Canadians in Europe: David runs roughshod on Le Havre
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Jonathan David was a one-man wrecking crew in Lille's win over Le Havre, while Olivia Smith scored her first Liverpool goal and Cyle Larin found the scoresheet against his former team. Here's a look at Canadians in Europe over the weekend.
Jonathan David, Lille - Winless in five in all competitions, it was the Jonathan David Show on Saturday for Lille against Le Havre as Los Dogues got back into the win column ahead of a home date in the Champions League against holders Real Madrid. Midway through the first half, LOSC got on the board. Issa Soumare was dispossessed at midfield by Bafode Diakite and threw his arms up in frustration at the lack of a foul call, but none was coming. The hosts broke forward through Angel Gomes. The England midfielder sent a tidy ball to Osame Sahraoui on his left. Seeing David pass through a pair of defenders unmarked, the Norway forward sent the ball over the Ottawa native's way to drag home with his left foot in the 23rd to make it 1-0. The duo of Sahraoui and David weren't done just yet. Twelve minutes later, it was 2-0 thanks to the twosome completing a fine team move. Beginning with Benjamin Andre well into his own half, Lille broke forward. Andre found Gomes, who then moved forward with Tiago Santos. Santos cut inside before passing to Sahraoui, who set up shop just outside the area. Dinking the ball over the head of the Le Havre backline, Sahraoui's pass was struck by the outside of David's right boot for a fine finish and his second goal in the 35th. David would complete his hat trick in the 79th. Dancing down the left, Edon Zhegrova sent in a fine cross to a once-again unmarked David to calmly head home to wrap up the scoring at 3-0. The goals took David to five Ligue 1 markers on the season. The performance once again got some of Europe's heavyweights talking with the likes of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus attached to the 24-year-old David in recent days. It was David's third hat trick since 2023, the most in Ligue 1.
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Adriana Leon and Sabrina D'Angelo, Aston Villa - It was a nervy affair in Birmingham as Aston Villa picked up their first point of the young Women's Super League season in a draw with the visiting Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs opened the scoring midway through the first frame from the spot. Hayley Raso worked down the left side and attempted a cross that might have been a shot at the goal of Welland, Ont.'s Sabrina D'Angelo. The ball was cleared before it could trouble her, but in Paula Tomas's attempt to snuff out the danger. she caught the oncoming Drew Spence with a high boot and the referee pointed to the spot. Stepping up to take was Finland forward Eveliina Summanen, who wrong-wayed D'Angelo to make it 1-0 in the 23rd. The match would stay on that scoreline until a frantic final 20 minutes. Mississauga, Ont.'s Adriana Leon was introduced in the 67th for Kirsty Hanson and she would be on the board a little over 10 minutes later. With Leon putting pressure on her, Spurs goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer played a hurried pass out to Clare Hunt on the left, who was also immediately harried by Chasity Grant. The pressure resulted in a turnover near midfield. Noelle Maritz sent Rachel Daly forward before the England striker found the trailing Leon on her left to chip over Spencer with her right foot to make it 1-1 in the 78th. It was her first league goal on the season and 16th Women's Super League goal all told. Villa would take the lead in the 88th through Daly. From a throw-in, Lucy Parker sent a deep ball to the front of goal that Daly was first to, heading backwards with her back to goal to beat Spencer and make it 2-1. But three points weren't in the offing for the hosts. In the sixth minute of stoppage, Spurs salvaged a point. Molly Bartrip sent a ball down the right for Amanda Nilden. It appeared that Katie Robinson would handle the danger, but the ball managed to get past her. Nilden found Bethany England at the goalmouth and she got to the ball faster than D'Angelo to head home and make it 2-2 at the death.
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Cyle Larin, Mallorca - Mallorca made it three wins on the trot on Friday with a 2-1 win at Valladolid. The win continued the team's strong start to the season that sees Los Piratas pushing for a European place. Somehow, the first 45 minutes finished scoreless with the hosts spurning a glorious chance in the 19th. Raul Moro did well to pick out Juanmi Latasa at the front of the net and his left-footed volley somehow found the post and not the acres of empty net afforded to him. It would be the former Valladolid man, Brampton, Ont.'s Cyle Larin, who would open the scoring in the 59th and he did so in style. Spotting Larin with a step on his marker, Dani Rodriguez sent a deep ball towards the home goal. Larin did well to stretch and knock it down before poking it home without the ball touching the ground. It was a fine piece of skill for Larin's first La Liga goal of the season. Larin's celebration was mooted. Having played 19 matches on loan with Valladolid in 2023, Larin simply patted his chest and acknowledged the crowd as is the custom of not celebrating a goal against a former team. The match would remain on that 1-0 scoreline until the dying minutes. The visitors wrapped up the three points in the 83rd thanks in large part to a woeful error by a Valladolid defender. Coming out from the back, Eray Comert played a ball across his own box for Lucas Rosa. The Brazilian never looked comfortable on the ball and was immediately dispossessed by Valery Fernandez, who had a clear run on goal. Fernandez slid his effort past Karl Hein to make it 2-0 in the 83rd. Ivan Sanchez would score a late goal in the fourth minute of stoppage, but it would prove to be a consolation goal as the visitors earned a 2-1 win. The victory put Mallorca on 14 points, just two back of Atletico for the final Champions League spot.
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Olivia Smith, Liverpool, and Shelina Zadorsky, West Ham - In her second game in England, Olivia Smith has her first goal. The Toronto native struck in Liverpool's 1-1 draw with West Ham on Sunday in Dagenham. Veteran defender Shelina Zadorsky of London, Ont. started the match for Hammers. Smith, 20, joined the Reds in the summer after her first professional season at Sporting where she seemingly scored at will. Smith finished her loan season in Portugal with 13 goals in 18 matches. It took only a pair of games to get her first in the Women's Super League. From the right, Sophie Roman Haug played a ball over to Smith. With her back to her defender, Smith made space for herself before putting Anouk Denton on skates and firing past Kinga Szemik to make it 1-0 in the seventh minute. It was a fine first marker in England for Smith. It appeared that the Reds were on course for the full three points until the dying minutes of the match. With Liverpool under pressure, Amber Tysiak sent a deep ball forward into the box. A trio of defenders attempted to reach it and Rachel Laws came off of her line, but it was Riko Ueki who made contact first, heading home to make it 1-1 in the 85th to earn the visitors a point. Zadorsky, 31, played all 90 minutes in the draw, completing 27 of 40 passes, two tackles and an interception. Zadorsky is in her fifth season in the Women's Super League and second with West Ham, having spent her first three-plus seasons with Tottenham Hotspur.