After years of being overshadowed by their female counterparts, the Canadian Men’s National Team is finally having some success of their own on the international stage. Canada (currently 1-0-2 in the World Cup qualifiers) came out with a purpose on Wednesday, downing El Salvador 3-0 in front of a sellout crowd at BMO Field.
The Canadian men’s team, currently ranked 59th in the world, is looking to earn a spot in a World Cup for the first time since 1986. Backed by goals from Hutchinson, David, and Buchanan the home side cruised to their first win of the 2022 qualifiers. Following the three game unbeaten set against Honduras, the US, and El Salvador, players will now return to their club teams for the next few weeks.
Come October, Canada will continue qualifying play against 9th ranked Mexico, Jamaica (50) and Panama (74) before another month-long break. The 14 game home & home series in the final round will see the top three teams qualifying for Qatar 2022. The 4th team representing North America, Central America and the Caribbean will be determined via a playoff system.
Most impressive about Canada’s quick start to the tournament has been the fact that they’ve done it without the services of their star player Alphonso Davies. The injured winger is currently in Germany having an injury assessed by Bayern Munich medical staff.
The final round of qualifications for Canada conclude on March 30th vs. Panama. Should the men’s side qualify for Qatar 2022, it will be only the second time Canada has made the World Cup in national team history.