A disappointing quarterfinal exit at this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup raised some serious questions about the Canadian men’s team less than a year out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

But maybe Canada’s shocking penalty shootout loss to Guatemala in June was just an outlier, nothing more than a case of the team having an off day. Whatever it was, it’s clearly been forgotten by the Canadians who put the hammer down in rampaging to 3-0 win over Romania in Friday’s international friendly in Bucharest in its first game since the Gold Cup.

Considering the embarrassing Gold Cup exit, the calibre of the opponent and the location of the match, this was one of Canada’s best performances since Jesse Marsch took over the coaching reins last May.

“I think it’s a moment to appreciate what’s happening in

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