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Canada's World Cup chances get a boost after intercontinental playoff draw – Sportsnet.ca

Published

3 years ago

November 26, 2021

CONCACAF got a break Friday, with a draw determining that the fourth-place qualifier from North and Central America and the Caribbean will face a side from Oceania in a Qatar 2022 intercontinental playoff.

Thus, if Canada slips to fourth in the CONCACAF table, its World Cup chances appear to have received a boost with the latest FIFA intercontinental playoff draw.

The draw at FIFA headquarters in Zurich paired teams from AFC (Asia) and CONMEBOL (South America) in the other playoff.

The intercontinental play-offs for places at the 2022 #WorldCup have been drawn pic.twitter.com/jhcTyTaeMv

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 26, 2021

The intercontinental playoffs will determine the last two sides in the 32-country field for next year’s World Cup. The single-game playoffs will take place in Qatar on June 13 and 14, 2022. Previously they were home-and-away series.

CONCACAF will likely heave a sign of relief at avoiding the fifth-place South American finisher. CONMEBOL teams have won seven of 10 playoffs, including six of the last seven. And Asia got the best of CONCACAF last time out.

Only two points currently separate fourth-place Colombia (No. 16) and eighth-place Bolivia (No. 77) in South American qualifying with Peru (No. 22), Chile (No. 24) and Uruguay (No. 17) in between.

New Zealand, at No. 110, is the top-ranked team in Oceania, ahead of the Solomon Islands at No. 141. The All Whites have represented Oceania in the last three playoffs, winning once.

The Canadian men, who had six games remaining, will look to avoid the playoffs by finishing in the top three come March.

So far so good. No. 40 Canada (4-0-4, 14 points) currently tops the eight-team CONCACAF final qualifying round, ahead of the 12th-ranked U.S. (4-1-3, 15 points) and No. 14 Mexico and No. 63 Panama (both 4-2-2, 14 points).

The playoffs were originally scheduled for March 2022 but were rescheduled due to the pandemic.

CONCACAF teams have won three of six playoffs, with Mexico advancing in 1962 and 2014 and Trinidad and Tobago in 2006.

Australia beat Honduras 3-1 on aggregate while Peru downed New Zealand 2-0 in two-game playoffs in November 2017 to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

In the intercontinental playoffs ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Mexico thumped New Zealand 9-3 on aggregate and Uruguay blanked Jordan 5-0.

New Zealand was successful in making the 2010 World Cup in South Africa edging Bahrain 1-0. Uruguay defeated Costa Rica 2-1 in the other playoff.

In the European playoffs also drawn Friday, it will be Scotland versus Ukraine, Wales versus Austria, Russia versus Poland, Sweden versus Czech Republic, Italy versus North Macedonia and Portugal versus Turkey.

The 12 teams are competing for three World Cup berths.

Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland and host Qatar have already qualified.

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Sports

Edler to sign one-day contract to retire as a Vancouver Canuck

Published

6 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.

The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.

He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.

The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.

Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.

“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”

Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

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Sixth-ranked Canadian women to face World Cup champion Spain in October friendly

Published

12 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.

Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.

The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.

In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.

Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.

Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.

The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.

Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.

It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.

Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.

FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.

And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.

“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024

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Maple Leafs announce Oreo as new helmet sponsor for upcoming NHL season

Published

16 hours ago

September 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.

The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.

The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.

Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.

The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.

Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

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