Canada's world cup curse is finally over as they secure their ticket to Qatar for the first time in 36 years! Following their 4-0 victory over Jamaica on Sunday the 27th of March, the Maple Leafs have officially qualified for the most prestigious sports event in the world, The Fifa World Cup. The last time Canada competed; people listened to music on their Sony Walkman whilst discovering the practicality of portable computers. It is no mystery as to why a sidelined Alphonso Davies got emotional after watching his country’s historic performance at the start of the week.
Canada finish off the qualifying round with an easy game against a crushed Panama which had already been eliminated following their 5-1 loss to the United States on Sunday. Within the qualifiers, Canada has won 4 out of 5 of their last games maintaining a positive goal difference of 17 across all games. Managed by head coach John Herman and captained by Besiktas star Atiba Hutchinson, their passion combined with young talent usually results in an exciting performance for the Reds.
It would be no surprise to see Canada succeed in November, as they prove to be the strongest side in North America. A few players that are definitely worth it to keep an eye on are Besiktas’s Cyle Larin, Lille’s Jonathan David and of course the best left-back in the world, Alphonso Davies. Their strongest weapon going into the world cup would have to be Jonathan David, at just the age of 22, he has earned his name as one of the most promising forwards in world football, scoring 9 goals in world cup qualifiers and 16 goals for his club, with 3 of those in the champions league. Alphonso Davies is recovering from a mild heart disease, but seems to be on the right track with his recovery, and should be fit for Qatar.
By Nick