Canada men's national team training was canceled on Tuesday after winger Tajon Buchanan suffered a significant leg injury .
Buchanan, 25, suffered a horror injury to his lower leg during a training drill, and an ambulance arrived to transport the player to hospital. Practice was taking place on the campus of TCU, ahead of Canada's quarter-final clash against Venezuela in Dallas on Friday.
"Canada Soccer confirms that Tajon Buchanan sustained an injury to his lower leg during today's training session," the national team wrote in a statement. "He has been taken to a local hospital for further evaluation and treatment. We will provide updates as more information becomes available."
It's since been confirmed that Buchanan suffered an injury to his tibia (shinbone), but it's not yet been determined whether surgery is required. The ambulance arrived at the Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium on the TCU campus at 10 a.m. CT, and head coach Jesse Marsch agreed to end the session immediately. The session was being held earlier than expected, in an attempt to avoid the brutal heat expected at noon.
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According to Canadian outlet TSN, Buchanan is undergoing an MRI scan at a local hospital in Dallas. International teammate Alistair Johnston confirmed to TSN that the mood around the locker room was "somber" following the incident.
The CanMNT qualified for the knockout stages of Copa America despite being placed in a tough group, alongside Argentina, Chile, and Peru. They finished second behind Argentina, who are the reigning champions and were drawn to face Venezuela in the next round.
Should the CanMNT beat Venezuela on Friday they will face either Argentina or Ecuador in the semi-final on July 9. It's the first time Canada has ever competed in Copa America, and they've done better than the United States on their tournament debut.
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Despite qualifying from a tough group, coach Marsch is adamant that the CanMNT has a point to prove. "We are not satisfied. The group is not satisfied. They want to keep going," Marsch said in his postgame news conference after sealing a 0-0 draw against Chile to advance.
"They know, no matter who our next opponent is, it will be a difficult match. But they believe in themselves. We're excited for this next challenge." It's Marsch's first tournament as Canada's head coach after being hired back in May, and he's faced with his first major roster test with Buchanan set to be sidelined.
"When I took the job, I knew the group," Marsch said. "I knew the task at hand was going to be difficult. But we've played five matches and had clean sheets in eight of the 10 halves.
"There was a lot of talk about defensive frailties, and no one was sure how the team would be able to defend. But the entire team has been tactically very organized, and disciplined. We've looked athletic and strong in every match."
"We need a little bit more of an edge," Marsch added. "I need them to be mad at me sometimes when they don't play, I need them to be a bit angry with the coach on certain decisions, but we'll get there. This is part of the maturation, the demand and expectation we have for each other, what this is really going to require."
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