Chiedozie Ogbene Denies Canada Victory in World Cup Send-Off

Chiedozie Ogbene crashed Canada’s World Cup send-off party, and he did it the hard way.

The Ireland forward pounced on a spilled penalty in the 60th minute to earn a 1-1 draw in Montreal on Friday night, denying Jesse Marsch’s side a final victory before they head into the biggest month of their year.

Canada strike first, with a touch of fortune

For half an hour, it all looked reassuringly straightforward for the hosts.

Canada, sharper and more assertive early on, took the lead in the 24th minute from a set piece that owed as much to chaos as design. Stephen Eustáquio whipped in a corner, the ball ricocheted dangerously across the six-yard box, and Ireland defender Jake O’Brien, under pressure in front of goal, turned it into his own net.

It went down as an own goal, but for Canada it was exactly what they wanted: an early breakthrough, a bit of confidence, and a platform to manage the night.

Ireland, with no World Cup to prepare for and nothing to protect, slowly grew into the game. They harried, they pressed, they annoyed. Canada still carried the cleaner patterns, but the visitors refused to go quietly.

Ogbene punishes Larin’s rash challenge

The turning point came with one reckless moment.

Cyle Larin, who had signed a two-year deal with Southampton earlier in the day, started up front and worked hard off the ball. Then he dived into a clumsy challenge on Jamie McGrath in the box, and the referee pointed straight to the spot.

Troy Parrott stepped up. Maxime Crépeau guessed right, springing to his side to punch the penalty away. It should have been a heroic, momentum-seizing save.

Instead, the rebound fell invitingly into the danger area. Ogbene reacted first, crashing the ball home and silencing the crowd. From a position of control, Canada suddenly found themselves level and under scrutiny.

Crépeau’s redemption and a battle for places

If the equalizer stung, Crépeau refused to let it define his night.

Named Canada’s World Cup starter ahead of Dayne St. Claire, the 30-year-old is living out a redemption arc after missing the 2022 World Cup with a broken leg suffered in the MLS Cup final for LAFC. This was his chance to cement that status.

He did just that late on. With Ireland sensing a winner, Mason Melia burst through in the 85th minute, only for Crépeau to stand tall and smother the chance with a sharp, decisive stop. He finished with two saves, but that one mattered most — a reminder of why Marsch has handed him the gloves for the tournament.

Marsch shuffles his back line, Davies still absent

Marsch used the night to fine-tune rather than overhaul. At the back, Luc de Fougerolles started at center half, stepping in for Moïse Bombito, who is still managing his return from a fractured tibia and was seen icing his leg after being withdrawn at halftime against Uzbekistan earlier in the week.

The more glaring absence remained upfield. Captain Alphonso Davies, still nursing a hamstring injury picked up with Bayern Munich, did not feature and continues to work on his recovery. There is no clear timeline for his return, and every match he misses sharpens the question of how ready he will be when the real games begin.

World Cup countdown begins

Canada leave this window with a mixed bag: a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan in Edmonton on Monday, and now a draw that exposed both their promise and their fragility under pressure.

Next comes the real test. They open their World Cup on June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B, then travel to Vancouver for clashes with Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.

The dress rehearsals are over. The margins are about to get a lot thinner.