Soccer in Canada | Canada Hosting the 2026 World Cup

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Eustáquio, positive for Covid-19, fails Canada Team
Paços de Ferreira abola-pt January 23 2022

Stephen Eustáquio tested positive this Saturday to Covid-19 and will miss the commitments he had ahead of him with the Canada team.

The midfielder, who will represent FC Porto, was called up for three qualifying matches for the Qatar World Cup with his national team - Honduras (January 27), the United States (January 30) and El Salvador (February 2).

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Agreement with Paços for Eustáquio reached
Pascoal Sousa FC Porto abola-pt January 23 2022

Everything is set for Stephen Eustáquio to be a reinforcement for FC Porto in this winter market.

The agreement by the Paços de Ferreira player with FC Porto was reached this morning, with a loan until the end of the season, with an option to buy Paços in a value of around 4.5 million Euros. Officialization is missing.

[JHikka]

Pacific FC is selling Lukas MacNaughton to TFC for $175K plus future incentives. PFC also get Luke Singh on loan for the full 2022 season.

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Canada Soccer announces FIFA World Cup Qualifiers squad to start new year
canadasoccer.com January 24, 2022

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team are excited to be back on the pitch in 2022 as they prepare for the upcoming window in the Concacaf Final Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The Canada squad will need to take it one match at a time as they face a tough schedule of three matches in three countries across seven days, notably a pair of away matches against Honduras and El Salvador on either side of a home match, presented by Oat Canada, in Hamilton, Ontario.

Canada will face Honduras in San Pedro Sula on Thursday 27 January, USA in Hamilton back at home on Sunday 30 January, and then El Salvador away in San Salvador on Wednesday 2 February. All three matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer, including TELUS channel 980, onesoccer.ca, Sportsnet and RDS. Fans will find extended coverage across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube featuring the hashtag #CANMNT.

“We look forward to coming home and playing in front of our fans, they have made the difference every time,” said John Herdman, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Head Coach. “This will be a tough window, but we are strong and will embrace the challenges as we continue to take it one match at a time.”

With four wins and four draws in eight matches, unbeaten Canada are in first place with 16 points and six matches remaining. From the Concacaf Final Round of eight nations, the top-three nations automatically qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and the fourth-best nation advance to an inter-continental playoff for additional FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Qualifiers.

CANADA SQUAD

The Canada squad features players from professional clubs in 11 different countries, including Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Toronto FC and 2022 Canadian Championship winners CF Montréal. Forward Lucas Cavallini and fullback Cristián Gutiérrez join the Canada squad from Vancouver, midfielder Jonathan Osorio joins the Canada squad from Toronto, while centre back Kamal Miller, midfielder Samuel Piette and off-season acquisition fullback Alistair Johnston join the Canada squad from Montréal.

Recent transfers have goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau now at Los Angeles FC in USA, fullback Richie Laryea at Nottingham Forest FC in England, midfielder Liam Fraser at KMSK Deinze in Belgium, and midfielder Stephen Eustáquio at FC Porto in Portugal. Doneil Henry, recently at Suwon Samsung Bluewings in Korea Republic, is now a free agent in the new year. Forward Tajon Buchanan has also recently made his European debut after a 2021 transfer to Club Brugge SV, also in Belgium.

Alongside Canada players at Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal and Los Angeles, midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye stars in Major League Soccer at Colorado Rapids. The rest of the Canada squad are all based in Europe, including six-time Canada Soccer Player of the Year Atiba Hutchinson and Men’s National Team goalscoring record breaker Cyle Larin at Beşiktaş JK in Turkey.

Also currently in Europe are: goalkeepers Milan Borjan (Red Star Belgrade in Serbia) and Jayson Leutwiler (Oldham Athletic in England); centre backs Scott Kennedy (SSV Jahn Regensburg in Germany), Derek Cornelius (Panetolikos FC in Greece) and Steven Vitória (Moreirense FC in Portugal); fullback Samuel Adekugbe (Hatayspor FC in Turkey); and forwards Jonathan David (Lille OSC in France), Junior Hoilett (Reading FC in England), Liam Millar (FC Basel in Switzerland), and Iké Ugbo (KRC Genk in Belgium).

CANADA SOCCER’S MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAM

Canada built plenty of momentum in a landmark year for the Men’s National Team Program that featured a record 19 international matches including FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and the Concacaf Gold Cup. Canada posted a record of 13-4-2 with nine clean sheets and a record 55 goals scored. Canada also set a record with eight consecutive wins and reached the Concacaf Gold Cup Semifinals for the first time since 2007.

Canada have played eight of their 14 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in the Concacaf Final Round from September through November 2021. To reach the Concacaf Final Round, Canada won their First Round group against Aruba, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Suriname, then eliminated Haiti in a head-to-head Second Round series. This marks the first time since 1997 that Canada have reached the Concacaf Final Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team are two-time Concacaf champions, previously winning the 1985 Concacaf Championship and 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup. This year marked Canada’s 15th participation at the Concacaf Gold Cup since 1991. Along with their first-place finish in 2000, Canada reached the Semifinals in 2002, 2007, and 2021. Across the past five years from 2017 to 2021, Canada are one of only four nations that finished top-six across all four Concacaf major tournaments: fifth place in Concacaf Nations League A, sixth place at both the 2017 and 2019 Concacaf Gold Cups, and a semi-final finish at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup.

CANADA
GK- Milan Borjan | SRB / FK Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade)
GK- Maxime Crépeau | USA / Los Angeles FC
GK- Jayson Leutwiler | ENG / Oldham Athletic AFC
CB- Derek Cornelius | GRE / Panetolikos FC
CB- Doneil Henry | Unattached / sans club
CB- Scott Kennedy | GER / SSV Jahn Regensburg
CB- Kamal Miller | CAN / CF Montréal
CB- Steven Vitória | POR / Moreirense FC
FB- Samuel Adekugbe | TUR / Hatayspor FC
FB- Cristián Gutierrez | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
FB- Alistair Johnston | CAN / CF Montréal
FB- Richie Laryea | ENG / Nottingham Forest FC
M- Stephen Eustáquio | POR / FC Porto
M- Liam Fraser | BEL / KMSK Deinze
M- Atiba Hutchinson | TUR / Beşiktaş JK
M- Mark-Anthony Kaye | USA / Colorado Rapids
M- Jonathan Osorio | CAN / Toronto FC
M- Samuel Piette | CAN / CF Montréal
F- Tajon Buchanan | BEL / Club Brugge KV
F- Lucas Cavallini | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
F- Jonathan David | FRA / Lille OSC
F- David Junior Hoilett | ENG / Reading FC
F- Cyle Larin | TUR / Beşiktaş JK
F- Liam Millar | SUI / FC Basel
F- Iké Ugbo | BEL / KRC Genk

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Episode 48 Previewing a Massive January Window for Canada
Northern Futbol Podcast

[JHikka]

First win in Honduras in 37 years, unbeaten in nine qualifier games this round, still top of the table with five matches left. US on Sunday in Hamilton. Crazy stuff.

[thenoflyzone]

What a goal by David ! Borjan with 2 key saves in the second half as well.

I think our boys deserve to party on their flight back like those Quebecers did on Sunwing back on Dec 30th....

But not too much though. An important game coming up on sunday as well.

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[Acajack]

When I saw they were playing in San Pedro Sula.

For those who know Honduras, ooh that's a tough town.

I am sure they had top-notch security.

[megadude]

So in a four game span, two of the greatest goals ever for the CMNT have been scored, coming from our two best players. What a time it is to be following this team.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by Acajack

When I saw they were playing in San Pedro Sula.

For those who know Honduras, ooh that's a tough town.

I am sure they had top-notch security.

Capacity was limited to 50%. That played in our favor.

Also, with VAR a part of the qualifying from now on, that plays in our favor as well, especially on these away games in Central America.

[mapleleaf66]

Great win for us. Canada cannot be happy about the scheduling for this window, however. While the USA gets to travel from Columbus to Hamilton to St. Paul, we have to fly twice to Central America and back home over the same period. Why not play both games in CA and then come home?

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

Capacity was limited to 50%. That played in our favor.

Also, with VAR a part of the qualifying from now on, that plays in our favor as well, especially on these away games in Central America.

This assumes that CONCACAF actually knows how to properly implement VAR.

Originally Posted by Acajack

When I saw they were playing in San Pedro Sula.

Earlier in qualifying Canada played in Haiti. Military were the only people in stadium.

Originally Posted by mapleleaf66

Great win for us. Canada cannot be happy about the scheduling for this window, however. While the USA gets to travel from Columbus to Hamilton to St. Paul, we have to fly twice to Central America and back home over the same period. Why not play both games in CA and then come home?

We were the only team in the two-match November window with no travel.