Sports
Why Canada's World Cup qualifier against Mexico is a really big deal – CBC.ca
The Canadian men’s national soccer team hopes to take another big step toward qualifying for the 2022 World Cup when they again face higher-ranked Mexico on Tuesday night.
Soccer fans will gather at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, with kickoff scheduled for 7:05 p.m. MT (9:05 p.m. ET).
Canada has won its last two matches, with a draw before that, and now has an opportunity to ascend in the qualifying standings with another victory.
Teams are halfway through 14 qualifying matches that are part of one of FIFA’s continental groupings. The World Cup tournament begins in a little over a year in Qatar.
What are the standings?
Canada is in third place in the regional World Cup qualification tournament.
The team has 13 points from seven matches — three wins, zero losses and four draws — while Mexico (4-1-2) and the United States (4-1-2) are tied for first with 14 points each.
Panama is next in the standings after Canada with 11 points.
Canada’s recent wins
In their last matchup in Mexico City on Oct. 7, Canada and Mexico tied 1-1.
They’ll meet again after Canada collected three points in the standings by notching a 1-0 win over Costa Rica in Edmonton last Friday. With the victory, Canada stayed undefeated in World Cup qualifying.
Mexico is coming off a 2-0 loss to the United States last Friday.
WATCH | What to expect when Canada takes on Mexico:
Who qualifies for Qatar?
The top three teams out of eight competing in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) tournament will earn berths for next year’s World Cup.
The fourth-place team will take part in an intercontinental playoff to earn one of the final spots in the World Cup.
Canada’s final three qualifying matches are in March.
The only time the Canadian men qualified for the World Cup was in 1986. Mexico, on the other hand, has qualified 16 times.
What’s next for Canada?
Tuesday’s game will be the final match of 2021 for Canada, but the tournament resumes in the new year with the following games:
- Honduras (Jan. 27).
- United States (Jan. 30).
- El Salvador (Feb. 2).
- Costa Rica (March 24).
- Jamaica (March 27).
- Panama (March 30).
Some key players to watch
Fans in Edmonton will be welcoming back their returning hometown star, Canadian forward Alphonso Davies, 21.
Davies was born in a Ghana refugee camp to Liberian parents before moving to Edmonton at age five.
In one of the highlights of the qualification drive, he made a spectacular go-ahead goal in an eventual 4-1 win over Panama in October before exhilarated fans in Toronto. On Sunday, he received his Lou Marsh Trophy honouring Canada’s best athlete.
He has also been a much-celebrated player with Bayern Munich, earning multiple trophies in the 2020 season.
Canadian striker Jonathan David, 21, scored in Team Canada’s win over Costa Rica on Nov. 12. The goal came after Costa Rican goalkeeper Leonel Moreira fumbled a cross into the penalty area, leaving David to slot the ball home.
Jonathan Osorio scored just before halftime as Canada tied Mexico 1-1 in their game on Oct. 7. It was Canada’s first at Mexico City’s famed Azteca Stadium since 1980.
Sports
Senators score 5 in 1st, cruise past Sabres – NHL.com
“I thought that we were ready to go,” Ottawa coach Jacques Martin said. “We got some pucks at the net, we got people at the net. Took advantage of our opportunities and, I think, built a nice lead. And then I thought, in the third period, we continued again. Our goaltending was good. Made some key saves. But I thought we shut them down in the third period good.”
Shane Pinto had a goal and three assists, and Brady Tkachuk, Boris Katchouk, Jakob Chychrun and Drake Batherson each had a goal and an assist for the Senators (31-36-4), who have won three in a row. Korpisalo made 34 saves.
“If you want to win, you need balance,” Pinto said. “And we had that tonight and it’s going to be big for the back-to-back tomorrow (against the Chicago Blackhawks) to have that same thing. So, going to need all the guys on board.”
JJ Peterka and Connor Clifton scored for the Sabres (34-34-5), who have lost four of six. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed four goals on nine shots before he was replaced by Devon Levi, who made 31 saves in relief.
“We wanted, I guess, to play as individuals,” Clifton said. “I’m disappointed we let ‘Upie’ down, he’s the heart and soul of this team. He’s kept us in so many games, and just to not show up and play that careless style, give them freebies all over the place. … Yeah, obviously, the first 20 really dictated the rest of the game.”
Artem Zub gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead at 2:37 of the first period. He stuffed in a loose puck on the goal line after Katchouk’s shot was redirected by Mark Kastelic between Luukkonen’s pads.
Katchouk made it 2-0 at 4:56, tipping Parker Kelly’s shot from the top of the right face-off circle past Luukkonen.
“It’s keeping the consistency with good effort, right habits,” Katchouk said. “The small things matter so much in this game. And obviously, it worked out tonight with the tip. But kudos to my linemates. ‘Kels’ and ‘Kassy,’ they worked hard to get the puck as well. Those two battle hard every night as well. We feed off each other, and it’s good to play with them.”
Sports
Vasilevskiy stops 23 as surging Lightning beat Bruins – Sportsnet.ca
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Sports
Shane Pinto has a goal, three assists as the Senators roll over the Sabres – Sportsnet.ca
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