So, I have a godson who just turned 12 this year. Stay with me, it\u2019s relevant. His father and I are both Canadian soccer fans and Azzurri<\/em> supporters. (He\u2019s a Milanista for the record, so I guess that makes us both gluttons for punishment.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n One way we refer to the lengthy amount of time that Italy have been out wandering in the World Cup wilderness is by noting that the last time they played an official game in the tournament my godson was just a few days shy of turning 4 months old. Now, if you\u2019d told me then that that Brazil 2014 was the last World Cup I\u2019d see Italy qualify for, and<\/em> that 12 years later my godson would see Canada have more success at the tournament than Italy, and<\/em> that he would not have seen Italy qualify even once<\/em>? I would have looked at you like you had lobsters crawling out of your ears.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And yet here we are, in this sometimes-dumbfounding timeline.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n So, when I saw that Juventus had signed Jonathan David in their latest attempt at revitalizing the attacking department, I was filled with cautious optimism. It had the makings of a great story for us in the land of maple syrup and the metric system (sometimes<\/a>) \u2014 a rising star of our up-and-coming soccer nation making the jump to a stumbling Italian juggernaut to help them regain their footing as an unstoppable force. Naturally, I was filled with pride at the news, but also a little trepidation: Would he be able to lead the line and be a reference point for i Bianconeri<\/em> like he had been for les Rouges<\/em>?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The promise was definitely evident in his past work. David was one of the more prolific attackers in Europe, providing 28, 23 and 21 goal contributions in the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 seasons, respectively. That was good enough for 14th<\/sup>, 31st<\/sup>, and 43rd<\/sup> in Europe\u2019s top 5 leagues for those years, according to transfermarkt.com. He was a top scorer for the Canadian men\u2019s national team and known for his mental fortitude. There seemed to be plenty of upside and more than one reason to believe he\u2019d be a success.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Well, after waiting a full season to judge the results, I think it\u2019s safe to say that \u2014 all things considered \u2014 the story has been one of frustration and missed opportunities. Although that \u201call things considered\u201d does carry some weight and deserves some explanation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As the 2025-26 season got underway, David looked to be off to a hot start, scoring in his debut against Parma and backing it up with an assist on Matchday 3 versus But then the goals and assists just dried right up. It wouldn\u2019t be until Matchday 17 that another goal contribution would come \u2014 an assist against lowly Pisa. This, despite seeing more of the field after oft-favoured-yet-also-oft-frustrating forward Dusan Vlahovic had succumbed to a nasty adductor injury that kept him out for most of the season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The next game was against Lecce, when that<\/em> penalty miss took place. For many fans, this was ample evidence of mental frailty; that David was stuck in his own head, and perhaps just didn\u2019t have the fortitude to play for a club of Juventus\u2019 stature, history, and expectations, with all the pressure that comes along with it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n So, when he followed it up on the very next matchday with a goal and an assist against Sassuolo, there was a palpable sense of relief. Not only among the fans, but indeed the team as well \u2014 the celebratory group hug that drew even Luciano Spalletti to the field made it clear to everyone watching that David had the support of the team. With three more goals and another assist following in short order over the next four games, things looked to finally be on track.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n That is, up until they decidedly weren\u2019t<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Across the next four matchdays, his goal contributions again dried up, and alongside them the wins. Over that span, Juventus won none, lost two and had two draws, a terrible run that magnified the impact of his failure to score, heaping even more pressure on himself and the team.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n From Matchday 24 to 38, David scored just one more goal in Serie A. His record in cup competitions was scarcely better, with no goal contributions in two Coppa Italia matches, to go with a goal apiece against both Bod\u00f8\/Glimt and Pafos and an assist against Benfica in Champions League play.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There were points where it seemed like the team and David were clicking, but as the scoring draught went on, the situation eventually deteriorated to the point that Spalletti was even playing a somehow match-fit Arek Milik (!!!) over the Canadian. It\u2019s possible the wily old coach won\u2019t be able to find a way to play him effectively going forward.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Throughout the season, David\u2019s performances have split opinions. While, of course, everyone would have preferred more goals, those were few and far between. (Well, few and bunched up really, but that just doesn\u2019t roll off the tongue as nicely.) Many observers did, however, notice positives in his one-two play and quick connections with teammates, his knack for finding space and getting into dangerous positions, how the team in general \u2014 and Weston McKennie specifically \u2014 seemed more dynamic with him in the lineup, and just wished he\u2019d be a little more selfish when in shooting range. It was also evident that despite his somewhat relaxed appearance on the field, he was consistently among the players that ran the most game in, game out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nThe goals (or lack thereof)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
some snakes<\/s> Inter Milan in the 4-3 thriller at the Allianz.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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