Tajon, Buchanan, Jonathan David lead the way as Canada downs Ukraine 4-2

Neil Davidson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 07, 2025 6:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Tajon Buchanan scored a extremity and acceptable up 2 much by Jonathan David arsenic Canada defeated Ukraine 4-2 connected Saturday successful the opening crippled of the inaugural Canadian Shield Tournament successful Toronto.

Promise David, nary relation, besides scored for Canada successful his elder debut.

Both Ukraine goals came successful the dying minutes.

Illia Zabarnyi scored successful the 89th minute, tapping location a teammate's header to cheers from the pro-Ukraine crowd. Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko added different from the punishment spot successful stoppage clip aft Buchanan was pinged for handball successful the Canadian punishment box.

It was an awesome outing, afloat of violative flair, by the 30th-ranked Canadian men successful their archetypal outing since finishing 3rd astatine the CONCACAF Nations League Finals successful March. And erstwhile No. 25 Ukraine threatened, goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau was up to the task for the archetypal 88 minutes.

Jonathan David upped his Canadian men's grounds extremity full to 34 successful 62 appearances. Buchanan, meanwhile, looked backmost to his electrical aforesaid connected the wing.

WATCH | Jonathan David scores twice, Canada downs Ukraine astatine Canadian Shield:

No. 86 New Zealand faced No. 41 Ivory Coast successful the precocious crippled astatine BMO Field. On Tuesday, Canada plays Ivory Coast aft New Zealand faces Ukraine.

There volition beryllium a trophy awarded aft the 2 contention days, with games going consecutive to a punishment shootout if tied aft 90 minutes. A regulation-time triumph volition beryllium worthy 3 points, with a punishment shootout triumph 2 points and shootout nonaccomplishment 1 point.

Ukrainian pride

There were plentifulness of yellow- and blue-clad fans successful Saturday's announced assemblage of 20,145, cheering connected Ukraine which has not played astatine location since Russia invaded successful February 2022. There are much than 1.3 cardinal Canadians of Ukrainian descent and Canada has accepted immoderate 300,000 refugees from Ukraine since the warfare started.

The Ukraine starters came retired with Ukraine flags draped connected their shoulders. Mykola Matviyenko's captain's armband was emblazoned with the chevrons of Ukraine's combat brigades.

The Ukraine anthem was sung with gusto connected a sunny 17 C afternoon. And pro-Ukraine chants started soon aft the kickoff.

But Canada went up successful the 4th infinitesimal with Buchanan arsenic playmaker down the close flank. Buchanan bushed 2 defenders and past floated a transverse to Jonathan David whose archetypal header was cleared disconnected the goal-line by a defender. The shot came close backmost to David who made nary mistake with a 2nd header.

That drew chants of Canada, Canada.

Crepeau made a brace of cardinal saves soon aft to sphere Canada's lead, denying an attempted spot by Zinchenko aft making an acrobatic prevention from close-range.

Buchanan and Jonathan David combined again successful the 24th infinitesimal with David, disconnected a Buchanan cross, deftly, flicking a header backwards past goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, who plays successful Portugal for Benfica.

Promise David, who scored 24 goals successful each competitions for Belgian champion Union Saint-Gilloise this season, made it 3-0 successful the 31st minute, pouncing connected an errant walk by defender Valeriy Bondar earlier sliding a debased changeable done Trubin to unfastened his Canada account. David, a section lad who had friends and household successful the stand, celebrated with an enthusiastic descent towards the country flag.

Daniel Jebbison, who plays successful England for Bournemouth, came connected to commencement the 2nd fractional for his 2nd cap, successful spot of Promise David.

Ukraine's Heorhiy Sudakov had a glorious accidental successful the 72nd infinitesimal but enactment his header implicit the crossbar.

The Canadians were not arsenic connected successful the 2nd fractional though Jonathan David came adjacent to his hat-trick successful the 75th, lone to spot his redirect spell high. Substitute Jayden Nelson deed the goalpost successful the 78th minute.

Jonathan David extended a infinitesimal aboriginal to a lasting ovation.

Buchanan made it 3-0 successful the 81st minute, outmuscling a defender successful beforehand of extremity to sound location a shot headed his mode disconnected a Canadian escaped footwear for his 5th Canadian goal.

Canada improved to 7-4-5 nether manager Jesse Marsch with 1 of these ties turning into a punishment shootout triumph implicit Venezuela and different into a shootout nonaccomplishment to Uruguay, some astatine past summer's Copa America. Canada's erstwhile scoring precocious nether Marsch was a 3-0 triumph implicit No. 137 Suriname successful November 2024.

Marsch, who said helium planned to usage his full roster crossed the 2 games, fielded a young, comparatively inexperienced squad. The starting 11 went into the crippled with a combined 241 caps, with 186 of those supplied by Buchanan, David, skipper Stephen Eustaquio and Derek Cornelius.

Five Canada starters —- Promise David, Zorhan Bassong, Luc de Fougerolles, Nathan Saliba and Niko Sigur — went into the crippled with 3 caps oregon less.

The mean property of the Canadian starting 11 was 22.5 years.

Marsch said immoderate of his roster enactment was enforced, fixed Nelson, Sam Adekugbe and Ali Ahmed missed grooming aft arriving sick successful the Canadian campy successful Halifax pursuing the Vancouver Whitecaps' travel to Mexico for past Sunday's CONCACAF Champions Cup last nonaccomplishment to Cruz Azul.

Nelson came successful disconnected the seat successful the 64th minute. Ukraine besides went to its bench, with goalkeeper Dmytro Riznk of Shakhtar Donets replacing Trubin successful the 66th minute.

Ukraine besides brought a young squad, with six of its starters from home clubs. The different 5 were from clubs successful England, Greece, Portugal and Spain.