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Canada returns on Friday September 2 2016 to the site of
humiliating 8 1 defeat in World Cup qualifier against Honduras
Nearly four years on from a spectacular
humiliation, Canada’s men’s soccer team returns to Honduras with its World Cup
qualifying hopes once again hanging in the balance
Canada needed just a tie with Honduras at the
Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano on Oct. 16, 2012 to advance to the final round
of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Instead they capitulated in
spectacular fashion, losing 8-1 in a historic setback for the Canadian men’s
program.
Once again, Canada is in position to qualify for
final round, known as the hex. The Canadians take on Honduras on Friday before
returning home to host El Salvador at BC Place in Vancouver to conclude the
penultimate round.
“It’s probably the biggest game since the last time
we said this four years ago against Honduras so it’s massive and it’s just
about getting the three points,” defender/midfielder David Edgar said from
Orlando, where the team is conducting its training camp.
“It’s going to be quite similar to the last time we
played them because that second spot’s still up for grabs for both teams. It’s
going to be a vicious atmosphere but we’re used to it in places like Panama and
Honduras. It’s just about getting our heads down and getting on with it.”
Head coach Benito Floro took the reins full time in
2013 after Stephen Hart’s resignation following the 8-1 debacle. He’s focused
extensively on developing the team’s tactics.
With Honduras expected to be buoyed by the home
field advantage, this will be the ultimate test for three years of work.
“It’s a special game because it is an official game
and it is very important for both teams towards the qualification,” Floro said
in a conference call on Wednesday. “But this is a game of soccer. There are two
teams, a ball, a referee and a tactical plan. The matter is to understand
perfectly what to do.”
Everything about playing in Honduras is
intimidating. It’s hot, and when it rains it can come in buckets. Organizers
have scheduled the game for the middle of the afternoon to maximize the
blistering Central American sun.
The stadium has been open since 1997 but looks
about 50 years older and is in poor repair. And yet, with Friday being an
unofficial national holiday for the game, upwards of 40,000 fans could pack the
stadium hours before kickoff, making a lot of noise and breathing down the
Canadians’ backs as they take the field.
But where there’s hostility, Edgar sees
possibility.
“They’re a very good crowd but they also had a lot
to cheer about last time,” he said. “If we score away or in any part of the
game they can get on the home team’s back just as easily as they can get behind
them so we know we can use that to our advantage.”
Through four games, Canada is tied with Honduras on
four points, with Honduras holding a superior goal difference. But while Canada
hosts last-place El Salvador in its final game, Honduras has to face regional
juggernaut Mexico on the road. So Honduras is under more pressure to get a win
on Friday.
Adding to the pressure for the hosts is the near
blanket coverage in Honduras, with plenty of television networks covering its
training sessions and its head coach holding a press conference carried live on
Tuesday night.
Four years ago Canada's World Cup dreams evaporated in a
devastating 8-1 loss under the Honduran sun.
The coming six days presents the Canadian men's national soccer team a
chance at revenge.
On the heels of the Canadian women's captivating bronze-medal
performance at the Rio Olympics, the men have a chance to continue
Canada's success on the pitch by taking another step
toward qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Canada has two matches left in Round 4 of qualification,
starting at Estadio Olimpico in Honduras on Friday. Four days
later, Canada plays its final Group A match against El Salvador at B.C.
Place in Vancouver on .
Race to 'the
Hex'
Situated in Group A along with Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras,
Canada is in third place with four points after a win, a draw and two
losses.
The top two teams in the group advance to the final round
of qualification, commonly referred to as the Hexagonal Round, or just
simply "the Hex."
Honduras (1-1-2) has an identical record to Canada's, but has a
better goal differential (+3), giving the small Central American nation
the edge for second position in the group.
"It's probably the biggest game since the last time we said this
four years ago against Honduras so it's massive and it's just about getting the
three points," defender/midfielder David Edgar said from Orlando, where
the team is conducting its training camp.
"It's going to be quite similar to the last time we played them
because that second spot's still up for grabs for both teams. It's going to be
a vicious atmosphere but we're used to it in places like Panama and Honduras.
It's just about getting our heads down and getting on with it."
A loss against Honduras wouldn't mathematically eliminate the Canadians,
but it would put the squad in a very difficult position heading into
the final day of Group 4 qualification.
Searching for only its second World Cup berth — the only
appearance was in 1986 in Mexico — a win in Honduras would
allow Canada to control its own destiny ahead of its final Round 4
qualification game against last-place El Salvador (0-2-2) on Sept. 6.
"It's a special game because it is an official game and it is very
important for both teams towards the qualification," manager
Benito Floro said in a conference call on Wednesday. "But this
is a game of soccer. There are two teams, a ball, a referee and a tactical
plan. The matter is to understand perfectly what to do."
No shortage
of history
Undefeated Mexico (4-0-0) has already locked up top spot in
Group A and El Salvador basically out of contention, Canada and Honduras
are scrapping for the coveted second spot.
Canada has no shortage of history in World Cup qualification against
Honduras, most of it bad. In the past two World Cup qualifications, Canada
has twice been eliminated from contention in Honduras — a 3-1 loss in
2008 and the 8-1 collapse in 2012 when a draw would have secured a
spot in the Hex.
The drubbing prompted some major changes for the organization.
Manager Stephen Hart resigned and Floro was brought in to replace him.
Floro has implemented new systems and with the help of new players such
as Cyle Larin and Scott Arfield, Canada is back in the same
position it found itself in four years ago. While the team
boasts two players in midfielder Atiba Hutchinson and goalkeeper Milan Borjan
who will compete in the upcoming UEFA Champions League, Canada will be without
the services of injured captain Julian de Guzman.
Setback against Mexico
Canada got off to a good start in Round 4 with a 1-0 win over Honduras on Nov. 13, 2015 in Vancouver and followed it up with a 0-0 draw on the road against El Salvador four days later. But two losses to Mexico — 3-0 on March 25 and 2-0 four days later — saw Canada drop in the group.
If Canada were to advance to the Hex, it would play a round-robin home-and-away series against Mexico and the other top two teams from Groups B and C (six teams total). The top three teams in the Hex automatically qualify for Russia 2018 while the fourth-place team would need to play a head-to-head playoff series with an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) nation for a final chance to qualify.
Canada vs Honduras - 2015-11-13
·
Canada
1
·
Honduras
0
Location
|
Vancouver, BC, Canada
|
Venue
|
BC Place Stadium
|
Attendance
|
20,108
|
Kickoff
|
19.00 local (22.00 ET / 19.00 PT)
|
Broadcast
|
TSN, RDS, TSN Radio
|
Canada colours
|
Red
|
Honduras colours
|
White
|
Canada Player of the Match
|
Location
|
Vancouver, BC, Canada
|
Venue
|
BC Place Stadium
|
Attendance
|
20,108
|
Kickoff
|
19.00 local (22.00 ET / 19.00 PT)
|
Broadcast
|
TSN, RDS, TSN Radio
|
Canada colours
|
Red
|
Honduras colours
|
White
|
Canada Player of the Match
|
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