Canadian soccer in the winter? It’s gritty.
With frigid winds and snow at Toronto FC’s training ground on Monday, the Canadian men’s national team fine-tuned for their final two matches of 2025, starting with Ecuador on Thursday night at BMO Field (7:30 pm ET).
The match is expected to feature the largest home crowd since the 2022 World Cup qualifying cycle, with 35,000 fans set to fill the stadium that will host Canada's 2026 FIFA World Cup opener next June.
“It’s going to be amazing," LAFC midfielder Mathieu Choinière smirked in regards to next summer's tournament.
“We have a few months left, and we're building something. We're expecting a loud crowd here, and that's what we're gonna need for the World Cup as we try to bring everybody, the community, behind us, because they've been great so far.”
Consistent connections
Even with the dropping temperatures, the goal remains clear: close out 2025 with two wins over South American opposition. Especially after October’s 1-0 loss to Australia and scoreless draw vs. Colombia.
“I want everybody to start to feel that this team is good, that this team is exciting, that there's major potential in what can be achieved," said head coach Jesse Marsch.
“We want people to know that next summer, this is going to be a fun team to watch, and it's going to be a real event.”
Les Rouges expect to continue building connections, especially in midfield, where Choinière, Stephen Eustáquio, Ismaël Koné, Nathan Saliba, and Jonathan Osorio are vying to be the beating hearts of the 4-4-2.
“Soccer is all about chemistry and understanding each other. If you find that partnership in midfield, everything is just easy, and you know what the other guy next to you likes to do,” Choinière told MLSsoccer.com.
“It's just easier. Our system is clear, and it's been amazing. Whoever is next to me, I know I'm capable of adapting.”
New faces emerge
With fleeting opportunities before the World Cup, opportunities to tinker are shrinking. Yet the November window matches on Thursday and Tuesday could potentially lead to more consistency.
The overarching message, though, is a continued build. While key injuries have hampered the squad, they have added two new dual nationals: Middlesbrough center back Alfie Jones and Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Owen Goodman.
“We don't have a lot of time to prepare, so we need to try to make sure that everybody's up to speed with exactly what we want to be like for Thursday, and then we can look at Venezuela,” Marsch said.
“Alfie Jones has fit in really well. He understands many of the football concepts we have, and he's a high-level player. Owen Goodman also has big potential to be a strong, athletic goalkeeper.”
MLS Cup Playoffs tension
The November window also falls at a tenuous time for some, especially the four players currently in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.
When the team came together earlier in the week, both Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson approached Choinière, saying “We got you, we got you,” according to the LAFC midfielder, ahead of the Western Conference Semifinal on Nov. 22 (9:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV).
“Keep talking, we’ll see when it comes,” Choinière responded.
“I haven't been speaking to [Choinière] much,” Nelson said. “It's football, but this is our focus now, and when we do go back to our clubs, we have to put that switch to a playoff mentality.”
Choinière’s confidence
For Choinière, in particular, the window marks a national team bookend to a transformative season. After struggling in Switzerland with Grasshopper Zurich, he's hit his stride alongside Son Heung-Min at LAFC, bringing confidence into national team camp and the rest of the playoffs.
“I learned a lot about myself in 2025, about how I want to play the game, what style and who I am as a player,” he said. “I think I'm more mature at the moment and in my style of play and what I need to do to help the team, so I found joy again in playing soccer with LAFC and now Canada.”
On Thursday against Ecuador, he and Canada expect a “similar challenge to Colombia,” but know the primary focus is on building their identity.
Final stretch
After wrapping up the November window, only March and June 2026 international windows remain, making every step critical – especially when it comes in front of a raucous home crowd.
“I think we were pretty effective against Colombia, and we were a little bit lucky not to give up a goal, but we were a little bit lucky not to get a goal, " added Marsch. “Ecuador will be a good match.
"We know they're very athletic, very individually talented, and that as a team, they don't give much away. So we'll be ready for it at home.”
