Canada and Ireland Draw 1-1 in World Cup Send-Off Match

Chiedozie Ogbene crashed Canada’s World Cup send-off party with a poacher’s finish, as Ireland clawed back a 1-1 draw in Montreal on Friday night.

It wasn’t the script Canada wanted for their final warm-up. It was, however, a sharp reminder of how thin the margins will be when the World Cup starts for real.

Canada strike first – with a slice of luck

Jesse Marsch’s side hit the front in the 24th minute, and they did it without actually finding the net themselves.

Stephen Eustáquio whipped in a dangerous corner, the kind defenders hate. Jake O’Brien, stationed in front of his own goal, got the decisive touch and turned the ball past his own keeper. Canada celebrated; Ireland stared at the turf. It went down as an own goal, but Eustáquio’s delivery had created the chaos.

From there, Canada looked in control. The tempo suited them, the crowd was with them, and Ireland — absent from this year’s World Cup — were forced to chase.

Ogbene pounces after penalty drama

The game tilted after the break.

Ireland found more bite in midfield and finally dragged themselves level through a moment of rashness from Cyle Larin. The forward, who had signed a two-year deal with Southampton earlier in the day, lunged in recklessly on Jamie McGrath inside the box. The referee pointed straight to the spot.

Troy Parrott stepped up. Maxime Crépeau guessed right.

The Canadian goalkeeper, recently confirmed as Marsch’s No. 1 for the World Cup, beat away Parrott’s penalty with a strong punch. For a split second, it looked like a statement save in a statement game.

Then Ogbene arrived.

Alive to the rebound, the Ireland forward reacted faster than anyone, smashing the loose ball home in the 60th minute. Canada’s lead was gone, and so was the comfort of a routine farewell win.

Crépeau’s long road back

For Crépeau, just being here matters.

He missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after breaking his leg in the MLS Cup final with LAFC, watching Canada’s return to the global stage from the sidelines. Now he has the gloves, and on this night he did enough to keep them.

Ireland pushed for a winner late on, and Mason Melia nearly stole it. In the 85th minute, the substitute burst through on goal, only for Crépeau to stand tall and smother the chance. It was one of just two saves he officially recorded, but it carried the weight of a keeper intent on making up for lost time.

Larin starts, Davies still missing

Larin’s night was mixed. He started up front, fresh from sealing his move to Southampton, but his most notable contribution was the clumsy challenge that handed Ireland their route back into the match.

Canada also had to cope once again without their captain and star man. Alphonso Davies remained sidelined with a hamstring injury picked up at Bayern Munich, and there is still no timeline for his return. Every game he misses sharpens the sense of unease around Canada’s World Cup prospects.

At the back, Marsch handed a start to Luc de Fougerolles at centre back, with Moïse Bombito sitting out after coming off at halftime against Uzbekistan and later seen icing his leg. Bombito is working his way back from a fractured tibia, and Canada will not want to rush him with a tournament looming.

World Cup next

Canada arrive at the World Cup unbeaten from this final window, having beaten Uzbekistan 2-0 in Edmonton earlier in the week and now shared the spoils with Ireland.

The real tests are coming quickly. They open Group B on June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina, then move west to Vancouver for meetings with Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.

The send-off in Montreal did not deliver the clean victory the hosts craved. Instead, it offered something more honest: a reminder that without Davies, with a new goalkeeper reclaiming his career, and with defensive pieces still settling, Canada will step into this World Cup with promise — and with questions they must answer on the biggest stage.