Canada MNT grabs three big points at home

Canada won three big points at home on the opening day of the CONCACAF semi final of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Qualifiers. Canada won 1:0 over rivals Honduras in front of a fantastic home crowd in Vancouver.

Cyle Larin was the goal scorer, with the ball rolling off his back after a Will Johnson header. It was the give-and-go combination of Junior Hoilett and Atiba Hutchinson that moved the ball down the left side before Hoilett delivered the goal-setting cross.

In CONCACAF Group A, both home sides Canada (1:0 over Honduras) and Mexico (3:0 over El Salvador) won three points on the opening 13 November night. For the second match day, El Salvador will host Canada while Honduras will host Mexico on Tuesday 17 November.

In other CONCACAF matches: Costa Rica won 1:0 over Haiti (Group B); Panama won 2:0 away over Jamaica (Group B); USA won 6:1 over St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Group C); and Trinidad and Tobago won 2:1 away over Guatemala (Group C).

Of special note from the match in Vancouver, the attendance of 20,108 set a record for a Canada’s Men’s National Team home match in the Province of British Columbia. Canada’s home supporters the Voyageurs were a big part of the team’s home-field advantage in the 1:0 win.

Following these two matches in November, Canada will play two matches in March 2016 (at home and away against Mexico) and two matches in September 2016 (away against Honduras and at home against El Salvador). The top two teams from three groups will advance to the hexagonal CONCACAF final round, otherwise known as “The Hex”. Only three or four CONCACAF nations can qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ is the biggest single-sport event in the world. From 209 member associations from around the world, 32 finalists will qualify for the 32-day event that is played in 11 cities from 14 June to 15 July 2018.

READ MATCH REPORT: Canada 1:0 Honduras