Tajon Buchanan, who starred for the Canada Under-23 Men's National Team in the Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Championship this past March, made his senior debut on Saturday night at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., starting and playing the full 90 minutes in Canada's 7-0 win over Aruba as part of World Cup Qualifying.
Buchanan made an immediate impact with the senior team, registering a pair of assists either side of halftime. The 22-year-old New England Revolution winger first worked his way to the end line before crossing for Lucas Cavallini to tap home in first-half stoppage time, then played a clever slip pass to Zachary Brault-Guillard as Canada extended their lead to 4-0 in the 49th minute.
Saturday's win pushes Canada to the top of Group B in Concacaf World Cup Qualifying, level on points but ahead of Suriname on goal difference. Canada and Suriname will play in a crucial match on Tuesday night at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill., with the Canadians needing just a draw to advance to the next round of qualifying. Kickoff is set for 9:05 p.m. ET, with coverage on Paramount+ in the United States.
