Canadian men's soccer is looking more and more like a World Cup team
CBC
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It was the kind of night you might look back on a year from now — or five, or 10 or 20 — and say that's where it all started. The Canadian men's soccer team's 4-1 victory over Panama in last night's World Cup qualifier in Toronto was convincing and electrifying on a number of levels.
For starters, it kept Canada undefeated through six of its 14 matches in the final stage of regional qualifying. With two wins and four draws, Canada sits in third place in the eight-team CONCACAF group (comprised of teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean). The top three teams after this round receive a ticket to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The fourth-place team gets one more shot via an intercontinental playoff matchup. Canada's two toughest-looking matches — at Mexico and at the United States (the top two teams in the region) — are already in the rearview, with Canada earning a 1-1 draw in both. So, nearing the halfway point of the final round, the Canadian men are in great position to qualify for their first World Cup since 1986.
That's the big picture. And when you zoom in on last night's victory, it gets even brighter.
Even if you didn't watch the match, the result alone is impressive. Panama is a quality opponent that made it to the most recent World Cup and currently sits fourth in the CONCACAF standings. In their previous two matches, they beat the United States and tied Mexico — the top two teams in the region. This is the kind of team Canada needs to beat to become a World Cup team. And the Canadians didn't just beat Panama. They walloped them, rallying from an early 1-0 deficit with four unanswered goals while generating far more shots, shots on goal and scoring chances than the visitors.
And if you did watch the match, you came away even higher on this Canadian team. The style with which they delivered last night's victory was really something. Alphonso Davies' go-ahead goal in the 66th minute was an instant classic — possibly the best individual effort in Canadian soccer history. Fully unleashing his incredible foot speed, the 20-year-old superstar raced up the right sideline as if shot from a cannon to win a ball he had no business winning (or even being anywhere near) from an incredulous Panamanian defender. Somehow keeping the rock in bounds with Astaire-like footwork, Davies cut in on net and beat another defender and the goalie with a world-class finish. To be honest, I can't do it justice with words. If you haven't seen the goal, watch it here. If you've seen the goal, see it broken down into its brilliant component parts in a video treatment by CBC Sports' Steve Tzemis below. And read more about Davies' stunning performance last night in this story by soccer analyst John Molinaro.
Davies' jaw-dropping strike touched off a barrage of three Canadian goals in 12 minutes — fittingly capped by one from the team's other young cornerstone, 21-year-old forward Jonathan David. The French league's co-leader in goals has now scored 17 times in only 22 matches for Canada. He's already tied for fifth all-time on the men's national team. It's also worth noting that Cyle Larin, Canada's active leader with 20 career goals, missed last night's match. When he's back in the lineup, Canada will have even more firepower at its disposal.
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