Soccer in Canada | Canada Hosting the 2026 World Cup

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Vancouver would have been bigger. It always is.

There's so much more going on than simply how many people are in the stadium...

• How much does it cost to have a game at BC Place v. BMO?
• How easy it is for officials/athletes to get to Vancouver v. Toronto?
• How much can Canada Soccer charge for tickets in Vancouver v. Toronto?
• What are the logistics of moving friendly matches around the country?
• BC Place uses synthetic as opposed to grass

If you're only eyeing the attendance figure for a game i'm sure this matters. It's a qualifying match against Dominica in mid-October. If Canada is playing an actual match against the US or Mexico then maybe they would consider Vancouver or elsewhere when they can be assured of a large crowd, but the cost-benefit analysis probably doesn't make enough sense for them to move the games around much. March's game against French Guiana is also at BMO.

As an aside: In the leadup to the World Cup in 2026 I imagine Canada will want to grow the game in the cities that will be hosting matches, experimenting with some match-preparedness, and working out general kinks ahead of the tournament. Vancouver isn't one of those and so probably should not get pre-competition priority for matches.

[Denscity]

Yes and Vancouver have hosted in the last year so maybe it's Toronto's turn? Larger gate versus lower costs would be the math they need to do you're right.

[elly63]

Red Star upsets Liverpool in Champions League
The Canadian Press November 6 2018

Can't believe this lame ass Canadian Press rewrite didn't say that Red Star's keeper was Canadian national team member Milan Borjan

[elly63]

Fantastic effort by Canada in beating tournament scoring leader Germany to advance to the semi finals of the World U17 championship.

Coming into this game Canada rested some starters (and Jordyn Huitema red carded) and got smoked by Spain 5-0 in a somewhat meaningless group game. Germany had smoked USA 4-0.

"The Next One" Jordyn Huitema scored in the 83rd minute to give Canada the win. This will be available later at tsn.ca Games on Demand Quarter Final 4, check it out.

[JHikka]

Canada's final CONCACAF Nations League qualifying match will be played in Vancouver in March against French Guiana.

https://www.canadasoccer.com/canada-...-match-p161952

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Canada's final CONCACAF Nations League qualifying match will be played in Vancouver in March against French Guiana.

https://www.canadasoccer.com/canada-...-match-p161952

Ya saw that awesome! French Guiana isn't exactly a large draw but there should be tens of thousands of people there for that match. Vancouver has the strongest support for our national soccer teams.

[elly63]

Alphonso Davies saw his first action with Bayern yesterday and another Canadian is being looked at for the Bundesliga.

[elly63]

Courtesy Liverpoolfc.com and spitfire at Vs

Liam Millar is a Canada international forward who joined Liverpool at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.

A member of the Reds' U23 and U19s squads, Millar won his first senior international cap in March 2018.

Millar, who can play out wide or as a central attacker, finished 2017-18 as the Academy's top scorer, netting 19 goals in all.

In January 2019, it was announced on deadline day he had signed a new contract with the club as well as agreed to a loan deal with Kilmarnock until the end of 2018-19.

After turning down approaches from Porto and a few Premier League clubs and after a chat with Klopp, Liam decided to sign a new long term contract and head out on loan to Kilmarnock.

[JHikka]

Klimarnock are actually third for once in the Scottish league. IIRC their manager used to coach at Liverpool which is where the connection for Millar is. Should see some good playing minutes there.

[elly63]

A little background, this is a promotion from Barca B to a team in a fight for promotion to La Liga

FC Barcelona loans Montrealer Ballou Tabla to Albacete in Spain's second tier
FC Barcelona has sent Canadian international Ballou Tabla out on loan to Albacete in the Spanish second division until the end of the season.
The Canadian Press January 31, 2019

BARCELONA, Spain — FC Barcelona has sent Canadian international Ballou Tabla out on loan to Albacete in the Spanish second division until the end of the season.

The 19-year-old attacking midfielder from Montreal had been playing for Barcelona’s B team in the second tier.

Tabla’s move to Barcelona from the Montreal Impact was completed in January 2018.

Ballou, who was born in Ivory Coast but raised in Montreal, joined the Impact academy in August 2012. He joined the Impact first team in October 2016.

At 17 years, 338 days, he became the youngest Impact player to take part in an MLS game when he took the field in San Jose on March 4, 2017. Tabla played in 21 games (11 starts) for the Impact in 2017, recording two goals and two assists with 1,146 minutes played.

Tabla has been in Canada camps from under-15 to under-20 and played five games for Canada at the CONCACAF U-17 Championship in 2015. He was named Canada’s under-17 player of the year in 2014 and won under-20 honours in 2016.

He has two caps at the senior level.

[elly63]

Midfielder Stephen Eustáquio (formerly Portuguese Primeira Liga club Chaves and Portugal under-21) presently Mexican Liga MX club Cruz Azul has just committed to the Canadian Men's National Team.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by elly63

Red Star upsets Liverpool in Champions League
The Canadian Press November 6 2018

Can't believe this lame ass Canadian Press rewrite didn't say that Red Star's keeper was Canadian national team member Milan Borjan

Some atonement for CP.

Canadian international goalkeeper Milan Borjan honoured by Red Star Belgrade
The Canadian Press March 5, 2019

BELGRADE, Serbia — Canadian international goalkeeper Milan Borjan, who plays his club soccer for Red Star Belgrade, has been named Red Star Sports Club Male Athlete of the Year for 2018.

The award, announced during the club’s 74th anniversary celebrations, honours the top athletes across the Red Star Sports Club teams. Borjan, 31, is the 10th soccer player to win — and the first since 2005.

Red Star tops the Serbian league with a 21-0-3 record. In November, Borjan helped the storied team to a 2-0 win over visiting Liverpool in Champions League play.

Born in Knin in the former Yugoslavia, Borjan was eight when his family moved to Belgrade. When he was 13, the family moved to Winnipeg before heading east to Hamilton a year later.

He was 23 when he made his debut for Canada in February 2011 in a 1-0 loss to Greece.

Borjan’s career path has included South America, Turkey, Bulgaria, Poland and Serbia.

He has found a home in Belgrade. “He’s a bit of a legend there,” Canada coach John Herdman said in November.

Borjan has won 40 caps for Canada.

[elly63]

Gotta See It: Canada’s Alphonso Davies scores 1st Bundesliga goal for Bayern Munich
Sportsnet.ca March 17, 2019

At 18 years old, Alphonso Davies becomes the youngest goal scorer for Bayern since 1999

[elly63]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Canada's final CONCACAF Nations League qualifying match will be played in Vancouver in March against French Guiana.

Today at 6 pm EST on TSN2

[elly63]

Canada announces squad for decisive match in Concacaf Nations League Qualifying
canadasoccer.com 11 March 2019

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team will call on the home crowd for their last match of Concacaf Nations League Qualifying. It is a match that matters, with Canada needing a win to guarantee their spot in both the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup and 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League Group A.

To help get Canada over the line, coach John Herdman has called an exciting group of players for the Sunday 24 March decisive match at BC Place in Vancouver. Canada’s home crowd will have a chance to get behind the Canada team that features experienced, young and emerging stars as well as the homecoming of 2018 Canadian Player of the Year Alphonso Davies.

“Every game you play at home is special, but this game has the little something extra as the result could really shape the destiny for Canada,” said John Herdman, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Head Coach. “For the people of British Columbia, they’ve been amazing at being there for Canada when we’ve needed them most and we need them out again on March 24th to help this team make history by qualifying for Concacaf Nations League Group A”.

The Canada-French Guiana match kicks off at 15.00 local at BC Place in downtown Vancouver. Fans are encouraged to be there when it matters to cheer on Canada’s soccer heroes and next generation of up-and-coming young stars. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.ca starting as low as $20. A special ‘Me+3’ ticket offer is available for this match. By purchasing three tickets in Price Category 2, fans will receive the fourth one free. Fans can visit canadasoccer.com/tickets for complete ticket information.

Of the 34 nations in Concacaf Nations League Qualifying, the top-10 qualify for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup while the top-6 also qualify for 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League Qualifying Group A. With just the one match remaining, Canada are in third place with nine points and +14 goals difference.

Including Canada, six nations have reached nine points with three straight wins while nine other nations could still equal that mark with a win in the last week of the qualifying competition. French Guiana are in 12th place with six points, so they will be desperate to get a win in order to qualify for the Concacaf Gold Cup like they did two years ago.

Incidentally, the only previous Canada-French Guiana encounter was the Concacaf Gold Cup opener in 2017. Davies scored his first two international goals in that match at age 16, making it 3-0 on the hour mark and then 4-2 after a brief French Guiana rally.

CANADA’S HEROES COMING TO BC PLACE

Canada will field their best lineup for the home international on Sunday 24 March in Vancouver. Veterans include midfielder Scott Arfield, goalkeeper Milan Borjan, centre back David Edgar, midfielder Will Johnson, and midfielder Atiba Hutchinson. Like Davies, both Johnson and Hutchinson have won Canadian Player of the Year honours.

Borjan, the Canadian record holder for clean sheets in UEFA competitions, was recently named the Red Star Belgrade Male Athlete of the Year for the 2018 season. Just last year, Borjan helped his club with the Serbian SuperLiga title and qualify for UEFA Champions League.

Also coming home from overseas in Europe, winger Junior Hoilett plays Cardiff City FC in the Premier League, fullback Samuel Adekugbe plays for Vålerenga Fotball in Norway, goalkeeper Simon Thomas plays for Kongsvinger IL in Norway, Arfield plays for Rangers FC in Scotland, and both Hutchinson and Cyle Larin play for Beşiktaş JK in Turkey.

Davies, who now plays for FC Bayern Munich in Germany, returns to BC Place where he spent the last four years in the Vancouver Whitecaps organisation. Current Vancouver players called into the Canadian team for the March match are goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, centre backs Derek Cornelius and Doneil Henry, and midfielder Russell Teibert.

Other big stars in the Canadian squad are forward Lucas Cavallini of Puebla FC in Mexico, Mark-Anthony Kaye of Los Angeles FC, Samuel Piette of Impact de Montréal, and 2018 George Gross Memorial Award winner Jonathan Osorio of Toronto FC.

“Having got to know this group of men, I know how important it is for them to play at home so that our heroes in red shirts are visible to our young fans, it’s a big part of why they do what they do,” said Herdman. “For the players coming back into Canada, there is always that extra emotion playing on home soil, these men have worked to earn the right to sing the national anthem with their fellow Canadians and to them there’s no better feeling, it’s just special and even more so when the game they’re about to play has real meaning and they hear and feel that Canadian support.”

YOUNGSTERS ON THE RISE

Davies is one of seven call ups aged 21 or younger, all returning from promising 2018 seasons on the international stage. Davies, 18, is joined by teenagers Jonathan David of KAA Gent in Belgium, Liam Millar of Kilmarnock FC in Scotland, and Ballou Tabla of Albacete Balompié in Spain. Other youngsters are Zachary Brault-Guillard of Impact de Montréal, Derek Cornelius of Vancouver, and Marcus Godinho of Heart of Midlothian in Scotland.

Davies, Brault-Guillard, Cornelius, Millar, and Tabla have all joined new teams since last year, with Davies notably joining German Bundesliga giants FC Bayern while 2018 Canadian Youth International of the Year Cornelius signed with Vancouver. Brault-Guillard is out on loan from Olympique Lyon, Millar is out on loan from Liverpool FC, and Tabla is out on loan from FC Barcelona.

CANADA SOCCER MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM

Canada posted a perfect international record with four wins and four clean sheets in 2018, a first for the Men's National Team Program. Three of those wins were in Concacaf Nations League Qualifying, pushing Canada into third place in the 34-nation competition with nine points and +14 goals difference. In September, Canada set a national record with eight goals scored in a single match, an 8:0 away victory over US Virgin Islands. In October, Canada set a national record for the biggest goal difference in a home match, a 5:0 win over Dominica at BMO Field in Toronto.

Canada are two-time CONCACAF champions, having won the CONCACAF Championship in 1985 and the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000. In winning the 1985 CONCACAF Championship, Canada qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico™; in winning the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Canada qualified for the FIFA Confederations Cup Korea/Japan 2001.

CANADA

GK- Milan Borjan | SRB / FK Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade)
GK- Maxime Crépeau | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
GK- Simon Thomas | NOR / Kongsvinger IL
CB- Derek Cornelius | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
CB- David Edgar | ENG / Hartlepool United FC
CB- Doneil Henry | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
FB- Samuel Adekugbe | NOR / Vålerenga Fotball
FB- Zachary Brault-Guillard | CAN / Impact de Montréal
FB- Marcus Godinho | SCO / Heart of Midlothian FC
M- Scott Arfield | SCO / Glasgow Rangers FC
M- Atiba Hutchinson | TUR / Beşiktaş JK
M- Will Johnson | USA / Orlando City SC
M- Mark-Anthony Kaye | USA / Los Angeles FC
M- Jonathan Osorio | CAN / Toronto FC
M- Samuel Piette | CAN / Impact de Montréal
M- Russell Teibert | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
F- Lucas Cavallini | MEX / Puebla FC
F- Jonathan David | BEL / KAA Gent
F- Cyle Larin | TUR / Beşiktaş JK
W- Alphonso Davies | GER / FC Bayern München
W- David Junior Hoilett | WAL / Cardiff City FC
W- Liam Millar | SCO / Kilmarnock FC
W- Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla | ESP / Albacete Balompié

[JHikka]

The CONCACAF Nations League qualifying match today is the first match to be produced by MediaPro in its new Canadian deal. Broadcast being sold to TSN for distribution.

[elly63]

Junior Hoilett with a cheeky highlight reel goal. Get his own throw-in (off the back of a teammate) and then takes the ball to the corner of the far end of the box and scores.

[elly63]

Canada gives up a bonehead goal to even the score but I was confident they would come back and they did with two more before the half. Canada looking good. Jonathan David looking like a million bucks (or 5 million Euros transfer fee)

[Denscity]

Over 17000 for the Canada match in Vancouver. Not bad considering it was only French Guyana. And Toronto only drew ten thousand for their last game they hosted.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Over 17000 for the Canada match in Vancouver. Not bad considering it was only French Guyana. And Toronto only drew ten thousand for their last game they hosted.

The Toronto game was a Tuesday night in mid-October. Outdoors.