First place of League A, Group C in CONCACAF Nations League is up for grabs on Tuesday night in Toronto.
It has been 366 days since the Canadian men’s national team played a match at BMO Field. That was the day they qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after they defeated Jamaica 4-0 on a frigid afternoon by the lakeshore.
This CONCACAF Nations League match against Honduras may not hold as much weight as a World Cup Qualifier, but it is important that Canada finish first in their respective group of this competition. Topping the group advances you to the final round of Nations League.
This is arguably Les Rouges’ best generation of players in quite some time and they want to win as many trophies as possible to continue putting other regions of world football on notice.
Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio spoke to the media after Canada’s training session on Tuesday – he touched on the competitiveness of the players within the camp and their brotherhood.
“We can compete with the best.”
Jonathan Osorio speaks on what #CANMNT can take into a new FIFA World Cup cycle. #WeCAN pic.twitter.com/Mto01xDynX
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) March 27, 2023
Canada were victorious in their first match of the international break as they defeated Curaçao 2-0 in Willemstad. Coach John Herdman subsituted some key players midway through the second half to keep them healthy and rested for the Honduras match.
Honduras played a friendly against El Salvador last week and won 1-0. Canada are aware of Honduras’ attacking threats, namely Romell Quioto and Alberth Elis. They are two pacey strikers that can cause trouble to opposing defences.
The last time these two teams met was on June 13, 2022 in Honduras – the hosts prevailed 2-1.
Expect a chippy game. The Hondurans are known to push the limits in terms of fouling and time-wasting – after all, it’s the CONCACAF style of play that we have come to know and (sometimes) love.
A victory for Canada will be another step in the right direction for this men’s program.
Match Details
Opponent: Honduras
Kickoff time: 8:00 pm ET
Watch: OneSoccer and FuboTV
Stadium: BMO Field, Toronto, Ont.