There’s something about seeing a mullet flowing in the wind, rushing up the wing in the Montréal sun.
LAFC's Jacob Shaffelburg took center stage with a brace in Canada's 2-0 win over Peru on Saturday, bursting down the flank with his hair waving behind him at CF Montréal's Stade Saputo – not unlike legendary Montreal Canadiens star Guy Lafleur, considered a pioneer of the hairstyle in sports.
The Nova Scotia native scored his first goals for Canada in almost two years and led the way in one of his country’s most commanding wins since Jesse Marsch took charge in May 2024.
“I haven't scored at all this year, so to get two goals is unbelievable for my confidence right now,” Shaffelburg told reporters.
“We trust each other that we can score. We're scoring a lot of goals in practice all the time, so just to see it in the game is nice, but we all know we can do it."
Dominant display
While 6-0 wins over Qatar and Honduras at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup stand out, Saturday’s performance was arguably just as dominant.
Shaffelburg picked up his brace, in-form Birmingham City star Liam Millar electrified fans with his deliveries and Atlético Madrid striker Jonathan David continued to threaten.
The defense, meanwhile, nullified Peru’s efforts, as the midfield danced around an overwhelmed La Blanquirroja.
“These are two matches where we made them look bad. We walk away feeling like we should score multiple goals, because the identity and the clarity and the talent on the pitch are at a high level,” said Marsch.
“We're able to control matches and make teams look bad and make them make it look like they never have a chance in the match.”
Testing depth
As much as Shaffelburg and Millar, two established players in the Canadian setup, headlined the day, it was also a match for the next core.
Seven players with 10 caps or fewer took the pitch, including a first start for Toronto FC’s 18-year-old Richard Chukwu and Dundee FC goalkeeper Owen Goodman.
Between the sticks, the 22-year-old Goodman earned a debut clean sheet, marking the next chapter after a tenacious citizenship process for the highly touted English-Canadian dual national.
Outside of the starters, 21-year-old center backs Jamie Knight-Lebel and Jovan Ivanisevic came in for 25 minutes each, offering a peek at some of the potential Marsch has as he evolves the national team’s player pool.
Samuel Piette honored
The newer faces all stepped up on a day when CF Montréal and Canada legend Samuel Piette may have made his final appearance with Les Rouges.
After receiving the captain's armband from Stephen Eustáquio to thunderous applause, Piette helped close out the match in his 70th appearance, following a pre-game ceremony celebrating his career. Off-roster stars Ismaël Koné, Moïse Bombito and Orlando City's Maxime Crépeau were also in attendance to pay tribute to one of the province's finest players.
“Sam spoke to the team before the match... he said it was about what it means to play for the Canadian national team and the pride, and what it means to commit yourself to being part of the team, and it was very moving,” said Marsch.
Piette, despite the honor, adamantly denied retiring from the program: “We do this job for moments and emotions like this... To have the big cheer and support from all the fans here, it was massive.”
USA next
Canada are gaining confidence at both ends of the pitch at the right time.
Next up is their most important clash of the window: a battle with border rivals the US men’s national team on Oct. 6 at Minnesota United’s Allianz Stadium.
After struggling to generate chances against a nine-man Chile for 40 minutes in a 1-0 win, Canada peppered Peru with 17 shots and showcased a clinical edge in front of goal.
Now, a youthful, MLS-heavy USMNT await. It’s an opponent likely to be one of Canada's biggest trophy-hunting rivals at the 2030 World Cup, but one Les Rouges have yet to lose to under Marsch.
“We know that we'll have an opponent that has a lot of quality, that is athletic, that has a good coach, and a good way of playing,” Marsch said of facing his native country.
“It'll be a big challenge for us, but we feel confident against any opponent that we play, and that if we dictate the terms of the match and control the game the way we like to control it, we feel like we can beat just about anybody.”
