World Cup qualifying: Costa Rica halts Canadian men’s bid

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica –

Canada’s bid to seal World Cup qualification was placed on maintain Thursday after a 1-0 loss to Costa Rica that noticed the Canadians play a person down for nearly two-thirds of the match.

However the future stays vivid, with Canada (7-1-4, 25 factors) now seeking to seal the deal Sunday in Toronto towards No. 62 Jamaica (1-6-5, eight factors) at a sold-out BMO Area the place a draw would ship them to Qatar 2022. They wrap up qualifying subsequent Wednesday on the highway towards No. 63 Panama (5-4-3, 18 factors).

“We’re not wanting over our shoulder. (Our) future’s in our arms,” stated Canada coach John Herdman. “We have the standard right here, we have got the spirit to go and win this outright. We are able to take management of our future. … We’ll maintain enterprise this weekend. And if would not get taken care of there, we’ll maintain it in Panama. We’ll get to Qatar.”

It was Thirty third-ranked Canada’s first defeat in 18 qualifying matches (13-1-4) over three rounds, snapping a six-game win streak. The Canadians stay atop the eight-country closing round-robin with a three-point edge over Mexico and the U.S. (each 6-2-4, 22 factors).

“Look, that is soccer,” stated Herdman. “We went 17 video games the place we had the soccer gods with us. They weren’t with us tonight. And It is made us hungry to come back again dwelling and take what we have to take.”

There was loads of drama by way of the night, with 10-man Canada charging exhausting within the second half, the Costa Ricans hanging on and different outcomes coming into play.

“It wasn’t to be tonight. It is within the stars to do that at dwelling,” stated Herdman.

Honduras drew 1-1 at Panama, that means a Canadian tie would nonetheless have earned qualification. And the Canadians may have booked their ticket to Qatar had Mexico crushed the U.S . But it surely ended up a 0-0 attract Mexico Metropolis.

Even when Canada loses its two remaining video games and Costa Rica (5-3-4, 19 factors) wins its final two, the Canadians would end third — and qualify — until the Costa Ricans make up an 11-goal deficit.

“We’ll reside and study,” stated Herdman. “We received a bit however humbled tonight with the end result. That is what we would have liked. That is a part of the training course of. We’ll get again to Canada, we’ll regroup. We’ll have our 30,000 egging us on. And with this expertise and the fervour and the will after the match, yeah, we’ll be prepared.”

Veteran midfielder Celso Borges put No. 42 Costa Rica forward in first-half stoppage time after Canada, which had had hassle defending set items, was unable to clear a free kick. Goalkeeper Milan Borjan punched the ball away nevertheless it went to Costa Rica’s Gerson Torres and three passes later it was within the web as Borges rose above Stephen Eustaquio to go dwelling a Torres cross.

The Canadians have been decreased to 10 males when midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye was despatched off within the thirty fourth minute for a second yellow card.

Kaye was cautioned within the fifteenth minute for a problem on Ronald Matarrita, catching the FC Cincinnati star on the decrease shin. Honduran referee Mentioned Martinez went to the pitch-side monitor to evaluate the play however elected to stay with the yellow card.

However the Colorado Rapids midfielder was off 19 minutes later after a confrontation with Johan Venegas, who had taken him down seconds earlier with out sanction. Kaye, upset by the sooner problem, caught Venegas along with his shoulder as the 2 crossed paths with the Costa Rican tumbling theatrically to the bottom. That earned the second yellow.

“The lad’s devastated. Completely devastated,” stated Herdman. Kaye might be suspended for Sunday’s sport.

Regardless of trailing and down a person, the Canadians got here out with nice function to begin the second half and got here shut a number of occasions.

“After that (ejection) the response was superb,” stated Herdman. “I although these gamers did their nation proud tonight, All that we missed was that closing effort, that aim. And I believe they did every thing to take it.”

Within the 73rd minute, Tajon Buchanan’s header hit the Costa Rican crossbar after goalkeeper Keylor Navas stopped a low Richie Laryea shot. Laryea’s highly effective long-distance shot within the 83rd minute compelled one other save from Navas.

Jonathan David hit the goalpost within the 88th minute with a ball that got here off his physique. A Eustaquio stoppage-time free kick hit the wall.

The Canadians outshot Costa Rica 18-11, though the house aspect had a 4-3 edge in photographs on the right track. Canada had 67.9 per cent of possession regardless of being down a person.

Canada has been the shock bundle in qualifying, rising up the FIFA rankings. And with gamers like captain Atiba Hutchinson, Alphonso Davies (at the moment recovering from sickness), Cyle Larin, David, Eustaquio and Borjan, they’ve completed it in model.

Canada had outscored its opposition 50-6 whereas posting 11 clear sheets in qualifying play previous to Thursday.

In Thursday’s different sport, El Salvador drew 1-1 at Jamaica.

Thursday marked the four-year anniversary of Herdman’s first sport answerable for the boys, a 1-0 win over New Zealand in Murcia, Spain, earlier than simply 75 folks. His report on the males’s helm previous to Thursday was 28-6-4 with the one losses to the U.S. (twice), Mexico (twice), Haiti and Iceland.

The Canadian males got here into play Thursday atop the eight-team closing spherical robin, 4 factors forward of No. 12 Mexico and the Thirteenth-ranked U.S.

No. 62 Panama was fourth and No. 42 Costa Rica fifth.

The highest three groups qualify for Qatar whereas the fourth-place finisher takes on an Oceania aspect in an intercontinental playoff to see who joins them.

Already certified within the 32-team World Cup subject are host Qatar, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Iran, Japan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Uruguay.

With defenders Doneil Henry and Sam Adekugbe suspended and Steven Vitoria coping with an damage, Herdman began the 39-year-old Hutchinson at centre again. His beginning 11 got here into the sport with a mixed cap rely of 414, with Hutchinson extending his Canadian males’s report complete to 93.

The gamers belted out “O Canada” with fireworks exploding above the 35,000-capacity Estadio Nacional and drowning out half the anthem.

The bodily Canadians gave up a string of free kicks within the early going with Costa Rica getting a number of free headers that went off–target.

The Canadians weren’t as fluid within the first half as in earlier video games however started to search out some rhythm because the half wore on with Laryea discovering room down the left flank. Herdman switched to a 3-5-2 formation after which needed to rejig once more when Kaye exited.

Larin got here shut within the thirty seventh when a Eustaquio nook dropped at his ft in entrance of aim however Calvo did sufficient to forestall him getting a shot off. On the different finish, Borjan performed with fireplace when his tried clearance deflected off Anthony Contreras again in the direction of aim. Happily for Canada, it went huge.

Navas, who performs his membership soccer for Paris Saint-Germain, needed to be sharp within the twenty ninth minute, getting a leg to a Buchanan shot from close-range.

Borjan stopped Joel Campbell within the 53rd after the Costa Rican attacker was put in alone with Hutchinson making an attempt to chase him down. Two minutes later, David’s dangerous-looking shot was blocked by a defender.

Eustaquio’s angled shot was simply huge within the sixty fourth minute.

CF Montreal midfielder Ismael Kone, 19, made his Canadian debut off the bench in 79th minute.

Davies took to Twitter to voice his help earlier than the sport,

“Good luck to my teammates tonight. Let’s maintain enterprise this week and make historical past. Want I might be there with you guys. LETS GO!!” stated the Bayern Munich speedster, who’s working his means again from myocarditis after a bout of COVID-19.

“Good luck tonight boys! Huge alternative, your entire nation is behind you,” tweeted Canada ladies’s captain Christine Sinclair, who has performed at 5 World Cups.

Canada has been to seven of eight ladies’s World Cups, lacking out solely on the inaugural occasion in 1991. The ladies completed fourth on the 2003 event within the U.S.

The Canadian males downed Costa Rica 1-0 when the groups met in a November qualifier in Edmonton and 2-0 once they met final July within the Gold Cup quarterfinal in Arlington, Texas.

The Canadians at the moment are 7-8-9 all-time towards Costa Rica, together with 2-3-2 in video games on Costa Rican soil.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed March 24, 2022