Canada look World Cup-ready in commanding win over Qatar

Canada got the sparring, and the result, they needed in one of their final pre-World Cup tune-ups, easily dispatching host nation Qatar 2-0 Friday at the Generali Arena in Vienna, Austria.

Cyle Larin and Jonathan David scored for Les Rouges, who close out their September international window on Tuesday against Uruguay (12 pm ET | OneSoccer, FOX Deportes) in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Canada took control practically from the get-go, with all-time leading scorer Larin breaking the ice in the 4th minute by heading Samuel Adekugbe’s cross into the back of the net for his 25th national team goal.

Just nine minutes later, Lille sharpshooter David knocked home a loose ball inside the box to make it a 2-0 advantage. In the process, the Ligue 1 star also closed the gap on Larin with international goal number 22 – leveling with Dwayne De Rosario for second place.

That cushion was more than enough for the Canadians, who despite some key absences dominated the remainder of the proceedings and were closer to a third than Qatar were to pulling one back.

However, it wasn’t a completely carefree night, as manager John Herdman and company held their collective breath when Alphonso Davies needed medical attention following a knee-on-knee collision in the second half. The Bayern Munich standout was replaced by Ike Ugbo at the hour mark.