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

By Canadian Press on June 7, 2025.

TORONTO — Tajon Buchanan scored a goal and set up two more by Jonathan David as Canada defeated Ukraine 4-2 on Saturday in the opening game of the inaugural Canadian Shield Tournament.

Promise David, no relation, also scored for Canada in his senior debut.

Both Ukraine goals came in the dying minutes.

Illia Zabarnyi scored in the 89th minute, tapping home a teammate’s header to cheers from the pro-Ukraine crowd. Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko added another from the penalty spot in stoppage time after Buchanan was pinged for handball in the Canadian penalty box.

It was an impressive outing, full of offensive flair, by the 30th-ranked Canadian men in their first outing since finishing third at the CONCACAF Nations League Finals in March. And when No. 25 Ukraine threatened, goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau was up to the task for the first 88 minutes.

Jonathan David upped his Canadian men’s record goal total to 34 in 62 appearances. Buchanan, meanwhile, looked back to his electric self on the wing.

No. 86 New Zealand faced No. 41 Ivory Coast in the late game at BMO Field. On Tuesday, Canada plays Ivory Coast after New Zealand faces Ukraine.

There will be a trophy awarded after the two competition days, with games going straight to a penalty shootout if tied after 90 minutes. A regulation-time win will be worth three points, with a penalty shootout victory two points and shootout loss one point.

There were plenty of yellow- and blue-clad fans in Saturday’s announced crowd of 20,145, cheering on Ukraine which has not played at home since Russia invaded in February 2022. There are more than 1.3 million Canadians of Ukrainian descent and Canada has accepted some 300,000 refugees from Ukraine since the war started.

The Ukraine starters came out with Ukraine flags draped on 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 on a sunny 17 C afternoon. And pro-Ukraine chants started soon after the kickoff.

But Canada went ahead in the fourth minute with Buchanan as playmaker down the right flank. Buchanan beat two defenders and then floated a cross to Jonathan David whose initial header was cleared off the goal-line by a defender. The ball came right back to David who made no mistake with a second header.

That drew chants of Canada, Canada.

Crepeau made a pair of key saves soon after to preserve Canada’s lead, denying an attempted chip by Zinchenko after making an acrobatic save from close-range.

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

Promise David, who scored 24 goals in all competitions for Belgian champion Union Saint-Gilloise this season, made it 3-0 in the 31st minute, pouncing on an errant pass by defender Valeriy Bondar before sliding a low shot through Trubin to open his Canada account. David, a local boy who had friends and family in the stand, celebrated with an enthusiastic slide towards the corner flag.

Daniel Jebbison, who plays in England for Bournemouth, came on to start the second half for his second cap, in place of Promise David.

Ukraine’s Heorhiy Sudakov had a glorious chance in the 72nd minute but put his header over the crossbar.

The Canadians were not as connected in the second half although Jonathan David came close to his hat-trick in the 75th, only to see his redirect go high. Substitute Jayden Nelson hit the goalpost in the 78th minute.

Jonathan David extended a minute later to a standing ovation.

Buchanan made it 3-0 in the 81st minute, outmuscling a defender in front of goal to knock home a ball headed his way off a Canadian free kick for his fifth Canadian goal.

Canada improved to 7-4-5 under coach Jesse Marsch with one of these ties turning into a penalty shootout win over Venezuela and another into a shootout loss to Uruguay, both at last summer’s Copa America. Canada’s previous scoring high under Marsch was a 3-0 win over No. 137 Suriname in November 2024.

Marsch, who said he planned to use his entire roster across the two games, fielded a young, relatively inexperienced squad. The starting 11 went into the game with a combined 241 caps, with 186 of those supplied by Buchanan, David, captain Stephen Eustaquio and Derek Cornelius.

Five Canada starters — Promise David, Zorhan Bassong, Luc de Fougerolles, Nathan Saliba and Niko Sigur — went into the game with three caps or less.

The average age of the Canadian starting 11 was 22.5 years.

Marsch said some of his roster selection was enforced, given Nelson, Sam Adekugbe and Ali Ahmed missed training after arriving sick in the Canadian camp in Halifax following the Vancouver Whitecaps’ trip to Mexico for last Sunday’s CONCACAF Champions Cup final loss to Cruz Azul.

Nelson came in off the bench in the 64th minute. Ukraine also went to its bench, with goalkeeper Dmytro Riznk of Shakhtar Donets replacing Trubin in the 66th minute.

Ukraine also brought a young squad, with six of its starters from domestic clubs. The other five were from clubs in England, Greece, Portugal and Spain.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press