Samuel Piette honoured in Montreal as Canada beats Peru 2-0

Samuel Piette enjoyed a tribute-filled night at home as Canada defeated Peru 2-0 at Stade Saputo on Saturday. The Quebec midfielder entered the match in the 66th minute to a loud ovation, in what is being framed as his likely final appearance for the men’s national team.

Around the hour mark, Canada prepared a massive wave of substitutions with nine players ready to come on at once. A tenth substitute was initially set to join them, but plans were adjusted so Piette could step onto the pitch separately and savour his moment in front of the Montreal crowd.

Emotional farewell-type evening for Piette

The fixture was partly arranged to recognize Piette’s service to Canada dating back to 2012, and he played roughly the final 25 minutes. After the match, he described the experience as deeply moving and thanked both the supporters and head coach Jesse Marsch for how the evening was handled. At one point he received the ball near the top of the box, prompting a collective surge of anticipation in the stands, with Marsch later admitting everyone wanted to see him score.

Marsch also revealed that Piette addressed the squad before kickoff, speaking about what it means to represent Canada and the level of commitment expected within the group. The coach called the message powerful and said it helped younger players better understand who Piette is within the national-team setup. Although the CF Montréal player is not officially closing the door on future call-ups, Marsch made clear he is shifting into a new cycle and looking to refresh the roster, while keeping Piette in consideration after this performance, his first since June 2024.

Shaffelburg brace and breakthrough appearances

By the time Piette entered, the match was already in Canada’s control thanks to Jacob Shaffelburg. The winger scored in the 19th and 35th minutes, both times running onto lofted balls from Liam Millar. Shaffelburg, who had not scored earlier in the year, said the brace was a major boost for his confidence.

The night also represented an important step for several emerging players. Goalkeeper Owen Goodman made his first appearance for the senior side, with Marsch seeing him as someone who could eventually challenge for the starting role. Toronto FC defender Richard Chukwu earned his first start for Canada after a brief cameo against Chile the previous week, with the coaching staff taking a hands-on approach to his development given his limited club minutes.

Local fans saw CF Montréal defender Luca Petrasso come off the bench for his senior international debut as well. Marsch said Petrasso was proud of the opportunity and had deserved it after a strong week of training. Midfielder Victor Loturi was also involved in camp, underscoring the coach’s intent to use these windows to both win matches and actively shape the next generation of the Canadian team.