VAN DIEST: Canada hopes to pack home for World Cup qualifiers in Edmonton

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John Herdman hopes that two upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in Edmonton will become iconic moments in the history of Canadian sport.

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It’s a big ambition for the head coach of Canada’s national men’s soccer team, but considering the stakes, the game against Costa Rica on November 12 and Mexico on November 16 at Commonwealth Stadium are gearing up for be memorable nights. Particularly if Canada can win both games, helping pave the way to Qatar 2022.

“We have to take advantage of that and the crowd is crucial to that,” Herdman said Tuesday in Edmonton at the launch of ticket sales for the two games. “The crowd is everything. We can create the conditions, the cold environment, the plastic field, something that Canadian children have grown up with.

“But without the fans, it wouldn’t mean anything. You keep coming back to that, the advantage of playing at home is the people. The people who come and support us and move without us. The El Salvador game, the Honduras game and the Panama game (at BMO Field in Toronto) it was the crowd that made the difference ”.

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Canada has only qualified for one men’s World Cup in 1986, and is now in position to win one of three Concacaf spots in Qatar.

A 4-1 win against Panama last week in Toronto brought Canada to third place in the final eight-team qualifying group. With eight games to play, four at home, Canada is an excellent position to qualify for the 32-team World Cup tournament, which will take place from November 21 to December 18, 2022.

Canada hopes that playing the games in the Commonwealth, which seats more than 56,000 people, will help give the team the extra boost it needs to cross the finish line. Tickets for both games go on sale Friday starting at $ 20.

The two games in Edmonton will also mark the return of local phenomenon Alphonso Davies, who has never played a professional game in his hometown. The 20-year-old Davies has been instrumental in the rise of the men’s team and leads the most talented team in its history.

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“I think what everyone loves about this kid is that he has one of those great personalities,” Herdman said. “And when you take advantage of the things that interest and motivate him, he is talented. If you told him to be a singer, he would be a great singer, or a dancer, he can dance.

“He has so many layers to him and that’s why I think you see the artist that he has created in the field and the conditions that we have created in our culture, he can be himself, he doesn’t have to worry about whether he is crossing lines or getting out of his lane. We just encourage him to be Alphonso and inspire people, which is what he does. “

Reaching a men’s World Cup would be a great achievement for Canada, which has never threatened to qualify in nearly a quarter of a century. Canada has not played in the last Concacaf qualifying group since 1997 and has a realistic chance of not only claiming a place in the top three, but of winning the group outright.

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Canada is one of only two undefeated teams in the region, and has already won draws on the road in the United States, Mexico and Jamaica. The 1-1 draw at Estadio Azteca on October 7 was the first time since 1980 that Canada was able to avoid defeat in Mexico. It was also the first time in eight games that they scored a goal on the road against Mexico.

“We made a compromise and said we would qualify, and when you put that bet down, you have to go after it,” Herdman said. “I feel like in each camp (of the national team), the team has taken a step. We said we had to earn the trust of the fans and this is a move that takes time.

“If you haven’t been to a World Cup for over 30 years, you know the apathy is there. Any step forward, people wait two steps back and expect you to fall quickly and we’ve experienced some of that. But consistency is what I think people are believing in, and I’ve said it all the time, you have to get the results. The results have to be consistent to earn the trust of the fans and when you do, the belief will come. Then when the belief arises, we will connect this country as if it had never been connected. “

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With its recent performances, the men’s national team is attracting a new generation of fans, similar to what the women’s national team did with its gold medal performance this summer at the Tokyo Olympics.

“I don’t even think it’s about soccer, it’s about Canadians supporting the biggest sport on the planet,” Herdman said. “It is the sport that is global, it is the sport that when the World Cup comes in 2026, the whole world will be watching. You’ve seen it with the Women’s World Cup.

But this coming opportunity is an opportunity to take us to the big stage for the first time in a long time and it will influence generations forever. It will have a generational impact on sports culture and the sports landscape in Canada. “