How to watch and stream
- Sportsnet, OneSoccer, RDS in Canada; Paramount+ in US
- YouTube Watchalong with Tosaint Ricketts
No one said it would be easy.
The Canadian men's national team had their celebrations delayed Thursday night in a 1-0 loss at Costa Rica, but still remain in great position to earn their first FIFA World Cup berth since 1986 with a point on Sunday at home against Jamaica.
Canada have a three-point edge on the US men's national team and Mexico atop the Concacaf standings and – more importantly – a six-point advantage on fourth-place Costa Rica with two matches to play.
The top three finishers automatically qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The fourth-place side earns a spot in an intercontinental playoff against the winner of the Oceania region this June.
Jamaica held Canada to a scoreless draw in their previous qualifying meeting in October.
When
Sunday, March 27 | 4 pm ET
Where
BMO Field | Toronto, Ontario
Canada clinch scenarios
OR
- a Costa Rica draw or loss at El Salvador
- a Panama win at the United States
Playoff possibility:
- Regardless of the outcome on Sunday or March 30 against Panama, Les Rouges can finish no lower than fourth place in the Octagonal standings, meaning they're guaranteed a place in that inter-continental playoff match set for June in Qatar at worse.
It took 12 matches, but Canada were finally issued a first Octagonal defeat Thursday night against a veteran Ticos side fighting to reach a third consecutive World Cup.
The bigger implication for Sunday may be the resulting suspension for key midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye. The Colorado Rapids stalwart received his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card only 34 minutes into the contest.
Besiktas and former Orlando City SC striker Cyle Larin leads Canada with 12 qualifying goals and Lille's Jonathan David has nine. The latter went all 90 minutes Thursday at Costa Rica but is likely to see the field again from the opening whistle as the focal point of Herdman's attack.
The biggest storyline is surely how Canada can clinch a World Cup spot on home soil, with Sunday shaping up to be their brightest men's soccer moment in nearly four decades.
With all the talent recruited by former manager Theo Whitmore, the Reggae Boyz were a popular Concacaf dark horse when Octagonal play began.
The fact that Whitmore is no longer in charge reveals how bad things have gone for Jamaica, who have only one qualifying victory to their name and on Thursday required a late goal from Andre Gray to salvage a 1-1 home draw against El Salvador.
Even so, this remains a squad of more pedigree than their seventh-place position indicates.
Gray is a regular attacking contributor for QPR in the England League Championship. Winger Leon Bailey of the Premier League's Aston Villa is still with the squad despite their elimination from World Cup contention. So is Ravel Morrison of the Championship's Derby County, and 2020 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake of the Philadelphia Union.
