
See Also: Jackalope returns to the Old Port and sets it ablaze
Australia’s Nestory Irankunda scored the lone goal of the match in the seventy-first minute when a poor cross was intercepted by Niko Sigur, who played the ball far too lackadaisically, allowing Irankunda to lunge at the ball and knock it into the net passed a stunned Maxime Crepeau, a goal that should never have been conceded. Alas, it was, and Canada found themselves down a goal and in a whole they weren’t able to dig themselves out of.
Canada looked the better side for the majority of the match, but simply couldn’t find a way to finish their chances.
Twelve minutes in, former CF Montreal midfielder Nathan Saliba hit a cracking volley that dipped at the last moment, stunning Australian goal keeper Paul Izzo before striking the post. Saliba had a second golden opportunity ten minutes later, but sent his long range shot over the crossbar.
Izzo was kept busy for the remainder of the first half, where he was forced to make at least three quality saves to keep Australia ahead, including a brilliant bit of ball that saw Tajon Buchanan fire a hard low shot from the right side of the box, forcing Izzo into an outstretched diving save.
To start the second half, Australia looked like a refreshed team, and began to push back, earning ball possession and subsequently found a few paths to the goal. At around the hour mark, Irankunda found a gap and thundered his way down the pitch, sending a well time cross into the box for Mohamed Toure, but the shot flew over the crossbar into the crowd.
Canada once again picked up the pace and found ways to test Izzo, but the Socceroo keeper was up for the challenge and kept the ball out of his net.
In the 7oth minute, Canada came ever so close when the ball fell to Promise David, who hammered a rocket of a shot that Izzo caught. Moments later, Australia finally beat Crepeau – and to make things worse, they had scored on their weakest attempt on goal in the game.
Canada began to push forward more and more in the dwindling minutes of the contest, and found several quality opportunities to equalize but just couldn’t find any form of critical finishing. Shots fell wide of the goal or sailed over the crossbar, and the shots that did test Izzo weren’t enough to trouble the well positioned goalkeeper.
In the final minute of the scheduled ninty minutes of playing time, Liam Miller sent in a superb cross for Jacob Shaffleburg, but Izzo was up for the task and made a superb point-blank save.
Into stoppage time, Promise David once again had a fabulous chance to draw Canada even, when a great bit of skill sent him with room to take a shot in the right of the box that Izzo expertly repelled once more. Minutes later, Tani Oluwaseyi got his head on a cross that put the ball off the right post.
Read More:
>> CF Montreal beat Austin FC at home
>> Canadian Premier League bringing expansion team to Quebec in 2026
>> Canada defeat Haiti at Stade Saputo
The result extended Australia’s unbeaten run to 12 matches and served as valuable preparation ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
However, their inability to score goals is beginning to be a bit of a concern – and something that Marsch and Soccer Canada will need to figure out. The talent, certainly, is there, yet the squad remains snake bitten when it comes to finding the back of the opponents net.
