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'It's a fight for the top of the table' as Canada meets U.S. in World Cup qualifier in Hamilton – CBC.ca

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Canada hosts the United States in men’s World Cup qualifying on Sunday — a clash of the best and second-best teams in CONCACAF, at least by the table’s current reckoning. 

At this point in the proceedings, there’s a reasonable, possibly cynical argument to be made that they should settle for a draw in cold, snowy Hamilton, as they did in their first meeting in Nashville in September. Given the shape of the table and the games left to play, splitting the points will leave both in strong positions to advance to Qatar.

John Herdman, Canada’s head coach, has been doing more optimistic math.   

“It’s a fight for the top of the table,” Herdman said after training on Saturday, when the wind chill in Hamilton approached minus-25 Celsius. “That’s all I need to say in terms of what this means to us … Canada [is] coming.”

It takes some imagination to think so. More of the Americans are in game shape, members of the biggest clubs in Europe; Canada’s undisputed star, Alphonso Davies, is out with myocarditis, a complication the result of a bout with COVID. 

WATCH | What to expect in Canada vs. U.S.:

World Cup Qualifying Preview: Canada vs USA

20 hours ago

Duration 5:32

The Canadian men’s national soccer team is gearing up for a 6-pointer at the top of the table against the United States. Win or draw in Hamilton and Canada stay in 1st place and keep their unbeaten record heading into the last game of this World Cup Qualifying period. It’s all to play for this Sunday at Tim Hortons Field. Duane Rollins joins CBC’s Signa Butler to break it all down. 5:32

The U.S. beat El Salvador 1-0 in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday and haven’t had far to travel; the Canadians didn’t arrive home from Honduras until 6 a.m. Friday morning after their own 2-0 win in San Pedro Sula. And with Tim Hortons Field at half-capacity, and the Americans as used to the cold, home-field advantage won’t be as much of a blessing as it might have been.

But there is a question in the frosty air: What’s the value of belief? As hokey as it might sound, there is a buoyancy to this Canadian team, an irresistible uprush of good feeling. They are undefeated through nine games. Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan both looked world-class against Honduras; goalkeeper Milan Borjan — Hamilton’s own! — has made spectacular saves when his country has needed them most; less heralded teammates such as Sam Adekugbe and Alistair Johnston are playing some of the best soccer of their lives.

“I think there’s been a shift in their mentality,” U.S. defender Walker Zimmerman said on Saturday. “They play with a chip on their shoulder, they play with something to prove. They’re a confident group.”

Right now, the Americans don’t have that same swagger. Despite hosting El Salvador in frigid Ohio, the United States didn’t really connect against the second-last team in qualifying. Yes, three points is three points. “We got the job done,” U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter said. But it was far from an affirming performance.

If the Americans showed a notable strength, it was their fast, aggressive fullbacks. Antonee Robinson and Sergiño Dest pushed forward not with abandon, exactly, but freely. It’s a modern style of attack—Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp has many acolytes—but for the U.S., that threat from the back has become more necessity than choice. The more typical American finishers have looked diminished lately, and that was before forward Tim Weah didn’t make it over the border because he’s received only one dose of COVID vaccine.

WATCH | David seals win over Honduras:

Jonathan David seals road win over Honduras to keep Canada atop the CONCACAF table

2 days 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

Christian Pulisic, in particular, has been less than himself. He’s confessed that his love for the game has been sapped, in part because his club career at Chelsea hasn’t been much fun lately. (“It’s been up and down this year for sure,” he said recently. “Not exactly where I want to be, and how I want things to be.”) He’s been shuffled around in the American lineup, too. Dispossessed nine times against El Salvador, his struggle has been hard to watch: a player of his talent and youth, joyless.

Now look back at the Canadians, leaping into snowbanks in Edmonton, or in the celebratory moments after their historic win in Honduras: pure, unabashed ecstasy.

“What an opportunity for these players,” Herdman said. “They’re ready to go.”

Logic dictates, even demands, that Canada will lose at least one of its qualifying matches. No one should be surprised if Sunday’s game proves the one. But logic abandoned these proceedings a long time ago; not much about the Canadian run to World Cup glory has made stone-cold sense. This is a team flush with the best kind of emotion, playing a game mysterious enough to make believers out of anyone. Every so often in soccer, as in life, the usual calculus doesn’t factor.

The fuller heart just wins.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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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.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

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.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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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.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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