Jacob Shaffelburg opened the scoring in the 19th minute and doubled Canada's lead in the 35th as the Canadian men's soccer team cruised to a 2-0 victory over Peru in front of a sellout crowd of 19,619 at Montreal's Stade Saputo on a sunny afternoon.
The win showcases Canada's attacking prowess after facing questions about goal-scoring troubles. Liam Millar, the 27-year-old winger, contributed to both of Shaffelburg's goals and stressed the team's improvement: "We took our chances much better today and I think it's a real positive." The result marks Canada's dominant performance, with the 30th-ranked side holding 61 percent possession and outshot No. 50 Peru 17-4, including a 3-0 advantage in shots on target.
Head coach Jesse Marsch praised the team's control and execution. "We're able to control matches and make teams look bad," Marsch said, adding that Canada could have scored more. "Shaf had two really good goals. He reminded me he doesn't score a lot with his head, so we were happy to see that." The victory improved Canada to 3-1-0 all-time against Peru.
This friendly comes after Canada opened its four-year World Cup cycle with a 1-0 win over No. 49 Chile last week in Toronto. Millar's strong performance has opened discussion about his potential to start for Canada's upcoming match against the United States, suggesting the winger has made an impact during this international break.