David, Davies team up to lift Canada over Panama

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Jonathan David had a goal and an assist while Alphonso Davies also scored to help lift Canada to a 2-0 victory over Panama in the semifinals of the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League Finals on Thursday evening at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The win sends Canada to Sunday’s Final where they will attempt to win their first Concacaf title since the 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup.

There were few chances at the start, the lone look at goal being a Samuel Adekugbe effort for Canada that was easily saved by Panama GK Orlando Mosquera.

The game would open up, though, and Canada were able to pick the Panama lock in the 25’, with Kamal Miller playing a surgical pass into David, whose excellent finish beat Mosquera for a 1-0 Canada lead.

Panama went right to work on finding an equalizer before halftime and a pair of stinging shots from Ismael Diaz and Fidel Escobar required reaction saves from Canada shot-stopper Milan Borjan.

Panama continued their hunt for a leveler and had two good looks at goal shortly after the re-start through a Harold Cummings header in the 52’ and a right-footed crack from Diaz in the 57’.

But Canada were just as dangerous going forward and only an absolutely sensational save from Mosquera to deny a Cyle Larin header right in front of goal in the 58’ kept it a one-goal affair.

Davies had started on the bench but came on midway through the second stanza and made an immediate impact by taking a pass from David and firing a rocket into net to double the Canada lead to 2-0 in the 70’.

Despite the two-goal hole, Panama kept pushing and a curling right-footed shot from Adalberto Carrasquilla resulted in a diving save from Borjan.

In the end, though, the Canadian defense saw things out to nail down the victory and a place in the Final.