With the 2022 World Cup tournament about to kick off, Canada is ready to thrive in the underdog role, which has led the Canadian team to unprecedented success in making it to Qatar.
Canada is in one of the most difficult groups in the World Cup. In terms of the average FIFA world ranking, the country was drawn from among the lowest-ranked teams and joined the trio of teams with the highest average rank: Belgium, Croatia, and Morocco.
Canada begins the World Cup on Nov. 23 against No. 2-ranked Belgium, followed by 2018 World Cup runner-up Croatia on Nov. 27, and ends against No. 22-ranked Morocco on Dec. 1. If Canada finishes among the top two, it advances to the Round of 16.
Ranked No. 41, Canada has not faced European opposition as part of its preparation for this World Cup. And it no longer has the incredible momentum it had during the final round of qualification when it finished atop its region CONCACAF, or the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.
But the team is well-versed in doing the unexpected.
‘Sky’s the Limit’
Midfielder Liam Miller said Canada is going to Qatar to compete, not just to participate. He believes the “sky’s the limit” for the team and that when a team has nothing to lose, it is a lot more dangerous.
“I came to play, and say I played excellent in a World Cup,” he said.
Miller, who plays for a club in Belgium, said Canada has “been underdogs 99 percent of the games we’ve gone into,” and the World Cup is “just another opportunity to prove people wrong in terms of what we can do in this tournament.”
It was highly unexpected that Canada would win the final qualification tournament to reach the World Cup, given that the last time Canada reached that level was in 1997.
Canada’s attitude can be summarized in Alphonso Davies’ viral tweet on Nov. 13: “A kid born in a refugee camp wasn’t supposed to make it! But here we are GOING TO THE WORLD CUP. Don’t let no one tell you that your dreams are unrealistic. KEEP DREAMING, KEEP ACHIEVING!”
Davies’s story is well-known among fans of the Canadian team. He came to Canada as a refugee from Ghana, developed in Edmonton and Vancouver, and now plays for the biggest club in Germany, FC Bayern Munich.
The Canadians have thus been surprising a lot of people, and would surprise even more if they manage to not finish last in their group.
TSN’s “The Ranking Show” ranked all 32 World Cup teams and ranked Canada 24th.
The Opposition
Belgium and Croatia represent top-quality European opposition; however, they are both teams whose best days may be behind them.
Belgium, which finished third at the Russia 2018 World Cup, are led by one of the best midfielders on the planet in Kevin De Bruyne. There is world-class talent and experience throughout the squad, but an aging and slow defence is a weakness.
“These [Belgian] players can smell and sense the inexperience of players and will take advantage, so we’ve got to manage that with the excitement of also knowing we’ve got a very talented [team] there with a lot of confidence,” head coach John Herdman told reporters on Nov. 13.
Croatia’s strength is its magnificent midfield, led by 37-year-old Luka Modric who is still among the game’s best. But the defence and attack aren’t particularly strong.
One might think Morocco is Canada’s best chance for success, but this is a team with several top-quality players like Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi. At Russia 2018, Morocco nearly beat Spain. However, Morocco haven’t faced European opposition recently either, and the team lost 3–0 to the United States in June.
Canada plays a counter-attacking style that makes use of the speed and skill of wingers like Davies and Tajon Buchanan. Jonathan David is among the top scorers in France’s Ligue 1, one of the top five European leagues.
Probably the most in-form Canadian player is midfielder Stephen Eustaquio, who scored three goals and set up another in his last four games playing for his club team in Portugal.
To qualify for the Round of 16, a minimum of four points—a win and a draw—is pretty much needed.
While Canada lost its three group-stage games in the 1986 World Cup, the team never looked like it didn’t belong. It was a fit and hard-working team but lacked a bit of technique—and luck. The team exited the extravaganza in Mexico without scoring a goal, conceding five to France, Hungary, and the Soviet Union, but it still had a chance to qualify for the Round of 16 in its final game.
The 2022 version of Canada has already proven that it has that technique along with the fitness and tenacity to take on the best teams in the world.
Canada’s 26-man roster was revealed on Nov. 13. Among those players, 11 play in Major League Soccer, with 6 coming from CF Montreal, 3 from Toronto FC, and 1 from Vancouver. The other 15 play in Europe, including 4 who play in the Champions League, Europe’s top premier competition.
Follow Rahul on Twitter @RV_ETSports
