TORONTO (AP) — Jonathan David scored twice from the penalty spot in the second half before Tajon Buchanan was shown a red card as Canada fought back from a 2-0 deficit to pull away to a 2-2 draw with Iceland in a men’s international friendly on Saturday.
Buchanan was sent off in the 80th minute for elbowing Iceland midfielder Mikael Egil Ellerson in the head as the ball was being played out.
This series of games was three in a row, and Canada suffered a fourth red point in the last eight.
Canadian manager Jesse Marsh disagreed with Buchanan’s firing, saying, “We’re physical, we play hard, but we’re not a dirty team.” “We’re not worried about building reputation, but certainly a card like that could change the momentum of a tournament.”
Olli Stein Øskársson scored both goals for Iceland.
The Canadian, ranked 29th in the world, is preparing to co-host this summer’s world cup They qualified against the United States and Mexico, but Iceland, which was ranked 74th when FIFA’s last official list was released in mid-January, missed out.
Oskarsson took advantage of a bad pass from Canadian center back Kamal Miller to take a solo run and beat goalkeeper Dane St. Clair in the ninth minute for a 1-0 lead.
The striker from Spanish club Real Sociedad doubled his advantage in the 21st with Ellertsson beating right-back Nico Sigur in midfield. Øskarsson took a quick feed during the run and was consistent with another great finish.
Canada got one point back in the 67th minute when David calmly converted a penalty after Buchanan was fouled by Ellerson. The Italian giants Juventus striker added his second goal of the afternoon after coming on as a substitute in the 76th minute, but substitute Daniel Jevison was also brought down in the area before Buchanan was sent off.
Canada now turns its attention to another exhibition game, Tuesday against No. 47 Tunisia, with plenty of opportunities for players looking to secure a roster spot or make a good impression at the World Cup, which is about 75 days away.
Canada opens the tournament on June 12 in Toronto, facing the winner of the European playoff between No. 13 Italy and No. 66 Bosnia and Herzegovina, scheduled for Tuesday. The Canadians then travel west to face Qatar on June 18th and Switzerland on June 24th at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium.
“Every moment we are together now is an opportunity to make a lasting impression, a lasting impression,” Marsh said. “But I don’t want them to feel too much pressure. I want them to keep trying to implement what we want to see.”
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