After loss to Australia, Canada men face far different challenge against Colombia

Toronto FC's Jonathan Osorio celebrates a goal against CF Montreal during second half MLS soccer action in Toronto on Saturday, August 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

After failing to break down a resolute five-man Australian defence in a 1-0 loss Friday to the 25th-ranked Socceroos, No. 26 Canada faces an altogether different challenge Tuesday when it takes on No. 13 Colombia.

Brimming with individual talent, the Colombians have already booked their ticket to next year’s World Cup by finishing third in CONMEBOL qualifying with a 7-4-7 record. They showed their mettle at last year’s Copa America, losing 1-0 after extra time to Argentina.

Colombia is coming off a decisive 4-0 win over No. 14 Mexico on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, thanks to goals from Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich, Germany), Jhon Lucumi (Bologna, Italy), Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace, England) and Johan Carbonero (Internacional, Brazil).

“It’s a big challenge,” said Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio, both of whose parents were born in Colombia. “It’s a great team with recent results that are very strong.”

“This is a big opportunity for us to prove to ourselves that we are continuing to move in the right direction,” added Canada coach Jesse Marsch.

The two sides meet at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., the home of the New York Red Bulls.

“When we had the opportunity to play Colombia, I jumped on it immediately because I just know that between the way they play, the type of players they have, the success they’ve had in recent years, the physicality that they’ll bring, that all these things will feel like what a high-level opponent at the World Cup will feel like,” Marsch told a news conference Monday in Whippany, N.J.

“It’s a privilege for us to play against them. And we’re not just treating it as an experience. We’re treating it as a game that we want to go out and win.”

It’s the first of three straight games against South American opposition. The Canadian men close out their 2025 campaign with friendlies against No. 24 Ecuador at Toronto’s BMO Field on Nov. 13 and No. 49 Venezuela on Nov. 18 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Dayne St. Clair gets the start in goal after watching Max Crepeau get the nod against Australia as Marsch continues to mull over who will be his No. 1 come the World Cup.

“It’s a very fine margin between the two of them,” he said.

Marsch said there are other roster battles taking place.

“We have a deep squad at every position. And every guy is fighting for spots ... We can go through the whole group,” he said.

Marsch also confirmed that midfielder Stephen Eustaquio and forward Tani Oluwaseyi will start Tuesday.

The Canadian men, who finished fourth at Copa America, have played Colombia three times before.

Canada defeated the South Americans 2-0 in the final of the 2000 Gold Cup at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and lost in two friendlies: 1-0 in October 2014 at the same New Jersey venue and 3-0 in March 1988 in Armenia, Colombia.

The Colombians are unbeaten in six games (3-0-3) since a 2-0 loss to Brazil in World Cup qualifying in March

Diaz tied for second in scoring in South American qualifying with seven goals, behind Argentina’s Lionel Messi (eight). Colombia captain James Rodriguez (Leon, Mexico), meanwhile, earned the Best Player Award at Copa America and was named to the tournament all-star team along with Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez (Galatasary, Turkey).

Canada is 6-2-3 this year with two of those draws turning into penalty shootout losses (against the Ivory Coast and Guatemala).

Marsch reiterated that he saw positives in the loss to Australia in Montreal.

“The way we controlled the game, if we can just execute a few little thing around the goal; and make sure we don’t give away anything, we could have walked away with a really good feeling and a really result,” he said.

Australia, which takes on the 16th-ranked Americans on Tuesday in Commerce City, Colo., took advantage of a defensive miscue by fullback Niko Sigur in front of the Canadian goal to pull ahead.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press