Late goal gives Canada slim win over Suriname in Nations League quarters

Veteran forward Junior Hoilett came off the bench to score in the 82nd minute and give Canada a narrow 1-0 win over Suriname in the first leg of their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal clash Friday.

Just four minutes after being introduced, Hoilett snuck behind the Suriname defense and redirected a clever pass from Jonathan David into the net off the underside of the crossbar, giving Jesse Marsch's team the edge going into the return fixture at BMO Field in Toronto on Tuesday.

The winner of the two-legged affair qualifies for the Nations League finals, a four-team event being held in March at SoFi Stadium, along with next summer's Gold Cup.

Canada, No. 35 in the FIFA rankings, controlled the play in Paramaribo against the world's 136th-ranked side but struggled to find a consistent attacking rhythm on the artificial turf at the Frank Essed Stadion. A physical Suriname squad, led by Real Sociedad forward Sheraldo Becker, managed to disrupt the flow of the game and limit Canada to mostly sterile possession.

Tani Oluwaseyi came close to scoring his first international goal and breaking the deadlock in the opening half but was horribly unlucky to hit both posts with a shot after getting free inside the penalty area.

The home side was also denied by the frame of the goal when Gleofilo Vlijter clipped the crossbar with a header off a corner kick just before the hour mark.

Marsch responded to that scare by turning to his bench, showing off the improved squad depth that has served him well since taking over as Canada's coach.

The late introduction of Hoilett proved decisive, as he scored the only goal of the match with one of his first touches of the game after his streaking run into the box was perfectly spotted by David, the in-form Lille striker who turned provider as he's done so often for the national team.

"His savviness and understanding on how to break plays in the last third is why we brought him," Marsch said of Hoilett, according to The Canadian Press.

Canada, which outshot Suriname 13-2, continues to have trouble converting chances. The Canadians have nine goals in 12 games under Marsch.

"It's a little bit the story of our team ... because we don't find a way to get that goal in the first half with some big chances, the game is in the balance. And then we have to put a lot of energy into it," Marsch explained.

Canada was without star left-back and captain Alphonso Davies, who withdrew from the squad ahead of the two-legged tie as a "precautionary measure due to physical fatigue."

Midfielder Stephen Eustaquio wore the armband in Davies' absence.

Tajon Buchanan made his return for Canada in the match, coming off the bench for his first appearance since undergoing surgery to repair a fractured tibia suffered in training during this summer's Copa America.