Historic victory shows Canadians may have arrived
It was a historic night for the Canadian men’s national soccer team on Tuesday in Toronto, where they defeated the United States for the first time in 34 years.
What made the victory exciting for Canadian soccer fans was the impressive manner in which they won the game.
The 2-0 score actually flattered the Americans, who could have lost by three or four goals had Canada’s finishing been a little sharper. Striker Jonathan David would have had nightmares of the two glorious opportunities he missed if Canada didn’t pull out the victory.
Regardless, the game displayed the talent available to head coach John Herdman in what could be the best generation of male players Canada has produced.
It also showcased the struggles the U.S. is currently going through, still trying to come out of the wilderness after failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The Americans could be ripe for the picking, which is good news for Canada heading into their next encounter against them Nov. 15 in Orlando, Fla.
A win or tie would put Canada into the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League tournament, but, more importantly, could earn them enough FIFA ranking points to get into the top group of six for the 2022 World Cup qualifying tournament.
“There are some amazing people on this team,” said Herdman after the game. “There have been a lot of us in this association who have been grinding away, waiting for a night like this on the men’s side and it came. All of that plays into the conversations this week, but it’s only one step, it’s only one little drop in the ocean for this team and there’s more to come.”
Herdman and his staff deserve credit for the win after the growing criticism they were facing following the meltdown against Haiti in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-finals this summer, where Canada blew a 2-0 halftime lead in a 3-2 loss.
Herdman had also come under fire for not scheduling games against higher-calibre opponents during his tenure as men’s coach, deciding to stick strictly to the Nations League schedule where Canada was facing teams such as French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique and Cuba.
Unfortunately for Canada Soccer, the new nature of the World Cup qualifying process has limited the team’s ability to schedule games against higher-class opponents, as every FIFA ranking point has become critical until the top six are decided.
It’s a double-edged sword for Herdman and his staff. They couldn’t afford to lose FIFA rankings points by playing better opponents, but at the same time, the team was never going to improve beating up on developing Caribbean countries.
The key to the victory against the United States was the belief the Canadian players had in their abilities. The game finally allowed the talent on the Canadian roster to measure itself up against one of the top teams in the region.
The Canadian horses were allowed to run as Herdman and his staff got the formula correct.
It was obvious Canada wanted and needed the win more than the United States, which seem to care little for the CONCACAF Nations League tournament and are already guaranteed a spot among the top six for World Cup qualifying.
The focus for Herdman and Canada now is to get a second result against the United States in a month and then try to earn more ranking points in the semifinals and possibly the final of the Nations League.
If a spot in the top six can be secured for World Cup qualifying, then Canada can go on a campaign of playing higher-ranked opponents during the international calendar, which will eventually become critical.
In David and Alphonso Davies, the men’s national team has the potential of fielding the best striking tandem in CONCACAF for the next decade. Lucas Cavallini is also incredibly talented, as are some of the options available at midfield.
If he can keep from making mistakes with his feet, Canada has an exceptional goalkeeper in Milan Borjan.
The victory against the United States set a great foundation and it’s important for Canada to keep the ball rolling.
This much excitement about a Canadian men’s national team hasn’t been generated since its Gold Cup championship in 2000 and that fizzled out pretty quickly when it failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.
For this team, a World Cup berth in 2022 is within reach if handled properly. That was evident Tuesday.