Canada : An Unexpected World Cup Dream
A Cold and Snowy Match Leaves Canadas Soccer Team in an Unexpected Spot.The mens soccer match between Canada and Mexico at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton this week was peak Canada. At minus 9 Celsius with snow piled around the pitch, Canada won 2-1 and rose to the top of the regional qualifying standings for the World Cup. While Canada has long been a powerhouse in womens soccer, few predicted that Canadas men would be in this position. Whats really interesting about Canada is that its been a higher-profile womens soccer nation than mens soccer nation for quite a long time.
Canadas not been to a World Cup since 1986. From a European perspective, I dont think we would necessarily have been expecting Canada to qualify, and we certainly wouldnt expect Canada to be ahead of Mexico in particular.But for a country thats not been to the World Cup for so long to not just have a hope of qualifying but to be currently in pole position, that is quite impressive. Canada is, in some ways, the most surprising and possibly the most intriguing team.Theres a gathering momentum around Canada, particularly because theyve got not just one, but two outstanding players in Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David. Canada has definitely not produced players like that before and thats a significant change.
Davies, definitely. Davies will be one of the best players on the planet for 10 years from this point on. Hes a regular at Bayern Munich, which is one of the top five club teams in the world. Hes already won the Champions League.David is a little bit further back in his development, but hes played well in the Champions League and scored some clutch goals.And around Davies and David theres a supporting cast that is improving as well.They have six games left in the qualification, so nothings certain yet. There is still not much margin for error because its quite tight at the top. So it will probably go down to the last couple of games.
A native of Windsor, Ontario, Ian Austen was educated in Toronto, lives in Ottawa and has reported about Canada for
The New York Times for the past 16 years.
This is a bonafide Canada team. It was inevitable, since soccer has been the number one sport played by kids in Canada for nearly 20 years and is only becoming more popular. When I came to this country the only ppl playing football were from somewhere else, or they had vowels at the end of their last names. This growth is partly at the expense of hockey, but mostly I think at the expense of baseball. It's just a lot more accessible than either of those.
I expect Canada to qualify for the WC, and to not finish last in its pool in the first round. A little luck might see it into the next round, but not counting on that.
In reply to Arawak
Even during the Summer with covid I saw parks with boys and girls playing soccer, some of the young ones were amazing.
The schools in my area have leagues for soccer. Its growing very quickly.
I think a lot of credit for the growth of soccer (football) in Canada is due to the performance of the women's team
Go Canada!! I have no sympathies for Mexico for they usually enjoy taking visiting teams to play at very high altitude Aztecs Stadium, which leaves players who are unfamiliar with playing at high altitudes breathless by half-time.
In reply to WI_cricfan
"... a lot of credit for the growth of soccer (football) in Canada is due to the performance of the women's team."
Me too!
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In reply to Arawak
This is a bonafide Canada team.
As opposed to the cricket team which is perpetually made up of discarded and retired players who have immigrated from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and West Indies.
Cricket will never become a mainstream sport in Canada until the bulk of the players are born in Canada or learned and developed their cricket in Canada.
It's definitely a superior outfit to previous incarnations of the side, which tended to struggle within the region. Hope they do well.