Grinding a milestone|

Canada reaches quarterfinals after a stressful draw with 10-man Chile

- JOE CALLAGHAN

Tani Oluwaseyi thought history had arrived in a double dose. The substitute striker buried Tajon Buchanan’s cross in injury time at Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium, his first international goal, and it was one that would seal a place in the last eight of the Copa America and the knockout stages of a major international competition for the first time in Canadian history.

Then the offside flag went up and the shredded nerve endings of Jesse Marsch and everyone else of a Canadian disposition twitched again. The wait went on but only for five more minutes. A quarterfinal berth was finally confirmed courtesy of a 0-0 draw against a stubborn and sticky Chilean side.

Against a team missing its suspended coach, Ricardo Gareca, and its captain and veteran goalkeeper, Claudio Bravo, Canada got an even more telling advantage when the world’s No. 40 side was reduced to 10 men, with Gabriel Suazo given the early marching orders.

It was all there for Canada to make it a much less stressful night than it needed to be. Yet Marsch’s side insisted on making it tricky on themselves. A showdown with Venezue-

la at the home of the Dallas Cowboys next week awaits. Progress hasn’t been pretty but the focus and fight were mightily impressive and reaped a milestone reward.

Numbers advantage doesn't add up