David's late goal lifts Canada to scrappy win over Panama

Jonathan David scored an 87th-minute winner to give Canada a 2-1 victory over Panama in an international friendly Tuesday night in Toronto in the team's first home match under head coach Jesse Marsch.

With Cyle Larin and Jose Fajardo exchanging goals on either side of the halftime interval, the familiar CONCACAF foes had seemingly canceled each other out on a blustery evening at BMO Field.

But David, who's enjoying an excellent start to the club season with five goals in seven league matches for French outfit Lille, broke the 1-1 deadlock by initiating - and then finishing - an attacking move in the waning minutes. The in-form striker drove toward the Panamanian penalty area before playing the ball out to substitute Liam Millar, whose pass back to the 24-year-old was expertly sliced away from the goalkeeper and into the corner.

The home crowd, having watched a physical, scrappy affair that lacked much rhythm or flow for nearly 90 minutes, erupted after the game's most fluid attacking sequence.

Marsch, who masterminded Canada's exhilarating run to the Copa America semifinals this summer shortly after taking the reins, lined up in a familiar 4-4-2, with Larin and David spearheading the side.

The former opened the scoring in the 44th minute, taking full advantage of a brutal blunder by Anibal Godoy. The veteran Panama captain, trying to dribble out of Canada's high press from a goal kick, coughed up possession just outside his own penalty area. Ali Ahmed quickly fed Larin, who redirected the ball home from close range.

Panama, coming off a 2-0 loss to the United States in another friendly match last week, came out of the halftime break with more zest, and got their equalizer in the 69th minute when Fajardo slipped through the defense and produced a deft finish after a Canadian turnover in midfield.

There were openings for both teams to win the game in the final ten minutes.

Canadian substitute Theo Bair had a looping header saved at one end, and ascendant defender Moise Bombito, the standout player of the match, extinguished a potential Panama breakaway seconds later by showing off his recovery speed and making a sliding tackle that he celebrated like a goal.

Minutes later, he and his teammates were indeed celebrating David's game-winning tally.

Marsch and Canada will next be in action during November's international window, when they play a two-legged quarterfinal tie against Suriname in the CONCACAF Nations League.

The second leg of that home-and-away matchup will take place back at BMO Field on Nov. 19.