USMNT Shuts Out Canada in Second Contest of Series
SURREY, Canada - In their second game of the series, the No. 26 U.S. Men's National Team capitalized on their scoring opportunities and delivered a disciplined defensive performance to earn a 2-0 victory over No. 19 Canada. The Wolves made the most of their chances in front of goal, while a resilient defensive effort, anchored by goalkeeper Jonathan Klages, kept the hosts off the scoreboard to secure the shutout win.
USA controlled the early stages of the contest, holding most of the possession and dictating play. Midway through the quarter, Canada shifted the momentum and created a dangerous scoring chance, but goalkeeper Klages came up with a diving save to keep the hosts off the board. In the 9th minute, Sekayi Charasika opened the scoring for the Wolves with a backhand into the net.
With just 30 second remaining before the quarter break, USA pieced together a passing sequence down the right side, culminating in Rory Bleeker finishing to double the score at 2-0.
Canada applied pressure throughout the second quarter, but USA’s defense stood firm to keep them off the scoreboard. Canada's closest opportunity came in the 25th minute when a backhand effort sailed just over the crossbar. The Wolves continued to defend decisively for the remainder of the period to hold the 2-0 advantage into the halftime break.
Canada’s sustained attack continued in the third frame, but USA’s structure continued to hold firm. The red, white and blue nearly added to their lead in the 33rd minute when Wyatt Katz's shot struck the far post.
Canada earned two penalty corners in the final minute of the quarter, but goalkeeper Klages came up with a pair of crucial saves to preserve the Wolves’ advantage.
Canada remained on the front foot throughout the fourth, continuing to apply pressure in search of a way back into the match. The hosts intensified their attack and pulled their goalkeeper in the 56th minute for an extra field player, but USA’s defense stayed organized and composed under the late surge. Backed by their strong defensive effort, the Wolves closed out the 2-0 victory.
Key Moments:
7’ Jonathan Klages forced to make a save
9’ Backhand goal from Sekayi Charasika, 1-0
13’ Jonathan Klages with a glove stop
15’ Rory Bleeker doubled USA’s lead, 2-0
19’ Canada with a shot that went wide
21’ Doug Allison issued a green card
31’ Canada with the lone shot of the third quarter
33’ Shot by Wyatt Katz goes off the far post
44’ Jonathan Klages with a stop
44’ Back-to-back Canada penalty corners
46’ Jonathan Klages denied a chance
50’ Consecutive Canada set pieces, both saved by Jonathan Klages
55’ Canada issued a green card
56’ Canada pulled their goalkeeper
57’ Canada penalty corner
58’ Jonathan Klages with a crucial save
60’ Canada set piece
Noteworthy:
- Rory Bleeker scored his first senior outdoor men’s goal
- Sekayi Charasika leads the series in scoring with three
- USA has never shutout Canada
- The only other time USA beat Canada since 2013 was in pool play at the 2022 Pan American Cup
Quote from Head Coach Allan Law: "A very important win for this group. Earning a result against a home nation is never something to take for granted. We are very encouraged by the continued development of the squad and the strength and depth we are building. The athletes have worked extremely hard, and this result is a valuable endorsement of that commitment."
"The game was a tale of two halves. We were very pleased with how we controlled the first half, playing with maturity, composure, and confidence. Credit to Canada for their response in the second half. They came out with real intent, put us under pressure, and forced us to dig deep and earn the result. Another very encouraging sign for the future was seeing two of our youngest athletes, Sekayi Charasika and Rory Bleeker, get on the scoresheet."
"There are plenty of valuable lessons for us, both individually and collectively, that we will reflect on and continue to improve. Tomorrow is a rest and recovery day before we look to finish the series on Thursday."
Next Up: The final game of the three-game series will take place Thursday, July 2 at 4:00 p.m. PT. All games can be streamed on Sikh Games Canada’s YouTube.
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