Two wins and a draw show that Canada can play with the best in the world
The men’s national team put in an impressive performance at the 31st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. The Red Caribou entered the tournament as the lowest ranked side and displayed a resilient defense and a creative attacking unit that demonstrated the ability to compete against some of the best in the world. Canada finished in fifth place with two wins against Korea and a memorable draw in the first match against world number three Belgium.
Their campaign started with a 1–1 draw against Belgium, the eventual champions of the tournament. Matthew Sarmento scored in that opener for Canada, his first of four goals during the tournament. Sean Davis and Brendan Guraliuk also scored four goals during the tournament, showcasing the team’s attacking talent.
Despite narrow defeats to Malaysia (2–3) and New Zealand (2–4), Canada recovered with a 3–2 win over Korea in the pool and ended the tournament with another win over the same opponent in the placement match. The tournament also showcased the emergence of young talent developing as the core of the team.
Davis and Guraliuk were in productive form, scoring four goals each in the competition, making them among the event’s top scorers. Davis struck twice against Malaysia and added two more in later matches, while Guraliuk converted key penalty corners, including goals against New Zealand and Korea. Jyoth Sidhu and Flynn McCulloch celebrated their first senior international goals during the tournament.
These performances underline the depth and promise of head coach Patrick Tshutshani’s side as they progress towards major international goals.
Tshutshani emphasized the bigger picture in an interview with Sports 247, saying: “These opportunities are great for us. We are playing against high-ranked teams and it is about building this group for the next step: World Cup qualification.”
Canada’s performance in Ipoh highlights that they are far more dangerous than their ranking suggests. The team will now return to domestic clubs and a national camp environment to sharpen ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifier, the final step towards securing a place at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup.
FINAL RESULTS
#Canada #mens #national #team #impresses #Sultan #Azlan #Shah #Cup