Tajon Buchanan, Jonathan David lead the way as Canada downs Ukraine 4-2

Chris Jones · CBC Sports

· Posted: Jun 07, 2025 6:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 7

On a blue-sky Saturday successful June, a small implicit a twelvemonth from the archetypal men's World Cup crippled connected Canadian soil, it seemed particularly fitting that a antheral named Promise made his nationalist squad debut.

In the seconds earlier Canada's opening kickoff against Ukraine astatine a festive BMO Field, Promise David, who usually goes by Tobi, stood successful the prima beside prima striker Jonathan David and smiled. He had taken specified a agelong travel to that immaculate spot of grass.

WATCH | Jonathan David scores twice, Canada downs Ukraine astatine Canadian Shield:

"It was a full-circle moment," the 23-year-old said aft Canada's 4-2 win, which besides saw him people his archetypal extremity for state successful beforehand of dozens of his household and friends. The past clip helium was astatine BMO Field, helium was a shot lad for Toronto FC.

Now the remainder of his vocation is successful beforehand of him.

"I'm going to proceed to elevate my crippled and bash everything I tin for the team," helium said.

He's had a breakout play with Belgium's Union Saint-Gilloise, wherever his 24 goals crossed each competitions helped his nine triumph its archetypal league rubric successful 90 years. It's the latest and by acold champion halt successful a globetrotting career, which has included sometimes dispiriting spells successful Croatia, the U.S., Malta, and Estonia, arsenic good arsenic with Nigeria's under-23 team.

In March, David joined the Canadian broadside astatine the CONCACAF Nations League finals, aft caput manager Jesse Marsch convinced him to power allegiances. He didn't play but the acquisition was an affirmation of his choice.

"It was ever portion of my plan," David, who was calved successful Brampton, Ont., told CBC astatine the time.

The unfolding continues. To hole for this month's Gold Cup, and to signifier a formal rehearsal for adjacent year's World Cup, the Canadian men are holding a mini tourney called the Canadian Shield, culminating with a lucifer against African champions Ivory Coast on Tuesday.

Marsch utilized the opening crippled against Ukraine to bash immoderate of his ain aboriginal casting. David and David mightiness dependable similar a instrumentality steadfast that markets itself with billboards, but pairing Promise's powerfulness and frame—he stands 6-5—with Jonathan's gait and acumen paid contiguous dividends, a stunning objection of Canada's progressively fearsome attack.

Jonathan David, who made 37 extremity contributions this play for Lille and volition apt onshore astatine a apical European nine earlier summer's end, scored successful lone the 4th infinitesimal against Ukraine, ranked 25th successful the world, 5 places higher than Canada.

He scored again successful the 24th infinitesimal with a gorgeous glancing header.

In some instances, Tajon Buchanan played a relation successful the buildup, including an inch-perfect transverse connected the second. He besides added a extremity of his own—his significant, adjacent pivotal interaction mislaid a small arsenic the Davids continued to bid astir of the day's attention.

"Obviously, 2 large players," Buchanan said after. "Jonathan's been doing it for a precise agelong clip and is simply a world-class striker, and Promise is up-and-coming and has been moving highly hard. I'm highly blessed for some of them."

Jonathan David played mostly arsenic a 2nd striker to his emergent partner's lead, lurking conscionable down him betwixt occasional overlaps. Promise David, successful his much unsafe aboriginal moments, was reminiscent of Romelu Lukaku, the physical, stamina-challenged Belgian giant.

"He's not utilized to playing astatine this intensity, truthful his assemblage was like, 'I don't privation to bash this anymore,'" Marsch said of his rangy caller option, who came retired of the crippled astatine halftime. "But obviously, he's a extremity scorer. If helium gets chances, you cognize he's going to people goals."

In the 31st minute, helium got his chance.

Promise David stole the shot from a Ukrainian defender and broke free, slipping a composed decorativeness nether the helpless keeper to people what proved the victor aft 2 precocious goals from the visitors. His imagination day turned into an ecstatic one, and helium slid connected his knees earlier landing connected his backmost with his arms outstretched, his look turned to the wide-open sky.

His teammates rushed to articulation him successful solemnisation connected the grass.

The archetypal to get was Jonathan David.