One win away from World Cup

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/03/2022 (1455 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Canada, we’re almost there.

With a win over Costa Rica next week, our men’s national soccer team will qualify for just a second World Cup finals and first in 36 years. And finishing the job will likely be rather less anxious than it was in September 1985, when George Pakos and Igor Vrablic scored from Carl Valentine corners against Honduras in St. John’s.

The game is slated for Thursday (9:05 p.m., Sportsnet).

In fact, they could probably get away without doing anything at all. It’s the luxury of being four points clear atop the CONCACAF region’s octagonal table, unbeaten through 11 rounds and boasting by far the best goal-difference of their North and Central American and Caribbean rivals.

Given the late kick-off in San Jose, they might even be Qatar-bound when they come out to start the second half — assuming Panama have lost or drawn in Honduras.

Naturally, there are numerous scenarios that could see Canada qualified on Thursday. And if not then, on March 27, and if not then, on March 30. But disregard all that. All we need to know is that this team, this remarkably talented, star-studded, likeable team, will be playing World Cup soccer in November. Perhaps in December. But should we really be getting that far ahead of ourselves?

Folks who have only just jumped on the bandwagon might think so. And to them — welcome! There’s plenty of room, and let’s enjoy ourselves while we’re all together. That’s kind of the point, right?

But you should know it hasn’t always been this way. And although it may be the new normal, for a lot of longtime fans the winning, the scoring and the quality of performances is still an anomaly, very much the exception to the rule.

So please forgive, and try to understand, the paranoia, the worry. Because we’ll always find something, even now.

Stephen Eustaquio, for example, has played only 51 Primeira Liga minutes for Porto since his January move from nearby Pacos de Ferreira. Encouragingly, he did start against Lyon midweek in the Europa League, but the reality is he was a depth signing for Sergio Conceicao and won’t see much of the pitch as the Dragons try to regain the title.

From a Canada standpoint, nevermind the 25-year-old’s own development, it goes without saying that this is hardly ideal. Apologies to Atiba Hutchinson, but Eustaquio is this country’s best midfielder. He needs to be playing.

With his contract expiring in June, he faces a rather unsettled summer and then another bedding-in process with a new club — assuming he leaves Estadio do Dragao. He nearly joined Fenerbahce seven months ago. Maybe that’s the answer.

“Unsettled,” it would seem, is something of a theme for our international players at club level, even as they excel in World Cup qualifying.

Like Eustaquio, Lille striker Jonathan David could well be on the move by June or July. The rumour mill has him linked to Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle and Inter Milan. Fellow forward and Canada’s leading all-time goal-scorer Cyle Larin could also be set for a switch. West Ham and Everton are thought to be keen on luring him from Besiktas. Meanwhile, versatile Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio has never made a secret of his desire to play in Europe. He’s out of contract in December, which means he, too, could be finding his feet at a new club come the fall.

Then there is Atiba Hutchinson.

The 39-year-old’s contract will run out in three months, leaving the Besiktas stalwart and Canada captain in some uncertainty as the World Cup approaches. Might he agree another one-year deal with the Instanbul giants, or will he go into the summer unattached? (“Unattached,” you see, is something of a traumatizing word in Canadian soccer circles.)

Right — we also have to talk about, and worry about, Alphonso Davies.

He’ll once again miss a set of qualifiers after experiencing myocarditis (an inflammation of the heart) following a bout of COVID-19. While he returned to training at Bayern Munich on Monday, it won’t be until late next month that he’s integrated back into the setup at Allianz-Arena. A full recovery is expected — indeed, well underway — but there’s no messing about when it comes to a heart condition.

Taken together, that’s about half of Canada’s first-team squad and six of manager John Herdman’s best players to worry about.

Thing is, the worry is rather different this time around, the paranoia relocated.

You see, we don’t need to worry about the Canadian men going into the Group Stage Draw on April 1. Win out, and they might even be placed in Pot 3, which would be absolutely remarkable.

For the very first time, we’re now troubling ourselves with what the team has to do to emerge from the group stage and compete in the round of 16. Even a quarter-final. And we’re suspicious of every possible situation that might arise and destabilize those chances.

We’re still worrying — it’s part of Canadian soccer DNA — but not the way we used to.

But can we leave our anxieties until at least April 2, the day after the draw? We’re about to experience something much of the country has never known, and that the rest have waited a generation for. Let’s enjoy it, make room to celebrate it.

There will be plenty of time to worry in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup. And, honestly, that’s a good thing.

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