Captain Atiba Hutchinson, on the verge of his 39th birthday, and young gun Jonathan David ensured unbeaten Canada kept rolling towards Qatar 2022.
Their two very different goals produced a gritty 2-0 win over El Salvador on Wednesday — the sixth straight victory for the Canadian men, who remain atop the eight-team standings in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
It was the latest chapter in a remarkable story that is enlarging a Canadian soccer bandwagon that grew substantially last summer when the women’s won Olympic gold.
Coach John Herdman said he reminded his players before the match that there’s “a whole country behind you now.”
“‘So when it gets tough out there, just know that people are there, And keep pushing through, because there’s 30-odd million back home waiting to go to Qatar. And never forget that,'” he told them.
With three games remaining, Canada (7-0-4, 25 points) has a four-point cushion over Mexico and the U.S. (both 6-2-3, 21 points). Panama (5-3-2, 17 points) stands fourth, with Costa Rica (4-3-4, 16 points) fifth.
Come the end of March, the top three countries will represent North and Central America and the Caribbean in Qatar. The fourth-placed finisher will face an Oceania team in an intercontinental playoff to see who joins them.
Canada emerged with a maximum nine points from the three-game, seven-day FIFA window following 2-0 victories over Honduras, in San Pedro Sula, and the U.S., in Hamilton.
“The boys have executed. They’ve had that clarity and the confidence is there,” said Herdman. “There’s a real confidence that we’re going to find a way and get the job done. So today was just another step … It’s going to happen, we know it going to happen.”
Wednesday results essentially means Canada can finish no lower than fourth. And it shows no signs of finishing anywhere but first.
The Canadian men are now 13-0-4 through three rounds of qualifying, outscoring their competition 50-6.
Canada wraps up qualifying play at Costa Rica on March 23, at home to Jamaica on March 26 and at Panama on March 29.
Herdman said he and his squad, while holding their emotions in check apart from a jubilant post-game tweet showing a snippet of the locker-room celebration, have already visualized the headlines that will accompany the country’s first qualification for the men’s World Cup since 1986 — and only the second ever.
Hutchinson, who turns 39 on Feb. 8, spoke to the media after the game with a poster behind him showing Canadian players under the slogan “Fear Nothing.”
“The team is fearless. There’s nobody that we fear now,” said the soft-spoken Besiktas midfielder, who brought his Canadian men’s record caps total to 92. “We know that we can go up and play against anybody in this region. And that’s because we stick together and we know and trust in each other.”
A prickly El Salvador side made life difficult with a choppy, physical game filled with fouls on a warm, humid night at Estadio Cuscatlan before some 10,000 fans.
There were challenges off the field, as well.
Herdman revealed that four staff members and three players had tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of leaving for El Salvador. He said all were doing well.
The breakthrough came in the 66th minute when substitute Cyle Larin beat a defender and sent a cross that a diving Hutchinson headed at goal from close-range. The ball hit the foot of the post and came back first off defender Eriq Zavaleta and then Hutchinson’s body past a stranded goalkeeper Kevin Carabantes, who was unable to claw the ball away when he finally located it.
“It hit off the post and after that I don’t know what happened. I think it bounced off my shoulder and found its way in the back of the net somehow,” said Hutchinson, who had made a lung-busting run to get in front of goal. “Obviously a very lucky goal, but it crossed the line.”
The Salvadorans did not put a shot on goal until stoppage time with Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan reaching high to palm away a long-distance ball that somehow found the target.
David’s 93rd-minute goal was remarkable in its own right. With the home side pressing, he anticipated an El Salvador throw-in in the Canadian end and intercepted the ball, taking it off his thigh as he race towards the Salvadoran end while Carabantes, who had been near midfield, backed hurriedly towards his goal.
Four touches later, with two defenders trying in vain to reach him, David chipped the ‘keeper for his 20th international goal in 27 appearances.
The Canadians came into the contest knowing that a win combined with other results could see them qualify for Qatar. That would require Panama lose to Mexico, the U.S. lose to Honduras and Costa Rica lose or draw against Jamaica.
But the 11th-ranked Americans torpedoed that scenario earlier in the evening with a 3-0 win over No. 76 Honduras in frigid conditions in St. Paul, Minn.
There was some doubt Canada’s game might go on with the El Salvador players releasing an open letter during the day saying they would not play over a bonus dispute with their football Federation. But they recanted soon after.
While No. 70 El Salvador (2-6-3, nine points) came into the game sixth in the standings, it had shown it was no pushover at home, having tied the U.S., Honduras, Jamaica and Panama with a lone loss to visiting Mexico.
Herdman made six changes to his starting lineup with Hutchinson, Stephen Eustaquio, Liam Millar, Junior Hoilett, Doneil Henry and Scott Kennedy slotting in. Defender Steven Vitoria was suspended.
Eustaquio, who just signed on loan at FC Porto, missed the first two games in the wake of Portuguese reports that he had tested positive for COVID.
While Canada had more of the ball in the first half, the home side began to make more inroads into the Canadian end as the half wore on, albeit without really threatening.
A drink from the crowd landed near Millar as he prepared to take a first-half corner for Canada. The next time, police with riot shields held them up behind Millar as he prepared to take a corner.
Herdman sent on Larin, Tajon Buchanan and Alistair Johnston in the 57th minute. And it paid dividends, with Larin posing real problems for the Salvadorans.
Canada came into the game with a 9-5-4 all-time record against El Salvador and won 3-0 when they met last September in World Cup qualifying play at Toronto’s BMO Field. It was 2-2-2 in games in El Salvador before Wednesday, last winning there in December 1996.
Canada remains without Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, who has been sidelined by myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, after testing positive for COVID-19. The 21-year-old from Edmonton has shown his support for the team by enthusiastically livestreaming on Twitch as he watches Canada’s games.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2022
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
