Having qualified for the Octagonal round of Concacaf World Cup qualifying, the Canadian men’s national team will test itself against the best in the region. However, similar opportunities await at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup, beginning this Sunday against the United States (5 pm ET, FOX, Univision, TUDN in US, One Soccer in Canada).
These aren’t the same squads that each side will field in qualifying, but this Group B finale is a litmus test for Canada’s progress as a team. Even without a significant number of European-based players, this US team has quality across the pitch that can test the Canadian defense.
Considering Haiti, who was shorthanded in the 4-1 loss on Thursday to Canada due to a COVID-19 outbreak, threatened the Canadian backline on a few occasions, it’s fair to wonder how the likes of Daryl Dike and Matthew Hoppe will fare.
Canada has the advantage entering the match as the Group B leader via the goals scored tiebreaker, meaning a draw is enough to clinch first place and likely avoid some of Concacaf’s heavyweights until a possible final. While obtaining that desired result would be beneficial to Les Rouges’ odds of mounting a deep run in the knockout stage, there’s more to prove for this group than just securing a point or three.
This is the time for Canada to prove it can manage games against marquee opposition ahead of the qualifiers. Furthermore, the team can address concerns about building on those performances as well.
In October 2019, Canada secured a historic 2-0 win over the US in Concacaf Nations League. It was a euphoric moment for coach John Herdman and his players. They showed they could get the job done against a top dog in Concacaf. One month later, they were blown out of the water by that same American side in a 4-1 loss in Orlando.
That is why the rest of this Gold Cup is massive for Canada. Matches like Sunday’s aren’t so much about outplaying or outgunning the US as it is to navigate through them. No team will be able to dominate and dictate games on their terms for the entirety of the 90 minutes, therefore having these moments to test their mettle is vital for the players.
With qualification for the knockout stage secured but first place in Group B on the line, it is difficult to predict how the game will play out. Herdman has some worries concerning yellow-card warnings, as five players risk a suspension for the quarterfinals. Alistair Johnston, Steven Vitoria, Liam Fraser, Mark-Anthony Kaye and Lucas Cavallini are all at risk after their bookings in the opening win over Martinique on July 11.
One player will have his slate wiped clean for the knockout stage, but it came at a price. Midfielder Stephen Eustaquio picked up a second booking — perhaps intentionally — in the win over Haiti, so he is suspended for Sunday’s game, which brings up some potential issues.
Eustaquio’s ability to orchestrate games with his passing and to cover tons of ground is unmatched in the Canadian squad. But While Samuel Piette, the likely replacement, perhaps can't match Eustaquio in that department, the CF Montréal midfielder's entrance onto the field against Haiti helped shutdown the opposition's attacking threat.
"Playing these teams, it’s always tricky because they always bring something different than maybe some of the bigger nations in Concacaf,” Piette said after the Haiti match. “These are always tough opponents. You have to be ready and focused for 90 minutes plus.
“Against any team, you’ll always face tough moments and you have to make sure you go through these tough moments without showing too many weaknesses.”
Now one of those bigger nations await on Sunday at Children’s Mercy Park – the home of Sporting Kansas City.
This will also be a special game for Ayo Akinola, who filed his one-time switch from the US in order to represent Canada. The 21-year-old entered the Haiti match as a second-half substitute and won a penalty that was eventually converted by Junior Hoilett, but if not for the foul, Akinola could’ve converted his first goal with the program.
He hasn’t started a game – he may not do so against the US either – but Akinola’s threat off the bench is palpable and Herdman is satisfied with the young striker thus far.
“I was really happy with Ayo coming in,” Herdman said after the victory over Haiti. “It was disappointing that the player pulled him down because I was hoping he was going to score in that moment. He did some really good work to create that opportunity, you can just see the quality in his timing and the tough he took to set himself up.”
Whatever situation presents itself, Canada needs to manage it wisely. Many storms will hit their shores from Sunday until the end of the qualifiers. Weathering those storms is crucial to their chances of both reaching the latter stages of the Gold Cup and qualifying for Qatar next year.
