For the first time in the history of soccer, both Canada and the United States will be present at the FIFA World Cup. It marks the first time the Canadians have qualified for the tournament since 1986, while the USMNT look to make up for lost time after failing to make it to Russia 2018.
Here, we’ll take a look at who is looking the best ahead of Qatar 2022 this winter.
Who Will be Starring for Both Countries?
Not only is Canada entering their first World Cup in 36 years, but they’re doing so with arguably a better team than their North American rivals too. The USMNT do, however, have an abundance of young talent who are making a lot of noise in Europe.
Christian Pulisic is the obvious star under 25 to note, while Malik Tillman of Bayern Munich, Weston McKennie of Juventus, Tyler Adams of RB Leipzig, Yunus Musah of Valencia, and Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Joe Scally all look to have excellent futures to come for their country.
On the other hand, despite their age and already being with a top European side, the majority lack the pedigree of several Canadian stars. Jonathan David has scored 20 goals in 30 caps for Canada already at 22, and the Lille superstar was pivotal in a shock Ligue 1 win in 2020/21. Better yet, despite Lille falling down the table this season, he has netted two more (15) than he did in the title-winning campaign.
Alphonso Davies needs no introduction, as he truly is arguably the best left-back in the world for those under 23. Cyle Larin netted a solid effort of seven goals in 29 appearances for Besiktas this season, as he was one of the main men in helping the Turkish side win the Super Lig in 2020/21 with 19 goals across 38 games.
In reality, the USMNT is better in terms of raw talent, but they lack experience on the World stage. The likes of Pulisic and McKennie are at the forefront of the American talent pool, but they don’t play every game at the club level compared to that of Davies and David.
Does Pulisic Have Too Much Work to Do?
If there is anything separating Canada and the USMNT right now, it’s the complete dependency on one player within the American squad: Pulisic. Although the USMNT haven’t always had a star-studded lineup, there’s usually been a few players shouldering the load offensively.
For all the times Clint Dempsey was needed, Tim Howard would star in goal, Landon Donovan was a steadying presence, and the likes of Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore played big roles too.
Now, however, it seems as if the 23-year-old from Pennsylvania has too much to do by himself. There are great players on the squad for head coach Gregg Berhalter to call on who play for top clubs in Europe. However, while the goals tend to be shared across the Canadian squad, Pulisic, already the country’s seventh all-time top scorer after only 50 caps, sits with the best goals to game ratio in American soccer history but there just seems to be too much expectation on his shoulders.
Pulisic is an extraordinary talent, but he is far from good enough to carry a nation in ways like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and others do for their country. The USMNT needs others to step up, because Canada certainly has a better drilled unit right now, and there will come a time where the lack of experience at the club level for these American players comes back to haunt them.
Who Has the Better Squad?
The USMNT have better players across a chosen 23-man setup like what is needed at a World Cup. However, there are arguments that the best players are Canadian, as Pulisic is the only one who really rivals Davies and David throughout a domestic season.
The Canadians are bringing more caps and also more appearances throughout the club season as well, despite this being their first World Cup in almost four decades.
There really isn’t much separating either nation, and given how the past three games within the year they’ve played each other have ended in a win for either side and a draw, they are quite literally neck and neck in so many ways.
It’s an incredibly fluid dynamic right now in North American soccer, and it will be interesting to see who can make it to the knockout rounds, as the USMNT have Wales, Iran and England to contend with at the World Cup. Meanwhile Canada also has a great chance to get out of their group as they meet Croatia, Morocco, and Belgium.
-Grant McQuillan
Twitter: @Grant_McQuillan