After a comfortable 2-0 victory over Qatar, Canada faces Uruguay in a friendly at Tehelne pole in Slovakia on Tuesday, with kickoff at 7 pm.
Canada was dominant in its 2-0 victory over Brazil on Friday, scoring twice before the game was 15 minutes old.
The team showed no rust from its three-month hiatus from international play, outplaying the hosts and controlling 61% of possession—a rarity for a Canadian side that thrives in transition during CONCACAF qualifying.
It was a big statement victory for a side still without a contract agreement heading into the World Cup, not to mention the numerous questions surrounding how this team would fare with several key players struggling to earn playing time at club level. Friday’s win snapped Canada’s four-year drought against non-CONCACAF opponents.
On Tuesday, Uruguay will make their fourth successive World Cup appearance when they face Saudi Arabia in Rostov-on-Don.
Their coach, Diego Alonso, suffered his first defeat on Friday since taking over from long-time coach Oscar Tabarez, who had guided this team for 15 years, leading them to a World Cup semi-final appearance in 2010 and a Copa America title the following year.
Defensively, this team look just as stingy under Alonso as they did with Tabarez: they have conceded only two goals in their previous eight matches.
Canada vs Uruguay Head to Head
Both sides are yet to face each other and this marks their first encounter. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Canada 2-0 Qatar
- Honduras 2-1 Canada
- Canada 4-0 Curacao
- Panama 1-0 Canada
Away
- Iran 1-0 Uruguay
- Uruguay 5-0 Panama
- USA 0-0 Uruguay
- Mexico 0-3 Uruguay
Canada Team News
Larin scored a record 25th goal for Canada on Friday, while Jonathan David drew even with former striker Dwayne De Rosario for second in all-time goals with his 22nd. Sam Adekugbe assisted on the opening goal, and Milan Borjan collected his second clean sheet in the last three matches for the Canadians.
Uruguay Team News
For the first time in his last six international matches, goalkeeper Sergio Rochet conceded a goal as Uruguay fell to a 2-0 defeat to Argentina in Buenos Aires on Friday. Striker Darwin Nunez made his 50th appearance for La Celeste, while Liverpool forward Luis Suarez has a chance to move into second place on Uruguay’s all-time caps list.
Prediction and Odds
Les Rouges have faced some defensive units in the past, but none as stingy as Uruguay, who have a great deal of poise and commitment.
- Goals Under 2.5
- Away Win
- Half Time: 0-0