David sinks Peru to keep Canada alive in Copa America

Jonathan David scored the lone goal as Canada revitalized their Copa America campaign with a 1-0 win over Peru in a sweltering Kansas City on Tuesday. The Lille striker, who has attracted interest from Premier League clubs Manchester United and Chelsea, showcased his scoring prowess with a composed finish that secured all three points for Canada against a 10-man Peru at Children’s Mercy Park Stadium.

Played under scorching afternoon heat, with temperatures on the pitch nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), the match saw one of the assistant referees collapse due to apparent heat exhaustion just before halftime.

Canada, coming off a 2-0 loss to Argentina in their tournament opener, broke the deadlock in the second half after Peru’s Miguel Araujo was sent off for a reckless challenge on substitute Jacob Shaffelburg, sparking a heated altercation between both teams. Initially shown a yellow card, Araujo’s offense was upgraded to a red following a VAR review that prompted referee Mario Escobar to consult the pitchside monitor.

Down to ten men, Peru struggled to contain Canada, who capitalized on their numerical advantage by pressing forward aggressively. The decisive moment arrived in the 74th minute when David finished off a swift counter-attack orchestrated by Cyle Larin’s precise pass to Shaffelburg, who delivered an excellent cross-field ball to David. The Canadian striker calmly took a touch before slotting home a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.

Despite Peru’s late efforts to equalize, Canada’s goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau preserved the lead with a spectacular one-handed save to deny Christian Cueva’s volley, followed by a crucial stop from Paolo Guerrero’s injury-time free-kick.

The victory places Canada second in Group A, trailing Argentina, who face Chile later in the day.