Canada continues its march to Qatar 2022, showing off an array of talent along the way.
The Canadian men put on what coach John Herdman called a “professional performance” in a 2-0 victory over Honduras in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying play Thursday.
“It was never going to be a pretty match for us but it had to be disciplined,” he said. “That [Honduran] team has massive threats, transitional threats. But we also knew we could be really dangerous in the transition. I thought that’s where we were clinical tonight.
“We bent a little bit but we didn’t break. And that’s the story, I think, of the identity of this team.”
The win kept Canada (5-0-4, 19 points) atop the eight-team qualifying standings although the second-place U.S. (5-1-3, 18 points) and third-place Mexico (5-2-2, 17 points) kept pace with victories of their own. With fourth-place Panama losing in Costa Rica, the top three are beginning to put some distance between them and the rest of the field, which bodes well for World Cup qualification.
The 40th-ranked Canadians can stretch that lead when they face the Americans in a top-of-the-table tilt Sunday at Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field. Canada will then make the 3,400-kilometre trip to San Salvador to face El Salvador next Wednesday.
WATCH | David scores highlight reel goal to clinch victory:
Jonathan David seals road win over Honduras to keep Canada atop the CONCACAF table
6 hours ago
Duration 1:17
Jonathan David capped off Liam Fraser’s long pass in the 73rd minute as Canada shut out Honduras 2-0 to remain atop the FIFA World Cup CONCACAF qualifiers table. 1:17
Canada went ahead in the 10th minute on a Honduran own goal, looked comfortable through the first half and held off the Hondurans in the second half as the home side showed more on offence.
After a huge save by Milan Borjan midway through the second half maintained Canada’s lead, Jonathan David delivered the coup de grace on a remarkable rapid-fire transition goal in the 73rd minute.
After Honduras lost possession on the edge of the Canadian box, thanks to some well-timed thievery by Tajon Buchanan, Sam Adekugbe slipped the ball to nearby Liam Fraser, who found David on the Honduras edge of the centre circle behind two defenders with a perfectly measured 40-yard ball.
Without missing a step, David angled his chest to control the ball, then headed it forward and — when he caught up with it — chipped the keeper with his left foot.
Three beautiful touches at full speed produced his 19th goal in 25 matches for Canada.
David continues to impress
The 22-year-old from Ottawa continues to put himself in the shop window, with several big English Premier League clubs reportedly watching him closely for the summer transfer window.
It was a world-class goal with an assist to match.
“The pass [Fraser] made to Johnny was a laser,” said Herdman, savouring another player stepping up.
“It’s a special story that’s unfolding here and it seems like every man is being able to contribute on the journey.”
Toronto FC loaned Fraser out to Columbus last season and then saw him move to Belgium’s KMSK Deinze after his contract ran out at the end of the year. They may rue losing him.
WATCH l Canada’s Borjan makes terrific diving save to keep clean-sheet:
Milan Borjan’s ‘massive’ save preserves Canada’s clean sheet victory over Honduras
5 hours ago
Duration 1:21
Milan Borjan made a terrific diving save in the 70th minute as Canada blanked Honduras 2-0 in FIFA World Cup CONCACAF qualifying. 1:21
Borjan made another remarkable save in second-half stoppage time, pushing away an Alberth Elis header.
Canada went ahead in the 10th minute via an own goal from Denil Maldonado, set up by some fine work by Buchanan. The Club Brugge wingback, after a give-and-go with David, danced around defender Diego Rodriguez near the by-line and fired in a hard cross that Maldonado, with Cyle Larin behind him, had to address just in front of goal.
His attempted block went straight into the Honduran goal, giving the Canadians an early cushion. Defender Steven Vitoria started the attack with a fine ball from the back.
Tajon Buchanan puts the Honduran backline under attack and leads to the own goal. This man… <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/problem?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#problem</a>. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/CANMNT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#CANMNT</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForCanada?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#ForCanada</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCQ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#WCQ</a> <a href=”https://t.co/XFzhNuqEJe”>pic.twitter.com/XFzhNuqEJe</a>
Canada needed an enormous save from Borjan in the 70th minute to preserve the lead. The ‘keeper got his left hand to a well-placed Kervin Arriega header off a Honduran free kick.
It was only Canada’s second win ever in Honduras — and the first since August 1985 in the capital of Tegucigalpa with substitute George Pakos scoring the only goal of the game.
Long-awaited revenge
And it was especially sweet coming at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano, a house of horrors where Canada’s 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign ended in October 2012 in a humiliating 8-1 drubbing. The Canadian men came into Thursday’s game with an 0-4-1 record at the stadium.
Other games Thursday saw the 11th-ranked U.S. defeat No. 70 El Salvador 1-0 in Columbus, No. 14 Mexico beat No. 57 Jamaica 2-1 in Kingston and No. 49 Costa Rica downed No. 63 Panama 1-0 in San Jose.
Three games remain for Canada after this international window. Come March, the top three teams will represent North and Central America and the Caribbean in Qatar while the fourth-place side faces an Oceania country in an intercontinental playoff to see who joins them.
Herdman’s team is on track to make it to soccer’s showcase for the first time since 1986, its only visit to the men’s World Cup.
Thursday’s contest matched the top and bottom teams in the final qualifying round-round in CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.
No. 76 Honduras (0-6-3) has been on a downward spiral since tying Canada 1-1 in September at Toronto’s BMO Field in the opening game of the round.
Canada was without Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, who has been sidelined by myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, after testing positive for COVID. Influential midfielder Stephen Eustaquio was also missing, with Portuguese report saying he had tested positive for COVID. Herdman said prior to the game that he hoped Eustaquio could play some part in the games ahead.
But there was plenty of offensive punch even without Davies, with David, Larin and Junior Hoilett leading the attack in a starting 11 that came into the game with a combined 406 caps.
And Davies was there in spirit, celebrating the Canadian goals as he watched live-streamed on Twitch.
???? “<a href=”https://twitter.com/TajonBuchanan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@TajonBuchanan</a> let me see something,”<a href=”https://twitter.com/AlphonsoDavies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@AlphonsoDavies</a> loves to see that early lead for the <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/CanMNT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#CanMNT</a> ????????<br><br>????: <a href=”https://t.co/M2sOAvwfpx”>https://t.co/M2sOAvwfpx</a> <a href=”https://t.co/I39s0cL1ix”>pic.twitter.com/I39s0cL1ix</a>
Veteran midfielder Atiba Hutchinson captained the team, earning his 91st cap — a record for Canadian men.
Canada’s Samuel Piette needed treatment after his ankle was caught in a clumsy challenge by Edwin Rodriguez in the 34th minute. Jamaican referee Daneion Parchment reviewed the play on a sideline monitor, on the prompting of the video assistant referee, but there was no further sanction.
Piette could not continue, giving way to Fraser in the 39th minute.
One concern was Fraser and Hutchinson earning yellow cards. Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio, coming off the bench, earned his 50th cap for Canada.
Capacity at the 37,325-capacity venue was limited to 50 per cent Thursday due to the pandemic, with wide swaths of empty seats. The field cut up as the match wore on, with chunks being kicked up.
Canada has had little success on Honduran soil in the past however, with a 1-7-3 career record there prior to Thursday’s meeting. Its overall record against Honduras improved to 8-11-7.
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.
