Cyle Larin caught fire in the frozen fortress of Canada. His two goals led Canada to a memorable 2-1 victory over Mexico in Edmonton on Tuesday. The maple leaf takes first place in the CONCACAF Octagon, the final phase of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
It is also the first Canadian victory over Mexico in 21 years.
The feeling of -16 ° C did not benefit anyone at Commonwealth Stadium. Or as Soccer Canada’s social networks have dubbed it: “Iceteca”, in reference to the legendary Azteca stadium in Mexico. But the temperature mainly contributed to inconvenience visitors.
The strategy particularly worked at the very end of the first half, when Cyle Larin opened the scoring by showing an appropriate composure. He grabbed a comeback in the box at the 45e minute. The initial shot, coming from defender Alistair Johnston, was blocked by goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. But the frozen surface made it difficult to receive the ball.
This last sentence, it is valid for the majority of the actions attempted in the first period. The passes were imprecise, the game was tight, the respective last thirds of the two teams were barely trampled.
Coming back from the break, we felt Canada warmed up, ready to come out the big game. It was supported by 44,212 supporters in voice.
And the big game, he released it. Stephen Eustaquio hits a free kick far outside the box at the 52e. The center meets Cyle Larin’s foot, again. And he hit the mark for the 2-0.
It’s euphoria in Iceteca. Canadian defenseman Samuel Adekugbe launches into the snow piled up on the sidelines, the most Canadian celebration possible. Cyle Larin faces the fans, arms raised, practically possessed by extraordinary strength.
The goal allowed him to equal Dwayne De Rosario’s scoring record for the men’s team, at 22. He reached that mark in just 44 games for Canada, compared to 81 for De Rosario. Larin is also the leader in this final phase of qualifying, with 11 goals.
Proof that Mexico was numb: his first shot, he recorded it at the hour of play. But he only needed a spark to ignite the blaze.
A goal from Héctor Herrera’s header in the 90’se complicating the lives of locals. And it heated up afterwards in front of the Canadian cottage. Five minutes were added, and Mexico put the pressure on. A stop by Milan Borjan, just on the line, saved the operation for Canada.
The Mexicans had a few grievances to share with the Canadians after the final whistle, but Milan Borjan made sure his teammates didn’t make the mistake of getting into their game. They eventually turned to their fans in celebration. We even saw a jubilant Alphonso Davies running across the field with a Canadian flag.
Canadian midfielder Atiba Hutchinson set the new appearance record for Canada with 90. He takes first place ahead of Julian De Guzman, who had 89.
It may have been the coldest soccer game in history: a meeting between the Colorado Rapids and Toronto FC was played at -16 ° C in 2018, in Commerce City.
In the remaining Octagon games on Tuesday, the United States drew 1-1 with Jamaica, while Panama defeated El Salvador 2-1. The Canadian result therefore places the Americans in 2e rank (15 points), Mexico in 3e rank (14 points) and Panama at 4e row (14 points).
Canada thus concludes its 2021 calendar. The final phase of CONCACAF qualifying for Qatar will resume on January 27, 2022, in Honduras.