EDMONTON –
The Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team will play two crucial qualifying matches for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Edmonton.
Whether you’re a new soccer fan wondering what these games mean or heading to the Commonwealth Stadium and want to familiarize yourself with opponents from Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico, CTV News Edmonton has you covered. .
Canada will face Costa Rica on Friday November 12 and Mexico on Tuesday November 16.
QUALIFICATIONS, EXPLAINED
Canada is currently in the final stages of the CONCACAF playoffs.
Mexico, the United States, Canada, Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica, El Salvador and Honduras meet twice, at home and away, and the top three teams will automatically qualify for the World Cup in Qatar at the end of 2022.
The fourth-placed team will compete in the playoffs against teams from South America, Asia and Oceania.
After six of 14 games, Canada is third in the standings behind Mexico and the United States, respectively, and two points ahead of Panama.
WHAT ARE THE GOOD MEXICO AND COSTA RICA?
The two Spanish-speaking countries are generally among the best in CONCACAF, especially Mexico.
Mexico is ninth in the FIFA rankings, while Costa Rica is 45th and Canada 48th.
Mexico have participated in 16 of the 21 World Cups, including the last seven where they have always reached the knockout stages.
Costa Rica, meanwhile, have qualified for four of the last five World Cups, including the last two.
Canada only qualified for the 1986 World Cup – in Mexico.
Although the United States did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the Americans and Mexicans are generally the favorites to lock in the top of the standings, so Costa Rica is probably Canada’s main contender for the third. birth.
WHO WILL BE THE BEST PLAYERS IN COMMONWEALTH?
By now, most Canadians and soccer fans around the world are familiar with Alphonso Davies, the gifted Edmonton-bred player at Bayern Munich.
Friday will be the first time Davies has played a professional game in Edmonton.
Alphonso Davies of Team Canada participates in a training session in Edmonton, Alta. On Wednesday, November 10, 2021. Canada will face Costa Rica in their World Cup match on Friday, November 12, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS / Jason Franson
Other players to watch for Canada include Jonathan David, who plays for defending French league champions Lille, and Cyle Larin of Besiktas, the qualifying top scorer with nine goals.
Mexico have an impressive roster with Premier League forward Raul Jimenez, a Wolverhampton Wanderers forward.
Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, midfielder Andres Guardado and striker Hirving Lozano also played at the highest level in Europe.
Costa Rica have one of the best goalkeepers in the world at Keylor Navas, but they won’t play Canada on Friday after suffering an injury with PSG.
Kendall Waston, Bryan Oviedo and Bryan Ruiz have been mainstays of Costa Rica in recent years.
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