Category: Canada

Canada loses to Honduras in Nations League amid absurd conditions

Things went extremely CONCACAF for Canada

Canada slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Honduras in CONCACAF Nations League play Monday night, and we do mean slipped.

Torrential rain soaked the pitch at the Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, and if anything the downpour got stronger as the match went on. Kevin Lopez and Kervin Arriaga struck for Honduras, and Jonathan David’s late goal (scored with standing water visible elsewhere on the field) didn’t spark a comeback. Alistair Johnston got a second yellow card deep into second-half stoppage time, all while Canada Soccer says fans got onto the pitch as well.

“It’s like trying to put a Formula 1 car on an off-roading track,” coach John Herdman told Canada Soccer’s official Twitter account after the match. “Every time we looked to play in certain areas, that we could get our best players moving, [the ball] would either hold up or slide off the pitch.”

“This is CONCACAF,” said Herdman. “Sometimes you’ve just got to grind a result out, and we didn’t do that tonight.”

Herdman also addressed security issues in San Pedro Sula, as multiple fans ran onto the field during the game (including one who got a selfie with a bemused Alphonso Davies).

“I just worry about the players’ safety,” said Herdman. That’s a big concern for me, when you see those players on the field, they’re putting their careers on the line. And fans, not once, not twice, not four times, maybe five times, are on the field doing what they want.” Herdman admitted that Canada “had our fans running on the pitch in Edmonton (after clinching a World Cup spot in qualifying), so we can’t complain about that.”

The game included a particularly CONCACAF-y ending, with the benches from both teams engaging in a shoving match at full time.

Honduras is now three points clear of Canada in Group C, though Canada has two games left to play while los Catrachos have just one, a visit to Canada in March 2023.

“I couldn’t believe you’re going out on the pitch with $80 million players, and they’re allowed to play in puddles” said Herdman when asked about whether the game should have been postponed. “But, it’s football. It’s CONCACAF. You’ve got to get on it.”

See the water-logged conditions

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Canada says Nations League match vs. Curaçao will happen

Game on!

Canada Soccer has announced that its men’s national team will play Curaçao Thursday night, days after a contract dispute saw the players refuse to play a friendly against Panama.

It has been a rocky few weeks for Canada, who had lined Panama up in a hurry after an outcry over a scheduled friendly against Iran resulted in the federation nixing the match. Both sides held talks last week, with two days of training being called off, but ultimately the players refused to play and released an open letter spelling out their issues with Canada Soccer.

However, on Tuesday, Canada Soccer tweeted out a statement saying that all parties were ready to play Curaçao in CONCACAF Nations League play. Unlike the friendly, that match is an official competitive game, adding some pressure to get a team on the field.

“Canada Soccer and the Men’s National Team players, who returned to training on Monday, confirmed that they look forward to facing Curaçao in Concacaf Nations League,” read the statement. “Canada Soccer and the Men’s National Team players are excited to see their fans this Thursday 9 June at BC Place in Vancouver.”

Canada refuses to play Panama friendly amid contract dispute

The match was called off just hours before kickoff as a contract dispute exploded into public view

The Canadian men’s national team refused to play Sunday’s friendly against Panama amid a contract dispute with Canada Soccer.

Just hours before kickoff at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada Soccer announced that the game had been cancelled.

Canada had previously cancelled training sessions on Friday and Saturday ahead of the match amid discussions with the federation.

Prior to kickoff on Sunday, Canada released a statement explaining why the team was refusing to play the match.

Among the team’s demands was 40 percent of the team’s World Cup prize money, a better package for friends and family traveling to the 2022 World Cup, more leadership positions for players on Canada Soccer’s board, and an equal percentage of prize money going to the men’s and women’s team.

“In March we initiated contract discussions with Canada Soccer,” the men’s national team said in a statement. “Due to executives delaying the process and taking vacations, the negotiation process was unnecessarily prolonged. Canada Soccer waited until the evening of July 2 to present an archaic offer and the general secretary and president of the association only made themselves available for the first time to connect with players on June 4 at 4 p.m. For these reasons, we have reluctantly decided not to play our match today against Panama.”

Canada is next scheduled to play two Nations League matches: against Curacao on Thursday and at Honduras on June 13.

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Canada quickly schedules Panama to replace cancelled Iran friendly

Canada Soccer acted quickly to find an opponent for June 5

Canada Soccer has announced that its men’s national team will face Panama on Sunday at BC Place in Vancouver, replacing a cancelled friendly against Iran that was scheduled for the same date.

Amid opposition that included prime minister Justin Trudeau, Canada Soccer pulled the plug on the match against Iran last week.

Iran’s military shot down a plane in 2020 in an incident that killed dozens of Canadians, prompting an outcry over Canada Soccer’s decision to schedule a match against the Middle Eastern nation.

In a statement last week, Canada Soccer admitted some fault in its decision to schedule the match.

“Over the past week, the untenable geopolitical situation of hosting Iran became significantly divisive, and in response, the match was cancelled,” the statement read. “While we considered the external factors in selecting the optimal opponent in our original decision-making process, we will strive to do better moving forward.”

Just days after cancelling the match, the federation was able to secure a new opponent for the same date and location as the game against Iran.

As a gesture of goodwill, Canada Soccer is offering fans discounted ticket prices for the hastily scheduled match against the team’s CONCACAF rival.

“All tickets in the lower bowl for the Canada v Panama match will be priced at $30 to thank Canadian fans for their support in light of the recently cancelled international match and to provide an opportunity to celebrate Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team’s qualification for Qatar 2022,” a federation statement read.

The game against Panama will be the first home match for Canada since it qualified for its first World Cup since 1986. Panama, meanwhile, narrowly missed out on an intercontinental playoff spot, finishing fifth out of eight teams in CONCACAF qualifying.

Following the match against Panama, Canada will have two Nations League matches: against Curacao on June 9 and at Honduras on June 13.

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Who is Luca Koleosho? Teenage La Liga debutant in tug-of-war between USMNT and Canada

The 17-year-old became the youngest American-born player to feature in La Liga last weekend

Many fans in North America likely hadn’t heard of Luca Koleosho before the past week, but the 17-year-old quickly boosted his profile with two big milestones in quick succession.

First, Koleosho made his La Liga debut for Espanyol last weekend, becoming the youngest American-born player to feature in the Spanish top flight.

Koleosho was then handed a senior call-up for Canada just days later. Suddenly, the winger had emerged as the latest talented American-born teenager to break through in Europe. But will he actually play for the U.S. in the future?

The winger’s international future is now set to be a closely followed subject this summer as he prepares to report for his first senior national team camp.

Who is Luca Koleosho?

Koleosho was born in Connecticut to a Nigerian father and an Italian-Canadian mother, and grew up playing youth soccer in New York.

In 2016, Koleosho moved to Spain and joined lower division club CF Reus. After making an impression there, he joined up with Espanyol in 2020.

Koleosho spent most of the 2021-22 season with Espanyol’s Under-19 side but also featured for the club’s reserves in the Spanish fourth tier. On the final day of the season, he was rewarded with a senior debut in a gesture that shows how highly rated he is at his club.

Which country will Koleosho pick?

Koleosho holds eligibility for four different countries, making his international future an intriguing storyline to follow.

Canada appears to have struck a major blow in the fight for Koleosho, but ESPN has reported that the teenager is still keeping his international options open and likely won’t decide until later in the summer.

Koleosho has previously played for the U.S. at the U-16 camp and in an interview with American Soccer Now last fall, he expressed his desire to be called in by the U.S. again.

“I was with the U-16 back in 2019 and It was really good,” Koleosho said. “It was my first time and I knew one other kid that was playing in the same league as me in Spain, so I got there with him. And it was it was a really good experience. I think it would be great for me to represent my country and play for them. If they call me, I’d be really happy to go.”

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Canada Soccer cancels controversial Iran friendly amid outcry

There was considerable pushback to the scheduling of Iran, including from prime minister Justin Trudeau

Canada Soccer has announced that it has cancelled its men’s friendly against Iran, which was scheduled for June 5.

The announcement, which came just 10 days before the game was scheduled, comes amid an outcry over the federation’s decision to face Iran.

In January 2020, Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down over Tehran by the Iranian military, in an incident that saw 55 Canadian citizens and 30 more permanent residents lose their lives.

An investigation found that the crash was due in part to “systematic violations and failures by the Iranian authorities to meet their human rights obligation.”

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau had joined the chorus who disapproved of the match being held, saying earlier this month: “I think it wasn’t a very good idea to invite the Iranian soccer team here to Canada.”

What’s next for Canada?

The cancellation of the friendly has disrupted Canada’s June schedule as the team prepares for its first World Cup since 1986.

John Herdman’s side will now only have two games next month, instead of three, with both matches set to take place in the CONCACAF Nations League. Canada will host Curacao on June 9 before visiting Honduras on June 13.

Herdman named a 25-man squad on Wednesday for the the matches, which included the return of Alphonso Davies after the Bayern Munich star returned from a heart condition that had sidelined him for his country since November.

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Alphonso Davies cements status as Canadian legend by attending NHL playoff game

In addition to being quite good at soccer, the Canada star is also a big hockey fan

It may be easy to forget now that Canada is the new overlord of North American soccer, but hockey also maintains a reasonable degree of popularity up north as well.

So it comes as no surprise to learn that in addition to being quite good at soccer, Canada national team star Alphonso Davies is also a big hockey fan.

Davies was in the building on Sunday night as his hometown Edmonton Oilers took on the Calgary Flames in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals – a series that has been dubbed the Battle of Alberta.

Attending his first NHL playoff game, Davies earned a rousing reception from the crowd at Rogers Place as the Oilers defeated the Flames, taking a 2-1 series lead (they have since made it 3-1).

Fittingly, Bayern Munich defender/midfielder Davies wore the jersey of the Oilers’ German star Leon Draisaitl.

“You saw in November against Costa Rica and Mexico, Edmonton fans are amazing,” Davies said, referring to two wins that helped Canada reach its first World Cup since 1986.

“Hockey in this country is big, especially in this city,” he added. “The fans are truly amazing and I had to come see for myself.”

Davies and Adekugbe bet on Battle of Alberta

Davies and his Canada teammate Sam Adekugbe, who is from Calgary, have put down a $2000 bet on the series, with the loser donating the money to a charity of the winner’s team, as well as being forced to take a photo wearing their rival team’s jersey.

Unless the Flames pull off a three-game winning run, Adekugbe will be posing for photos wearing an Oilers jersey in the very near future.

Davies gets Canada recall

In addition to his favorite hockey team being on the brink of the NHL’s final four, Davies got some more good news on Wednesday when he got his first Canada call-up of 2022.

Davies missed Canada’s final six World Cup qualifiers after being diagnosed with a mild heart condition in January.

The 21-year-old missed three months of action before making his return for Bayern in April.

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Justin Trudeau says Canada vs. Iran friendly ‘wasn’t a good idea’

Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down by the Iranian military in 2020, killing 55 Canadian citizens

Count Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau among those not pleased with Canada Soccer’s choice to schedule a friendly next month against Iran.

As a lead-in to their upcoming CONCACAF Nations League matches against Curaçao and Honduras, Canada has scheduled Iran for a friendly in Vancouver on June 5. On the surface, it’s a very normal thing for World Cup-bound teams to do: When you get the chance, scheduling other teams that have qualified is a good way to test yourself for the challenge to come.

However, in this case the context is crucial. According to the Canadian government, 55 Canadian citizens and 30 more permanent residents were killed when Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down by the Iranian military shortly after it took off from Tehran on January 8, 2020.

According to an investigation by two United Nations experts, the incident was due in part to “systematic violations and failures by the Iranian authorities to meet their human rights obligation.”

With that in mind, Trudeau hit out at the decision to schedule the friendly.

“This was a decision by Sport Canada, Soccer Canada. I think it wasn’t a very good idea to invite the Iranian soccer team here to Canada,” said Trudeau when asked by reporters about the decision to grant the Iran delegation visas. “That’s something the organizers are going to have to explain.”

In an op-ed in The Globe and Mail, Hamed Esmaeilion, the chief spokesperson for the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims, called on the game to be cancelled.

“This invitation is an affront to those who lost loved ones in the downing of Flight PS752,” Esmaeilion wrote.

In the aftermath of Flight PS752, Trudeau announced an annual National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Air Disasters to occur on January 8.

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Arsenal teenager Marcelo Flores picks Mexico over Canada and England

The 18-year-old is considered a dark horse to make El Tri’s roster for the World Cup

Marcelo Flores has confirmed he is committing his international future to Mexico, turning down the opportunity to play for either Canada or England.

Flores, 18, is a rising star in Arsenal’s academy and made the bench for the Gunners senior team last month for the first time, though he has yet to make his debut.

The attacking midfielder was born in Canada to a Canadian mother and Mexican father, and moved to England when he was 13, making him eligible to play for all three countries.

Now, after already making two appearances for Mexico’s senior national team in friendlies, Flores has said he is committing to El Tri for the rest of his career.

In a heartfelt post on social media, Flores paid tribute to all three countries he was eligible to represent before confirming his intent to play for Mexico.

“Today I speak from the heart and feel the need to communicate something I’ve known to be true for a while that I think is important you hear directly from me: I will represent Mexico wholeheartedly for the rest of my professional life,” Flores wrote.

Could Flores play at the World Cup?

Even before his announcement on Monday, Flores has been considered a dark horse candidate to make Mexico’s roster for the World Cup later this year.

Mexico’s attack struggled during World Cup qualifying and Flores, despite his lack of first-team experience, is considered one of the best attacking prospects in El Tri’s pipeline.

Flores addressed his World Cup chances in his announcement, saying he’d love to be in Qatar.

“Do I want to go to the upcoming World Cup? Sure, every Mexican child dreams of paying in the World Cup,” he said. “But I recognize that decision is not for me to make. I will focus on getting better every day and being ready for when those opportunities come around.”

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