Canada’s incredible progress in international soccer over the past decade is undeniable. Whether that will lead to World Cup success is another matter.
This summer, with coach Jesse Marsh leading the team, the Canadian team will embark on its third-ever World Cup. This time it will be co-hosted by the United States and Mexico. Canada, ranked 30th in the world, has only scored one goal in World Cup history and has never won the tournament.
But Canada’s prospects are steadily improving, with experienced players such as Alphonso Davies, Tajon Buchanan, Cyle Larin and Jonathan Davids among the top teams in Europe in recent years.
In 2018, when Canada finished the season ranked 78th and faced the possibility of hosting a World Cup, developing talent and increasing the team’s profile became a priority.
“This team is very fast, powerful and talented,” Marsh said. “And I think it’s a team that has an incredible work ethic and dedication to each other. They exemplify that every time they step on the field, not just every time they step on the field or every game they step on the field, but every moment this team plays on the field, they give everything they have and give everything they have to each other, to the badge and to the country.”
Canada lost all three games at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. The team returned after a 36-year hiatus and proved itself by topping Mexico and the United States in the CONCACAF qualifying standings to qualify for the tournament in Qatar.
The Canadians, who played under coach John Herdman in Qatar four years ago, again missed out on making it through the group stage, but Davis scored his first World Cup goal in a 4-1 loss to Croatia.
Marsh will take over in 2024, which Canada Soccer CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue described as “the most important period in the history of our sport.”
Canada had a record of 6 wins, 1 loss and 5 draws last year, and so far this year they have drawn 2-2 with Iceland and 0-0 with Tunisia. The team will play two more friendlies at home before the World Cup, against Uzbekistan and Ireland in early June.
Canada is in Group B for the World Cup, along with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland. The World Cup begins on June 11th, and the Canadian national team will play their first game the following day in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina, who qualified by defeating four-time champions Italy in a penalty shootout.
“You can’t just flip the switch on June 11, right?” Marsh said. “This whole process, this whole last year, has been a process of maximizing exactly what we want to be. And as we get closer to that, we just have to keep tightening the screws a little bit without stressing or panicking. Just staying focused and focused and making sure we’re the absolute best we can be.”
Davis, who plays for German powerhouse Bayern Munich, is the captain and one of the team’s top players, along with David, who plays for Italian club Juventus, and Larin, who plays for English team Southampton. Buchanan plays for Villarreal in Spain.
If Canada finishes first in its World Cup group, the team will remain in Vancouver for the final tournament. If they win that game, the Canadians will remain in Vancouver for the Round of 16.
“I told the team this. Obviously we want everyone to be healthy, but they will be comfortable playing tomorrow’s game because they know how we play, who we are, what our mentality is, what our identity is. They understand their role, they understand the tactics, they understand the principles,” Marsh said. “So it’s a really great feeling as a coach to know that we have players who are intelligent and talented and understand what they are and what they are and can do that.”
___
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
