Let’s start with a prediction. One of the 26 players selected on Sunday to represent Canada in Qatar next week will do what no Canadian standard bearer has done in 92 years of World Cup soccer history. He will score a goal.
Posted at 7:45 a.m.
Will it be Jonathan David, one of the top scorers in the French Ligue 1? Alphonso Davies, the big star of this national team and Bayern Munich? Cyle Larin, the most prolific scorer in the history of the national team? Or Ismaël Koné, the “nugget” of CF Montreal, whom Europe covets for January? We’ll see.
Let’s continue with a second prediction: Canada will not qualify for the knockout phase of this World Cup. But perhaps the national team will snatch its first point in the World Cup, 36 years after its one and only participation in the most important sporting tournament on the planet.
On paper, Canada is obviously less intimidating than its opponents in Group F: Belgium, Croatia – respectively third and vice-champion of the last World Cup in Russia –, even Morocco, several of whose players play in the major championships. Europeans (including Sevilla FC goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, born in Montreal).
The fact remains that the Reds, eternally neglected, have made a specialty of defying the odds (let me take it for granted).
Not only were the Canadians not expected to finish first in their qualifying group for the Qatari Worlds, but it was far from certain two years ago that Canada would even qualify to play the final CONCACAF qualifying round (the famous “Octagon”).
In the group of 26 announced on Sunday, there are six CF Montreal players, which testifies to the exceptional season of the Montreal eleven. Barely two years ago, Ismaël Koné was playing soccer for CS Saint-Laurent, an amateur club in Montreal. Friday, he scored his first international goal, splendid, in a friendly match against Bahrain.
Three years ago, Alistair Johnston, who took his first steps in soccer with Lakeshore, in the West Island of Montreal, played in a semi-pro club in Ontario, Vaughan FC, like his ” big brother” Kamal Miller before him. “We will be fearless in Qatar. We are neglected and that suits us perfectly, ”he told a colleague from TSN, Sunday, live from Doha.
A few months ago, another former Lakeshore (my youth club, in all transparency), James Pantemis, was not yet the starting goalkeeper of CF Montreal. He earned a spot on the national team after Maxime Crépeau broke his leg in the MLS Cup final 10 days ago.
In 2019, Joel Waterman was playing in the Canadian Premier League. He was established in the national team for the first time three days ago, against Bahrain, after the injury withdrawal during the warm-up of veteran Doneil Henry, who will miss the World Cup.
“Breaking the news to a guy like Joel Waterman, who’s been at it for four years, is a great Canadian story. He was told several times that it wouldn’t work for him [dans le soccer professionnel]. He was at the heart of what Montreal has managed to do this season,” Canada coach John Herdman told TSN on Sunday.
“I’m a little guy from Repentigny. What are the odds? “Samuel Piette told me in an interview a year ago, talking about his potential and theoretical participation in the World Cup. The CF Montreal captain, who turned 28 on Saturday, has been playing for the national team since he was 17. “When we say that dreams come true, that’s not bad! »
You should have seen them all, on Sunday on social networks, take stock of the progress made, for them personally and for the Canadian team, which went from 122e at 41e world rank, according to the inevitably arbitrary ranking of FIFA. Arbitrary, like everything that comes from the rest of FIFA, starting with this World Cup scandalously awarded 12 years ago to Qatar, a misogynistic, homophobic and draconian country.
We will not blame the Canadian players, who have nothing to do with it, for rejoicing in realizing the dream of participating in the biggest competition in their sport.
Only one, captain Atiba Hutchinson, 39, was born the last time Canada qualified for a World Cup, in 1986 in Mexico. I’m 10 years older and I remember it like it was yesterday…
Forward Liam Miller wept bitterly upon hearing the news of his selection from his parents on Sunday morning. National team superstar Alphonso Davies, who was born in a Liberian refugee camp in Ghana, wrote on Twitter: “A child born in a refugee camp was not supposed to end up here! But here we are. WE’RE GOING TO THE WORLD CUP! Don’t let anyone tell you that your dreams are unrealistic. KEEP DREAMING, KEEP ACHIEVING YOURSELF! »
One last prediction before we finish. Brazil will win this World Cup. It is from. His last victory dates back to 2002, in Yokohama. I was there. Argentina, who have not lost for 35 games, could prove me wrong. Just like Portugal, narrowly qualified, which has everything it takes to go far. A Ronaldo-Messi final or the coronation of Neymar? Unless Canada mixes up the cards… We’ll talk about that in the next month.