Suriname vs. Canada
Concacaf Nations League A – Quarter-Final (Leg 1)
Nov. 15, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT
Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium in Paramaribo, Suriname
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980

Since Jesse Marsch took over as Canadian men’s national team manager in May, his 11 games in charge have all come against teams who, at the time, were ranked in the top 50 in the world by FIFA.

That included playing world number one Argentina twice at a Copa América, second-ranked France, eighth-ranked Netherlands and top 20 countries like Uruguay (14), Mexico (16) and the United States (18).

On Friday, Canada travel to Paramaribo, Suriname to take on the 136th-ranked nation in the world in what, on paper, should be their easiest match yet in 2024. But as the first leg of a home-and-away Concacaf Nations League quarter-final, with the second leg on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at BMO Field, these are also some of the most important games of the year.

Against Suriname, Canada will not only be looking to finish a historic 2024 — which included a fourth-place finish at the 2024 Copa América and some strong results and performances against some of the best countries in the world — on a high. Defeating Suriname is essential to setting up this team to reach even greater heights in 2025.

Winning this tie would not only put Canada in the Concacaf Nations League final four for a second time, to be contested in March at SoFi Stadium, but would also mean automatic qualification for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. Given Canada’s ambitions and recent results against continental opposition, they will have designs on lifting their first bit of silverware since 2000 in at least one of those competitions. Friday is the start of that process.

While 101 spots separate Canada from Suriname in the FIFA rankings, the task isn’t quite as straightforward as it might initially appear. They did, after all, fall to Jamaica on aggregate in the quarter-finals of last year’s Nations League competition.

The Suriname side, meanwhile, has plenty of top talent, including veteran Eredivisie goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen, experienced central defender Stefano Denswil, Ridgeciano Haps who plays in Serie A with Venezia and Real Sociedad striker Sheraldo Becker, who might be one of the best number nines in the region.

This match is also Marsch’s first competition road fixture in Concacaf, which will bring with it its own challenges. Paramaribo is still quite a ways from Florida, where Canada held the majority of their pre-match training camp, and Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium is an artificial turf surface perhaps not entirely conducive to playing the sort of high-tempo football which has brought Canada success.

An ability to win away from home in Concacaf won’t carry with it the same weight that it did for past Canada managers. Marsch’s men will not have to go through the same World Cup qualifying gauntlet over the next few years, having already qualified as hosts for 2026. But it is still never an easy proposition.

Canada will also be without multiple key players, including captain Alphonso Davies who required rest this window after a hectic fixture schedule to start 2024. Meanwhile, Derek Cornelius and Liam Millar also miss out through injury.

They do, however, get Inter Milan’s Tajon Buchanan back, who while perhaps lacking match fitness after fracturing his leg during training at this summer’s Copa América remains one of the team’s star players. Ismaël Koné also makes his return from a more minor injury and veteran Junior Hoilett is back in camp, while Sam Adekugbe will step in for Davies.

But, really, if Canada remain concentrated and organized as they have thus far under Marsch, this should be a fairly comprehensive fixture. There was some concern with the threat Suriname posed the last time Canada met them in the first round of 2022 World Cup qualifying. Instead, Canada picked up a comfortable 4-0 victory, courtesy of a second-half Jonathan David hat-trick.

The Iceman has scored in Canada’s past two windows, and has been even more lethal for club with 13 goals in 18 matches this season for Lille, including four in four matches in the UEFA Champions League. Perhaps, this window will be a chance for Canada to have an offensive breakout in general under Marsch, as they still haven’t scored more than two goals in a match under the new manager, with just eight goals in eleven overall.

But these matches are, more than anything, about continuing positive momentum, while perhaps giving a few new faces a chance to get some big minutes in the new system. The only way for that momentum to truly continue, is for Canada to defeat Suriname, and make sure their 2025 begins with competitive fixtures.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Suriname: Vaessan; van Gelderen, Abena, Pinas, Haps; Malone, Paal; Becker, Pherai, Misidjan; Vlijter

Canada: St. Clair; Johnston, Bombito, Waterman, Adekugbe; Ahmed, Koné, Eustáquio, Shaffelburg; Larin, David

ALL-TIME SERIES

Suriname wins: 0 || Canada wins: 2 || Draws: 0

Last meeting:

June 8, 2021 – Canada 4-0 Suriname