Justin Ellis helps US cap a perfect international window with 1-0 win over Canada

Before 1878, a referee trying to get players’ attention was left to waive a white handkerchief in the air. It was an imperfect practice, asking an infractor to be self-aware enough to look for a doffed doily after hard contact. The game forever changed when Joseph Hudson, a Birmingham-bred tool maker who founded Acme Whistles, showed up to an FA Cup match in 1878 with his signature product in tow.

On Tuesday, nearly 150 years after Hudson’s innovation, referee Steven Madrigal paid the architect a hearty tribute.

The United States and Canada closed the international window with a stop-start, physical and at times ugly affair, the hosts claiming a 1-0 victory on an otherwise gorgeous autumn evening in St Paul, Minnesota. Justin Ellis bagged his second goal for the US with a first-time finish, while Brian Schwake kept a clean sheet in his first international start. It was the US’s fourth win in four games this window.

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As for the music to the late Hudson’s ears: 43 fouls committed between the sides, with the US also leading that count by one.

The regional rivals wasted no time in letting the game get chippy. At the 2026 World Cup, only group opponents Bosnia and Herzegovina and Switzerland averaged more fouls per game than Canada (14.4); their 11 yellow cards trailed only Argentina (13) and Egypt (12) despite playing fewer games than each.

Jesse Marsch’s side committed nine fouls in the opening 16 minutes to the hosts’ three, keeping the US from building a head of steam whenever they had the ball. Boos followed each foul Tuesday, with the loudest jeering saved for touches by Canada goalkeeper Dayne St Clair, back at Allianz Field for the first time since leaving Minnesota United for Inter Miami as a free agent after six seasons in St Paul.

A heavily rotated US side struggled to find avenues while keeping the ball on the ground, slinging passes from side to side in a fruitless attempt to unsettle the Canadian defensive block. Ellis was the unfortunate first victim of a hard challenge, staying on the pitch for a few minutes after a collision in the 20th minute, but he was able to continue after some medical treatment.

Perhaps the physios ought to be credited with a second assist for their efforts. Five minutes after re-entering the game, Ellis navigated the channel as Alex Freeman worked a one-two to get the ball into the final third. The pair connected with aplomb, as Freeman’s cross bypassed St Clair for Ellis to slam home. The 19-year-old has two goals in his first three appearances for the US – doubling his club goal tally from 19 MLS appearances to date.

The game failed to regain any normal flow from there as the US showed greater willingness to meet Canada’s muscle. Madrigal was kept busy throughout the first half, sussing out which way to award blame on 50/50 challenges and struggling to play the advantage with consistency. The fouls ledger was better balanced by half-time, with Canada’s 13 cautions outpacing 10 from the US.

The end of the half was the pinnacle of stop/start soccer. Canada conceded three corners in succession, the third leading to a US free kick at the edge of the box after a Gio Reyna dribble; the ensuing attempt was promptly sent behind the goal by Canada for a fourth US corner. Despite five dead balls in close range of goal, the US failed to turn any of them into a dangerous look as Reyna and Malik Tillman alternated service. At last, Madrigal was able to close the half and give his whistle a break.

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Marsch made one substitution at the break and Mauricio Pochettino made two, yet little about the game’s composition altered after half-time. Auston Trusty took a particularly poignant clattering from Jonathan David in the 59th minute as the Atlético Madrid striker tried to win a header, coming up a split-second after the Celtic defender headed it clear.

In the 61st minute, Cole Campbell became the 13th player to make his US debut this window, and immediately tried to force the Canada defensive block to retreat with upfield scampers. Canada began to mine more set pieces of their own, but failed to capitalize. Julian Hall ran on to a ball beyond the defense for a one-on-one with St Clair, only for his shot to catch the outside netting.

By the end, each team had managed just two attempts in the second half, with only one of Canada’s efforts landing on target. As if negotiated in the locker rooms, the sides maintained an identical 72% pass completion rate entering second-half stoppage.

In true Minnesota fashion, most of the crowd politely stuck around through the final whistle to bask in the beautiful fall weather typical for the region. A bright and clear sky at kickoff made way for crisp air after sundown, which allowed the fans’ cheering, the drum corps’ beat and the post-win rendition of “Country Roads” to linger a bit longer than usual. As did that whistle, blown early and often.