🚨 Canada labor in narrow quarterfinal win over Suriname | OneFootball

A second night of action in the knockout stage of the CONCACAF Nations League offered little surprise as regional powerhouse pair Canada and Mexico were on the road seeking first-leg wins at Suriname and Honduras.

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Here is what has gone down tonight so far.

Hoilett spares Canadian blushes

Scorers: Hoilett 82'

In a matchup featuring a 100-place difference in the official FIFA rankings, CONCACAF giants Canada earned a critical yet underwhelming 1-0 first-leg away win at Suriname despite the absence of star man Alphonso Davies.

Early heroics by Groningen's Etienne Vaessen, and a strike off both posts by Canada's Tani Oluwaseyi helped Suriname ride their luck in the first half, only for the floodgates to eventually give way late in the second stanza.

But it would not happen until late in the second half as Suriname held firm in front of home support when Lille star Jonathan David turned provider with a ball across the face of goal for Junior Hoilett to slot his close-range effort past Vaessen in the 82nd minute.

It was a hammer blow for Suriname boss Stanley Menzo, who did so well to keep Canada off the scoresheet while showing real threat on the counter in wide areas.

With that result, Canada takes a decisive away leg goal back to Toronto for the return fixture, matching the results of both the United States and Panama.

Still to come

Photo Credit: © Erik Williams | 2023 Jul 1