Tempers flare as Cyle Larin faces forgotten Southampton teammate on international duty

A wide array of Southampton first team players remain on international duty as we head into October.

It's not until the 11th of October that Championship action returns for the Saints, with Daniel Peretz, Finn Azaz, and Ryan Manning - among many more familiar St Mary's faces - preparing for lots more games with their respective countries in this gap, before heading back to the second tier.

It will be very tough and go on Cyle Larin's end as to whether he will feature in the hotly contested South Coast Derby versus Portsmouth, when the elongated break is finally over, as he is set to play for Canada against the USA, mere days before this feisty showdown is scheduled.

Hopefully, he doesn't fall victim to an untimely injury during this break, as the games continue to come thick and fast for the Brampton Bagsman.

Larin started during last night's hot-headed friendly match against Chile, as he led the line alongside his regular strike partner in Jonathan David.

Larin's performance vs Chile

Larin would have linked up with Jesse Marsch's camp hopeful that he could keep up his free-flowing form in the Championship with his beloved nation.

After all, the veteran marksman has 32 goals next to his name for his country, alongside seven goals for the Saints this season in league action.

Instead of bagging the decisive goal against Chile, however, he would turn provider, as he assisted the aforementioned David's match-winning effort at BMO Field.

He wasn't that aware of his assist, as he spurned his own opportunity before the ball fell kindly for the Atletico Madrid striker, but he still played a big part in Canada successfully beating Nicolás Córdova's stern outfit 1-0.

Indeed, away from collecting a fortuitous assist, Larin won three duels, and had three shots blocked, as he was a nuisance throughout for Chile to contain.

Strangely, for a friendly match, the game was rather short-tempered, with Chile being reduced to nine men, come the end of the action-packed contest.

Ben Brereton Diaz would've been frustrated with his runout, as well, as he only managed an unmemorable cameo late on, as he butted heads with his Saints teammate, Larin.

He clashed with a forgotten Saints teammate

Of course, Brereton Diaz is currently out on loan with Sheffield United, but earlier this season, both the Chilean, and the 31-year-old were teammates on the South Coast.

The one-time Blackburn Rovers striker even kept Larin out of the starting XI during the Colchester United EFL Cup tie right at the start of the season, but since then, the beloved Saints number nine has been a guaranteed name on Tonda Eckert's teamsheet.

Brereton Diaz, not long after surprisingly leading the line for this early-season matchup, was loaned out to Bramall Lane, with zero Championship goals next to his name so far in South Yorkshire, from seven outings.

He didn't fare any better on the international stage, with zero shots registered from a seriously underwhelming cameo.

Eckert will have zero regrets about offloading the goal-shy 27-year-old, with Larin a far better option to have up top, as he also displayed for his country, by constantly causing Chile bother.

This is the only time this season the two contrasting centre-forwards will butt heads on a pitch, with Brereton Diaz not able to play against the Saints in November, when the South Coast side travel to Bramall Lane, due to loan restrictions.

He will hope he can break his ongoing duck when Chile face the USA right at the end of September.

For Larin, he will be praying he can be a David-style figure in the upcoming friendly encounter versus Peru, and bag another Canada goal, having been rather unlucky not to score against Brereton Diaz's adopted nation.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow