Canada's Striker Search: Jonathan David Still Hunting for a Forward Partner as Larin Leaves Camp With Back Injury

ST. PAUL, Minnesota — Canada's 1-0 friendly defeat to the United States on Tuesday did more than extend an uncomfortable scoring drought. It exposed, once again, the void alongside Jonathan David at the top of Jesse Marsch's attack.

Tani Oluwaseyi made a name for himself at Allianz Field during his time with Minnesota United, but outside of one shot sent far wide of the goal, he was largely a non-factor on his return to the stadium. Jonathan David was active around the box, but it never felt like he was getting the right service to put him in dangerous positions to score.

The search for a forward partner has been complicated further by Cyle Larin having left Canada camp with a minor back injury, leaving the coach to sift through options he is still getting to know.

'You don't always have time'

Jonathan David, Canada's most reliable attacking reference, was candid about how difficult it is to build an understanding with a rotating cast of strike partners.

"The easiest thing is (developing chemistry) over time, but you don't always have time," he said of what he looks for in a forward partner. "I think it's just knowing what type of player you're playing with, knowing what he likes, if he likes to receive the ball in behind, and then after you try to adjust."

While Jacob Shaffelburg looked spry down the left, it was telling to see Marsch move to four forwards for a healthy chunk of the second half against the U.S.: Jonathan David, Promise David, Daniel Jebbison and Jacen Russell-Rowe. It amounted to more chaos, less control.

Promise David, for his part, was visibly frustrated, hammering the boards behind the U.S. goal after sending a second-half header wide.

"We just have to be more clinical in the final third," he said. "A little bit more urgency off set pieces and desire to get the final pass in. (We need to) work on getting the final pass perfect so it tees up the other person for the best possible shot."

Depth exposed, and a long absentee list

While it was a positive for Marsch to get a closer look at players he might not have been as familiar with through this window, Canada's performances still illustrated its lack of depth. Marsch lamented on Monday how the U.S. and its soccer infrastructure has developed young players in a way Canada has not — a gap that was on full display a little over 24 hours later.

One of Marsch's primary goals through 2025 was to better understand and assess his player pool beyond his core. Now, he has to go back to the well again in 2027.

Of course, the Lake Ontario-sized asterisk hanging over this window is how many starters Canada was missing at various points across its three games: Moise Bombito, Ismael Kone, Tajon Buchanan, Alistair Johnston, Derek Cornelius, Cyle Larin, Max Crepeau, Ali Ahmed, Alfie Jones, Marcelo Flores and Alphonso Davies.

Between the absences and the finishing, the attack — the final third, as Marsch kept repeating — remains the project. Widening the pool of attackers he can draw upon is on the coach; making the most of the chances those forwards get is on the players.