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Jacob Shaffelburg scored twice in the first half as Canada beat Peru 2-0 at Stade Saputo, with Liam Millar assisting on both goals and Samuel Piette earning his 70th cap in his hometown.
Jacob Shaffelburg scored twice in the first half as Canada defeated Peru 2-0 in an international friendly on Saturday afternoon at Stade Saputo in Montreal.
Millar Helps Quiet Canada Scoring Concerns
Liam Millar heard the questions about Canada's goal-scoring troubles. The 27-year-old winger from Brampton, Ont. , helped quiet those concerns early Saturday, contributing to both of Shaffelburg's first-half goals. We started the game very well, we were very aggressive, had a lot of the ball, Millar said pitch-side.
We always talk about trying to score more goals, and we got two goals quite early. We took our chances much better today and I think it is a real positive. The match was played on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, before a sellout crowd of 19,619 on a sunny, 15 C afternoon. It was Canada's second match of the international break.
Shaffelburg opened the scoring in the 19th minute and doubled the lead in the 35th. The 26-year-old winger from Port Williams, N.S. , now has nine goals for the national team. Daniel Jebbison assisted on the opening goal.
Shaffelburg Braces Canada Past Peru
An awkward rendition of O Canada, with the anthem singer appearing to forget the words, made for a strange start to the afternoon. The home side nevertheless quickly energized the crowd when midfielder Nathan Saliba found Millar with a dangerous through ball in the first minute. Millar dribbled around the keeper but his shot was blocked by a defender. Jonathan David missed a chance in the 17th minute, firing wide from the penalty area after a Jebbison pass.
Shaffelburg then scored from close range after Jebbison redirected a Millar cross to the edge of the six-yard box. Shaffelburg's second goal came when he headed home a Millar cross at the back post. Peru keeper Diego Romero got his fingers to the ball but could not keep it out. It feels really good, the Los Angeles FC winger said.
I have not scored at all this year, so to get two goals is unbelievable for my confidence right now. Canada held 61 per cent possession and outshot Peru 17-4, including 3-0 on target. The 30th-ranked Canadians improved to 3-1-0 all-time against No. 50 Peru. We are able to control matches and make teams look bad and make it look like they never have a chance in the match, head coach Jesse Marsch said.
Marsch Praises Canada Control and Chances
It is a credit to the team and a credit to what we are establishing here that we can manage that, because that is a team that gave Mexico a very good match. We made them look worse than they are because of how we perform. Peru's best chance came in the 57th minute when Gianluca Lapadula fired a left-footed shot from the right side of the box over the crossbar, quieting the noisy contingent of white-clad Peruvian fans.
Marsch believed Canada could have scored more goals Saturday. Shaf had two really good goals. He reminded me he does not score a lot with his head, so we were happy to see that, he said. I still think in reality, we should feel like we could have come away with even more.
We will keep working on things. We will keep trying to adjust. We will keep trying to capitalize on moments. Marsch substituted nine players at once in the 62nd minute, appearing comfortable with the lead.
Canada Absences and Samuel Piette Milestone
He had started a young lineup, with 22-year-old goalkeeper Owen Goodman making his senior national team debut. A long list of Canadian players were absent. Centre back Derek Cornelius dislocated his hip in training last week in Toronto. Defenders Moise Bombito and Alistair Johnston were also out, and captain Alphonso Davies was away on his honeymoon.
World Cup goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau attended the game but was left off the roster after the death of his father. Veteran striker Cyle Larin did not play after tweaking his back in the weight room earlier in the week. Before kickoff, Canada Soccer honoured long-time central midfielder and CF Montreal captain Samuel Piette with a ceremony in front of his hometown crowd.
Piette came on to loud applause in the 66th minute for his 70th appearance with the senior men's side, his first since June 2024. The 31-year-old from Le Gardeur, Que. , said he has no plans to retire from international soccer and hopes it will not be his last cap. I still have the legs, I am still able to perform at the level of the national team, Piette said post-match.
The level and individual quality of each player here is getting higher and higher, the players play in big European clubs, players who perform very well also in MLS. And to be able to compare myself a little bit to each training this week, but also in the match against a good team like Peru, personally, I felt good.
A photo from the match showed Canada's Jacob Shaffelburg (14) celebrating after scoring against Peru during first half International friendly soccer action in Montreal, on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, credited to THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes. The Canadian men opened a new four-year World Cup cycle last week with a 1-0 win over No. 49 Chile in Toronto. They conclude their three-match window Tuesday against the United States in St. Paul, Minn.
Canada will return to action during November's international break with a two-legged Nations League quarter-final against an opponent to be determined. The second game is Nov. 16 in Toronto. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2026.
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CTVNews:Shaffelburg’s brace lifts Canadian men past Peru 2-0 in international friendly 
CTVToronto:Shaffelburg’s brace lifts Canadian men past Peru 2-0 in international friendly 
CP24:Shaffelburg’s brace lifts Canadian men past Peru 2-0 in international friendlyThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Canadian Men's Soccer Jacob Shaffelburg Peru International Friendly World Cup Qualifiers Canada Men's Soccer Peru Friendly Montreal Stade Saputo Jesse Marsch Canada Soccer Stade Saputo Liam Millar Samuel Piette
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