March 28, 2026
Canada and Iceland battle to a draw at BMO Field
A two all draw against Iceland might not have been how Canada envisioned this afternoons international friendly going – but they’ll happily take it.
It was a match that had a bit of everything in it. Goals. Penalties. A red card and even snow. And it took every bit resolve Canada could muster to earn a draw against and physical and formidable foe.
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Iceland’s Orri Steinn Oskarsson scored in the 9th and 21st minutes of the opening half to put Iceland up by a brace as cold temperatures and a slight snowfall had the 26,000 in attendance shivering.
Oskarsson intercepted a terrible pass from Canada’s Kamal Miller which allowed him to come streaking in alone as he placed a hard low strike passed an outstretch Dayne St. Clair into the bottom left corner.
Less than a quarter of an hour later, Oskarsson would beat St. Clair on a similar strike to the first. This time, Mikael Egiil Ellertsson put some nifty moves on Canada’s Niko Sigur before slipping a crisp pass over to Oskarsson. Iceland were quickly up by two goals.
Ellertsson would have a hand in Canada’s first marker, when he fouled Tajon Buchanan in the box. Referee Jon Freemon instantly pointed to the dot to the eruption of the home crowd. Jonathan David stepped up and buried his shot past Iceland’s goalkeeper Elias Rafn Olafsson. Canada was within a goal in the 67th minute of play.
Nine minutes later, referee Jon Freemon again was forced to award a penalty when Canada’s Daniel Jebbison was blatantly fouled in 18-yard box. Once more David, the Juventus star, stepped up and fired the ball into the back of Olafsson’s net. A strike identical to the first.
The match now equalized, was growing more and more in Canada’s favor until Buchanan was showed a straight red card on a rather innocent looking play.
From here on in, Canada manager Jesse Marsch changed up his strategy, and chose to sit his squad firmly behind the ball. Down to ten men against a squad that had twice today proven they are more than capable of pouncing on an error and creating offense, that was probably the wisest move available to Marsch.
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Canada will back in action this Tuesday when they welcome Tunisia to the pitch at BMO Field.
Following that, Canada will play twice more before they head to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Versus Uzbekistan in Edmonton on June 1st, before hosting Ireland at Stade Saputo in Montreal on June 5th.
