Canada adds Poland to European schedule

The Canadian men’s national team has announced that it will face Poland on 18 November in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The match will kickoff at 17:00 local time (11:00 ET) in the northern Polish city.



Combined with the match against Macedonia on 14 November in Strumica (also a 17.00 local kickoff – 11:00 ET), Canada will have played 8 competitive matches in 2009. Under interim head coach Stephen Hart Canada has compiled a 4-1-1 record in 2009, including a strong run to the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-final stage.



The 56th ranked Polish side finished fourth in 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying South Africa™ UEFA Group 3. Despite this disappointment, Poland has enjoyed a rich soccer history having participated in seven FIFA World Cups, finishing third at FIFA World Cups, in Germany 1974 and Spain 1982. Poland along with neighbours Ukraine will stage UEFA Euro 2012™.



Canada and Poland have faced each other three times in their international history, with Poland winning all three contests. Toronto has twice been the venue for Canada – Poland matches, including the most recent contest between the two nations, a 2:1 Polish victory on 15 July, 1988. Canada’s only match on Polish soil took place in Warsaw on 31 October 1974, a match Poland won 2:0. The first meeting between the two sides, a 3:1 Polish win, occurred one year earlier on 1 August, 1973 again in Toronto.



Note: The November 14th match against Macedonia has been moved from Skopje to Strumica.