First World Cup goal is Canada’s starting goal in Qatar

Canada was trailing Hungary 2-0 when they saw the situation get even more complicated after the expulsion of midfielder Mike Sweeney, in the 40th minute of the second half of the match for the second round of Group C of the 1986 World Cup, in Mexico.

The point guard, who had entered the field in the final minutes of the first half, received the second yellow card and ended up being the first of his country to see a red card in World Cups.

The Canadians were even more cornered in the game with the Hungarians and suffered their second defeat in the tournament. In their debut, they lost 1-0 to France. With no chance of advancing in the last round, they were once again beaten, this time by the Soviet Union, 2-0.

With this record in its only participation in World Cups, Canada is one of the few teams in the world that has more red cards in its history than goals in Cups.

In Qatar, the country’s first major objective will be precisely to remove the scream that has been stuck for almost four decades from the fans’ throats.

Few, in fact, believed that the country would return to the World Cup in this edition. The fiasco on Mexican soil left the Canadian fans with little hope in the following years.

But it was precisely with videos of that campaign, including the trajectory in the Qualifiers, that the English coach John Herdman began the work of convincing not only the players but the whole country that it was possible to return to the Cup and build a different story.

“I’ve been preaching that belief, but when it finally happens, I’m speechless,” he said as the Canadians thrashed Jamaica 4-0 and got their passport stamped to Qatar.

Canada had the best campaign in the Concacaf Qualifiers, which brings together countries from Central America, North America and the Caribbean.

They easily passed through Group B of the first phase, eliminated Haiti 4-0 on aggregate in the two knockout games of the second phase and led the third phase, in a dispute for consecutive points.

The Canadians had 28 points, as did Mexico, but Herdman’s team took advantage of goal difference. The United States, in third, took the last direct spot, while Costa Rica needed to beat New Zealand in the playoffs to also guarantee a presence in the Middle East.

In addition to the pride of his team’s campaign, the English coach is confident for the Cup. Although the search for the first goal in a World Cup is the initial objective of the country, he believes that the team he leads has chances to go further.

Canada is in Group F, alongside Belgium, Croatia and Morocco.

“When Belgium and Croatia came out of the hat [do pote do sorteio]we were just rubbing our hands together and saying, ‘This is going to be an amazing experience,'” the coach told FIFA’s website. “We want to create a freedom and make them [jogadores canadenses] face De Bruynes, Lukakus, Modrics and seize the chance to push your limits against these football immortals.”

To face the rivals of the group, the English coach bet on a formula that worked for the country in the qualification campaign for the 1986 World Cup, forming an international squad.

Players born in six different countries, naturalized Canadians, in addition to 22 who hold dual nationality, were part of the squad that won the spot in the Concacaf Qualifiers.

The team’s biggest name is left-back Alphonso Davies, 21. Born in a refugee camp in Ghana to parents fleeing the civil war in Liberia, he moved to Canada at the age of five.

Son of Jamaicans, striker Cyle Larin, 26, is another pillar of the team. With 13 goals in the qualifiers, he was the competition’s top scorer.

Davies is a player for Bayern Munich, Germany, while Larin plays for Beşiktaş, Turkey. Having players playing in European football is one more factor that helps explain the Canadians’ success.

With the qualification for the World Cup in Qatar, the expectation of the country is to acquire more experience already with an eye on the next edition of the tournament, in 2026, when Canada will host the tournament alongside Mexico and the United States.