Chiedozie Ogbene Shines in Ireland's Draw with Canada
Chiedozie Ogbene struck again for his country, this time in Montreal, to keep the Republic of Ireland’s quiet resurgence rolling with a 1-1 draw against World Cup co-hosts Canada.
It was a friendly on paper. It did not feel like one.
O'Brien's nightmare, Canada's gift
Canada, gearing up for a home World Cup and urged on by a lively crowd, started with the urgency of a team on a countdown. Jesse Marsch’s side pressed high, snapped into tackles and forced Ireland back towards their own box.
The breakthrough, when it came on 24 minutes, was scruffy and cruel from an Irish perspective.
Stephen Eustaquio whipped in a corner, the kind defenders usually like attacking. Jake O’Brien went to deal with it, but his header flew the wrong way and into his own net. No Canadian touch, no debate. Just a stunned defender watching the ball skid past his goalkeeper and a stadium happy to claim it as their own.
Canada had the lead without having carved Ireland open. They had it because they were on the front foot and because pressure, sustained long enough, usually finds a crack.
Larin's rash challenge, Ireland's route back
Ireland needed a response. For long spells after the goal they huffed more than they hurt, but the game turned on one clumsy moment from a man whose day had already been busy off the pitch.
Cyle Larin, fresh from signing a two-year deal with Southampton earlier in the day, mistimed his challenge on Jamie McGrath in the box. McGrath hit the deck. The referee pointed straight to the spot. No delay, no VAR drama. Just a clear route back into the game.
Troy Parrott stepped up. This was his moment, or so it seemed. His penalty lacked conviction and Maxime Crepeau guessed right, pushing the effort away.
Ireland might have folded there. Instead, they reacted quicker.
The rebound dropped into a crowd of bodies and Ogbene, alive to the chaos, pounced. He thumped the ball past Crepeau in the 60th minute, the kind of finish that doesn’t ask questions, it ends them. From despair to parity in a heartbeat.
Crepeau stands tall, again
For Crepeau, the night carried its own weight. The Orlando City goalkeeper missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after breaking his leg in the MLS Cup final, a brutal twist for a player at the peak of his form. Here, with another World Cup on the horizon and the No 1 shirt his to lose, he played like a man intent on making up for lost time.
Saving Parrott’s penalty was the headline act, but his work wasn’t finished.
Ireland, emboldened by the equaliser and sensing Canada’s uncertainty, pushed late for a winner. Substitute Mason Melia tore through on a charging run, the sort that opens up a stadium and silences the home noise. He looked set to steal it.
Crepeau read it, stood his ground and shut the door. One-on-one, game in the balance, he made the stop that preserved Canada’s draw and, perhaps, his own grip on the starting role heading into the tournament.
Canada still searching, Ireland still building
For Ireland, who will watch this summer’s World Cup from afar after failing to qualify, the draw extends a useful run of results and, more importantly, offers another sign that they can trouble teams with something to lose.
They did not dominate. They did not need to. They stayed in the game, punished a mistake and nearly snatched it at the end. Ogbene, again, delivered when it mattered.
Canada leave with mixed feelings. The scoreline is respectable, the performance less so for a side about to walk into the biggest month in their footballing history.
They open the World Cup on June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina, then meet Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24. All of that, for now, without their captain.
Alphonso Davies remains sidelined, still nursing the hamstring injury he picked up with Bayern Munich. His absence hangs over this team. His return date will shape the mood of a nation.
Ireland fly home with credit, Canada stay home with questions. The countdown to June 12 will not get any quieter.
