HIGHLIGHTS + ANALYSIS: Jonathan David bags brace in dramatic CanMNT 🇨🇦 draw vs. Iceland 🇮🇸

Canada battled back from a brutal start to earn a 2-2 draw with Iceland on Saturday at BMO Field. 

The Iceman was clinical against Iceland, bagging a brace from the penalty spot to bring himself to a record 39 goals for Canada. Those both came in the second half, erasing a two-goal Iceland lead from an early Orri Steinn Óskarsson brace. Canada's late push for a winner, however, was halted by a late red card shown to Tajon Buchanan.

"I was calm at half-time," said Canada coach Jesse Marsch. "It wasn't like I yelled at them...we were still on top of the game, and if we push the tempo more, we're going to find the first goal, we're going to find the second goal, and then we're going to get the winner. And the only thing that got interrupted in there was the red card." 

Canada started the match in its signature 4-4-2 formation under Jesse Marsch, with Cyle Larin joining David to lead the line. Dayne St. Clair started in net, while Québéçois duo Mathieu Choinière and Nathan Saliba partnered in central midfield, and Kamal Miller and Joel Waterman in central defence. Ismaël Koné was unavailable for Canada due to a red card suspension he picked up in Canada’s final match of 2026 against Venezuela. 

Disaster struck for Canada in the ninth minute, when a seemingly innocuous clearance from Iceland fell into the path of Miller at midfield. Sprinting to reach the ball, an undisciplined touch saw him dispossessed by Óskarsson, who was off to the races. Galloping into the Canadian half, he calmly slotted the ball past St. Clair to give Iceland an early 1-0 lead. 

It was the first goal that Canada had conceded in 388 minutes, if including their January ‘B’ friendly against Guatemala. The hosts initially responded fairly well to the early adversity, creating a number of half-chances. 

But in the 21st minute, they were cut open again, after Niko Sigur was beaten to a ball in his defensive half, by Mikael Ellertsson, the Icelandic full-back played the ball into the path of Óskarsson, who drifted in the box and ripped a shot past St. Clair. It was the first time since Jesse Marsch took over that Canada has allowed more than a single goal in the first half.

Canada had a few decent looks as the half wore on, first on a corner kick that Larin headed back across goal, and then a 33rd-minute free kick which Choinière curled just shy of the top left corner. 

Despite dominating possession, to the tune of 59 per cent, and firing seven shot attempts to two, Canada headed to the room at the half with plenty of questions after arguably their worst opening 45 minutes of the past few years – and certainly under Marsch. 

Canada elected to make no changes at the half despite their lacklustre opening 45. They started the second half brightly, with a great early chance as Saliba played Ali Ahmed down the left wing, but his cross was high and behind the Canadian players waiting in the middle. 

Ahmed played a much better ball in the 57th minute, when he slotted a perfect reverse ball into the box and the path of David. Canada’s all-time leading goalscorer, however, could not beat Ólaffson in the Iceland net. 

In the 63rd minute, Canada made a triple substitution, handing a national team debut to Marcelo Flores, alongside Jonathan Osorio and Daniel Jebbison. 

A minute later, some lovely combination play between Buchanan, Saliba and David saw the former cut into the box. He was hauled down by Ellertsson and Canada were awarded a penalty. David coolly stepped up and slotted home his 38th goal for country to cut Canada’s deficit to 2-1. 

In the 75th minute, David was back at the spot. This time, it was Flores who beat his man in the box before being taken down. Again, David stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the same bottom right corner to tie the match. 

Suddenly, Canada began to attack with flair. Flores, in particular, was magical as he relentlessly dribbled past players looking to create chances in the final third. 

"I was really happy with Marcelo, and the things that I thought he could provide our team, he really did," said Marsch. 

The match took another wild twist in the 81st minute when Buchanan was sent off after he was judged to have gotten his arm up into the face of an Icelandic defender. It was the third straight official FIFA 'A' friendly in which Canada received a red card. 

Iceland pressed for a late winner in stoppage time, forcing a good diving save from St. Clair. That was the last real action of an eventful 90-plus minutes. 

"There's a lot of learnings in all moments for what these games are, and what games will be in the summer," said Marsch. "But we've got to learn from them. That's the important part, and then not make those same mistakes and other ones that can be fatal." 

Canada now turn their attention to Tunisia on Tuesday night at BMO Field, where they would look to learn the lessons of, and certainly start the match better, than Saturday afternoon. With this result, there will certainly be added pressure to win. 

Box Score 

Lineups 

Canada: St. Clair; Sigur, Waterman, Miller (Cornelius 75’), Laryea; Ahmed (Flores 63’), Saliba (Priso 86’), Choinière (Osorio 63’), Buchanan; David (Millar 86’), Larin (Jebbison 63’)

Iceland: Ölafsson; Pálsson, Ingason, Magnússen, Ellertsson; Jóhannesson (Baldursson 76’), þorsteinsson (Anderson 76’), Haraldsson, Hlynsson (Ingason 68’); Darri Willumsson, Óskarsson (þórðarson 68’) 

Goals 

9’ – Orri Steinn Óskarsson (Iceland)
21' -- Orri Steinn Óskarsson (Iceland)
67’ – Jonathan David (Canada) (Penalty)
76’ – Jonathan David (Canada) (Penalty)

Discipline 

45+1' — Yellow: Jon þorsteinsson (Iceland)
80’ – Yellow: Mikael Anderson (Iceland)
81’ – Red: Tajon Buchanan (Canada)

Player of the Match 

Jonathan David, Canada 

Twice, Jonathan David stepped up to the penalty spot, and twice he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to equalize for Canada in the second half. In 87 minutes of action, he had five shots, four of which were on target, created a chance and had seven recoveries. 

What’s Next? 

CanMNT are next in action on Tuesday, March 31 when they close out the international window against Tunisia, also at BMO Field (7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT on OneSoccer).