Great Match for Richie Laryea as a Center-Back with Canada

In this friendly match between Canada and Mexico, the game started off very balanced. Canada came into this fixture having beaten the United States 2-1 in their first friendly of this FIFA break, while Mexico had defeated New Zealand 3-0 in their first match of the window as well.

With Toronto FC players called up to represent Canada, several of them earned valuable minutes in this match. One of them was Richie Laryea, who played 84 minutes in this game, which ended in a goalless 0-0 draw.

READ MORE: Jonathan Osorio's Match with Canada Against Mexico

Richie Laryea's Stats in This Match

The 29-year-old played at a high level, representing his country in this friendly. Despite being a friendly, Jesse Marsch counted on Laryea to start and represent his team in a significant way as they sought a win, though that goal was not achieved, as the game ended 0-0.

It was a closely contested match in terms of possession, with Mexico holding 52% of the ball while Canada had 48%. Mexico also had more clear goal-scoring opportunities, taking 10 shots in total compared to Canada’s 5. Looking at Richie Laryea’s performance, he played 84 minutes, with a total of 44 touches and a 64% pass completion rate.

Interestingly, Laryea played as a center-back in this match, a new position for him. Normally known for his role as a right-back, this was a tactical decision by Jesse Marsch. While he wasn’t overly comfortable in the role, which is understandable given the challenge of adapting to a new position against a tough opponent like Mexico, Laryea managed to win just 3 out of 7 ground duels, which isn’t an ideal stat for the Toronto FC player. This led to some questions about his performance in this role, and it’s likely that he will return to his usual position at right-back moving forward.

Now, Laryea will return to Toronto FC to prepare for the crucial final stretch of the season. As a key player for John Herdman, he will face a difficult match against Austin FC on September 14, a game in which Toronto FC will have the home advantage at BMO Field.