Óskarsson's Double Delight Turns Sour: Iceland Denied by Dramatic Canada Comeback in WC Tune-Up
Orri Óskarsson's brace had Iceland cruising 2-0 at half-time against World Cup co-hosts Canada, but Jonathan David's late penalty double secured a thrilling 2-2 draw for the 10-man hosts. Scotland fell 1-0 to Japan courtesy of Junya Ito's late strike, while Senegal beat Peru 2-0 and Hungary nicked a 1-0 win over Slovenia. Nations ramp up preparations with drama aplenty in these key friendlies.
World Cup Warm-Ups Deliver Drama Across the Globe
Picture this: it's a crisp March afternoon, and the world's football pitches are buzzing with nations fine-tuning for the big show across the pond. While the likes of Iceland couldn't snag a World Cup ticket, they're still turning heads, especially their young captain Orri Óskarsson. But hold onto your pies – these friendlies threw up some proper twists.
Canada hosted Iceland in Toronto, with Jesse Marsch's lads desperate to build momentum as co-hosts. Early doors, it looked like a cakewalk for the visitors. Óskarsson, the Real Sociedad hotshot, pounced on a dodgy backpass from Kamal Miller after just nine minutes, slotting home cool as you like past Dayne St Clair.
Twelve minutes later, boom – brace complete! Another venomous strike from the same spot left the Canadian keeper flailing. At the break, Iceland led 2-0, and the 21-year-old now boasts nine goals in 17 caps. Blimey, he's chasing Gylfi Sigurðsson's record like a dog after a postman.
Canada Fightback Steals the Points
Second half? Total rollercoaster. Jonathan David, the Juventus marksman, buried a penalty with 20 minutes left to halve the deficit. Then chaos: Tajon Buchanan saw red late on, leaving Canada down to 10. But from the resulting spot-kick, David stepped up again – 2-2 it finished, a gritty point for the hosts. Marsch must've aged a decade, with the World Cup looming.
As reported by Andrew Thompson at OneFootball, Óskarsson's show had everyone purring, but Canada's resilience showed why they're no pushovers at home.
Meanwhile, at Hampden Park, Scotland hosted Japan in their first World Cup jaunt since '98. The Tartan Army pushed hard, but a sublime save from Parma's Zion Suzuki denied Scott McTominay early. It stayed goalless till the 84th, when sub Junya Ito (Genk) nicked it 1-0 for the Samurai Blue. Gutting for the Scots – beer won't taste as sweet tonight.
Lions Roar, Magyars Grind It Out
Over in Paris, Senegal – still parading their Afcon trophy despite the drama – eased past Peru 2-0. Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich) opened up just before half-time, then Ismaïla Sarr (Crystal Palace) added gloss midway through the second. Perfect prep before facing Gambia.
Hungary edged Slovenia 1-0 at Puskás Aréna, despite Benjamin Šeško sitting out injured. Szabolcs Schön's floated half-volley dipped deliciously late on – proper moment of magic.
These results? A reminder that no friendly's a gimme. World Cup dreams are bubbling, and with summer ticking closer, every goal, red, and save matters. Who's your pick to shine stateside? Grab a pint and debate away.