Canada soccer: Who we’ll be facing in World Cup opening round

Canada’s World Cup credentials will likely be put to the check this November in Qatar in opposition to Belgium, Croatia and Morocco in Group F.

Whereas there have been maybe harder locations – Spain and Germany have been drawn in Group E – it’s a difficult group for the Thirty eighth-ranked Canadian males.

Belgium, which spent greater than three years atop the FIFA rankings, is at the moment ranked second on this planet whereas Croatia is No. 16 and Morocco No. 24. Solely the highest two groups within the group will advance to the spherical of 16 on the 32-country event.

Canada coach John Herdman was unfazed with a smile as huge because the assist behind his workforce.

“Good,” Herdman stated of the group. “We wished these sort of video games. You are going to a World Cup. There isn’t any simple matches. And I believe any workforce can beat any workforce in a given day. That is simply event soccer.”

Canada was the final title known as out in Friday’s draw for the event, which runs Nov. 21 by way of Dec. 18. Herdman known as it a “surreal second” after the Canadian males’s 36-year absence from soccer’s showcase.

“To have our workforce pulled out (out of a pot within the draw) and simply to see that that is actual. Canada’s on the massive stage now,” he stated. “We’re not simply heading to Qatar. We’re able to play in Qatar, the place we all know the groups we have got. We have an exquisite alternative forward of us.

“The whole lot that got here out of that draw was simply alternative for this county. The gamers – personally, professionally – the workforce collectively and as a rustic. What a possibility.”

Canada will open Nov. 23 in opposition to Belgium earlier than going through Croatia on Nov. 27 and Morocco on Dec. 1.

The groups that come out of Group F will play one of many high two groups in Group E, which might imply a date with former champions Spain or Germany within the spherical of 16.

Herdman, whose workforce topped the ultimate spherical of CONCACAF qualifying at 8-2-4, watched the draw from a TV studio in Toronto. The timeline was too tight to get to Doha from Panama Metropolis, the place the Canadians wrapped up qualifying in a 1-0 loss Wednesday.

Croatia and Belgium completed second and third, respectively on the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Morocco went unbeaten in African qualifying (7-0-1), outscoring the opposition 25-3.

Star-studded Belgium moved into high spot within the FIFA world rankings in September 2018 and stayed there till this week, when it was leapfrogged by Brazil. The Crimson Devils misplaced 1-0 to eventual champion France within the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup earlier than dispatching England 2-0 within the third-place sport.

The Belgians received their World Cup qualifying group this time with a 6-0-2 document in opposition to Wales, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Belarus.

Croatia was runner-up to France in 2018. This time round it received Group H in European qualifying with a 7-1-2 document, ending forward of Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta whereas outscoring the opposition 21-4.

Morocco secured its World Cup berth with a 5-2 mixture win over the Democratic Republic of Congo after going 6-0-0 in its preliminary group.

“That is what we would like,” stated Herdman. “We wish that underdog story. We’ll be at our greatest once we depend on our grit, our spirit after which to carry that no worry (angle), that chance that exists in these sort of video games in opposition to one of the best gamers on this planet.

“Individuals like Alistair Johnston, Kamal Miller, Jonathan Osorio, native Canadian boys get an opportunity to match themselves however inform a narrative in these video games. So for us, there will be a no worry mentality. Not naive, however no worry coming into this. Simply see the alternatives to pioneer for this nation and get after scoring that first aim for Canada at a (males’s) World Cup.”

The Canadian males have by no means confronted Croatia. Canada and Belgium have performed as soon as earlier than, with the Belgians profitable 2-0 in Ottawa in June 1989. Canada is winless in three conferences with Morocco (0-2-1) with the latest assembly a 4-0 loss in Marrakech in October 2016 below interim coach Michael Findlay.

Goalkeeper Milan Borjan and midfielders Samuel Piette and Osorio, members of the present Canadian squad, all began in that sport in opposition to Morocco.

In Qatar, Canadians will get to see their workforce go up in opposition to such marquee males as Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester Metropolis), Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea) and Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard (each Actual Madrid) in addition to Croatia’s Luka Modric (Actual Madrid) and Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan) and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), Abde Ezzalzouli (Barcelona) and Yassine Bounou (Sevilla FC).

“As footballers we wish to problem ourselves in opposition to one of the best and now we have that chance right here,” stated Osorio.

Whereas Canada will likely be enjoying CONCACAF Nations League matches in June, Herdman stated there will likely be a possibility to play a pleasant sport in Canada in the beginning of the worldwide window. He stated he’ll look to take the workforce to Europe within the fall to play extra matches to organize for Qatar.

The Canadian males have performed simply two non-CONCACAF groups since Herdman took over in January 2018 – a 1-0 loss to Iceland in January 2020 and a 1-0 win over New Zealand in March 2018 in Herdman’s first sport on the helm.

Herdman’s document with the Canadian males is 29-8-4 with the one losses to the U.S. (twice), Mexico (twice), Haiti, Iceland, Costa Rica and Panama.

The Canadians drew France, Hungary and the Soviet Union as first-round opponents of their solely different go to to soccer’s showcase – Mexico ’86. Canada misplaced all three matches and was outscored 5-0.

Friday’s draw had Canada in Pot 4, which featured the lowest-ranked certified groups. Guidelines of the draw meant that the Canadians couldn’t be put in a bunch with fellow CONCACAF qualifiers Mexico and the U.S.

Hopes have been raised when the U.S. and Mexico went into Teams B and C respectively, leaving Group A open for a CONCACAF workforce with host Qatar, at No. 51 the lowest-ranked seed in Pot 1. Ecuador, the second workforce out of Pot 4, finally landed in Group A.

Nonetheless, Canada dodged a number of bullets.

The winner of intercontinental playoff 1 – both the United Arab Emirates/Australia or Peru – was drawn in Group A however needed to transfer to Group D to steer clear of fellow confederation groups. That meant Canada wouldn’t face France, Denmark and Tunisia.

The winner of the intercontinental playoff 2 – both Costa Rica or New Zealand – was drawn in Group B however needed to transfer as a result of the U.S. was already there. That despatched the playoff 2 winner to Group E, alongside Span, Germany and Japan.

The intercontinental playoffs are slated for June.

Cameroon was drawn in Group F however was moved to Group G to keep away from fellow African facet Morocco. That meant Canada prevented Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland.

Ghana was the penultimate nation picked, initially to Group F nevertheless it too needed to be moved due to Morocco’s presence. So the Black Stars have been moved to Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay

That left Bora Milutinovic, who took 5 international locations to the World Cup as supervisor, to pluck the ultimate ball containing Canada’s title – and with only one vacation spot – Group F.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first printed April 1, 2022.