Canada needs miracle to stay in World Cup hunt
It could have been SAN PEDRO SUL A worse. Much, much worse. Scott Arfield referred to Canada’s 2-1 World Cup qualifying loss to Honduras Friday night at Estadio Olimpico as “the best worst-case scenario.”
It was still a scenario the Canadians hoped to avoid. Now they find themselves on the brink of World Cup elimination and in need of a miracle next Tuesday in Vancouver against El Salvador. The best worst-case scenario is this: The Canadians will advance only if they beat El Salvador and Honduras loses to Mexico. Canada also need to make up a massive minus-5 goal difference with Honduras.
“We think Mexico is obligated to play a good game and win by scoring a lot of goals,” Canadian head coach Benito Floro said, cracking a devious smile.
There was an uncomfortable vibe among Canada’s players postgame — a mix of hope and despair. They’re in it but they aren’t. The competition is no longer in their hands.
“You don’t like to have your fate in anyone else’s hands,” David Ed- gar said. “We could have done the job today, but it wasn’t to be. It’s in Mexico’s hands, but they have a point to prove coming off a disappointing (Copa Centenario).”
The Canadians also had a point to prove here Friday night. They were better than they were four years ago, but not by much. They were fortunate to escape the Estadio Olimpico with a one-goal loss after being outshot 20-9.
“They had a lot of chances,” Atiba Hutchinson admitted. “They had a lot more than we would have liked to have given up. There could have been more goals for them, so we have to feel a bit fortunate.”
His teammates struggled to put the result into words — especially after Canada started so brightly in a first half that saw them supremely compact and organized.
They stymied Honduras well enough until finding the game’s opening goal.
Canada’s Manjrekar James jumped above everyone to head a corner past Honduran ’keeper Donis Escobar 10 minutes from halftime, the mile marker the Canadians were desperate to get to with daytime temperatures soaring.
When Canadian ’keeper Milan Borjan stoned Antony Lozano from point-blank range in firsthalf stoppage-time, it appeared the Canadians would get there. They were a clearance away from firsthalf survival. But they conceded a corner off the ensuing corner. Then another corner after Tesho Akindele mis-cleared a corner — one of 13 Honduras had on the day.
Honduras’ final restart was cleared only as far as Mario Martinez, who struck a back-post curler from the top of the box that evaded Borjan and levelled things heading into the break.
“We were defending well and we were switched on,” Arfield said. “I just think we switched off. There was no pressure on the ball. I don’t even think (Martinez) hit it cleanly.”
It didn’t matter to the 40,000 fans inside the Olimpico Friday night.
The Hondurans erupted in scenes that have been witnessed since the last time Canada was here. That saw the Canadians pelted with bags of water — or urine — as they entered the dressing room at halftime. As a precaution, the Canadians emerged from a different tunnel 15 minutes later to avoid a disturbance.
Only nothing could save them during a second half so one-sided this qualifier easily could have turned into a blowout. The hosts needed just one goal, however, and they found it almost immediately.
Elis Martinez latched onto a through-ball along the right touch line before whipping a cross toward the back post. Canadian fullback Doneil Henry was beaten to the spot by Quioto Robinson, who slid the ball into the goal.
Borjan — probably Canada’s best player on the day — made a number of big saves, including a pair of unbelievable stops on Antony Lozano in the first half. Without Borjan’s big performance, Canada already would be eliminated.
“Stranger things have happened in football,” Arfield said of advancing this week.