Canada aims to score first but also not worried about getting behind early in World Cup qualifiers
Global News
Going into two home games in Edmonton, players on Canada's national men's soccer team are confident they can come back again, even if their form of giving up early goals continue.
Depending on which number-crunching study or oddsmaker you follow, the team scoring first has about a 67 per cent probability of winning a soccer game.
So far the Canadian men’s national team has defied the odds.
The Canadians have gone down 1-0 in four of the six matches they have played in CONCACAF’s Octagonal round of World Cup qualifying. Throw out a 0-0 draw with Jamaica, and Canada has scored first just once in this round.
Yet, the Canadians are undefeated, with two wins and four draws. They’ve come back from one down to draw both the United States and Mexico. They’ve gone down early at home to both Honduras and Panama, and got a draw and a win.
READ MORE: Veteran Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio not interested in easy road to World Cup
Going into two home games in Edmonton — against Costa Rica on Friday and Mexico on Tuesday — the Canadians are confident they can come back again, even if their form of giving up early goals continue.
“It doesn’t matter,” said coach John Herdman after the team’s training session Wednesday afternoon at Commonwealth Stadium.
The Canadians have scored 10 goals in six Octagonal matches, and sit third in the table. The top three teams qualify for the World Cup, while the fourth-place team gets a last-chance playoff with another wild card from another region.