Canada has only once qualified for the World Cup, back in 1986 so they are not exactly used to soccer success. Even so, their recent run has been extraordinarily bad as they have failed to even qualify for the final round of World Cup qualifying since 1998 so before they can even think about qualifying for the 2014 World Cup they just need to get to the final round.
USA Vs. Canada: Canucks Have An Uphill Climb To The 2014 World Cup
Next week, they will begin the third round of World Cup qualifying in a four-team group that they will need to finish in the top two of to book a spot in the final round of qualifying. The Canucks got a pretty favorable draw, being grouped with Honduras, Cuba and Panama to give them a real shot at finishing in the top two. Honduras is obviously the favorite, but second place is up for grabs and Canada rightly feels, "why not us?".
Canada will finish their preparations for World Cup qualifying on Sunday when they host the United States at BMO Field in Toronto. The match is also a celebration of the Canadian Soccer Association's centennial, although more focus will be on whether or not the team is ready to compete for a spot in the World Cup. The Americans will provide the Canadians with a stiff test and a good barometer for where they are. Playing at home, Canada cannot get blown away and think it is ready to compete in qualifying.
The first matter of business for Canada will be getting healthy. Josh Simpson is already ruled out for a while after breaking his leg, while Canada manager Stephen Hart said that two other players were also battling injuries, although he refused to name which two.
With Dwayne De Rosario leading the way, Canada has a player who can go out and win a match on his own, but they will need more than him to get things done. That means getting healthy, getting Simeon Jackson to translate his club form for Norwich into goals for Canada and getting results against the lowly teams that they have stumbled against in the past. It has been 26 long years since Canada's lone appearance in the World Cup and with the sport growing in the country, as evidence by their three MLS teams, it is time for the results to start matching the team's potential.
Make sure to check out the U.S. vs. Canada StoryStream for all of your pre-match, live and post-match coverage.
See More:
