Good news - looks like we'll have a camp to prepare for the Central American games in the January/February window 1465406868696842244 is not a valid tweet id
Canada so far we are 40th in the world but if we win our next friendly that they have lined up for us apparently on January 22nd against Guatemala and then we win our next 3 qualifiers, I could see our world ranking going up into the 30s. However, as things stand, if we were to qualify for Qatar at best we end up as a Pot 3 team. Being in Pot 3 almost assures that we'll end up in a Group of Death. But if not, we will end up in a favorable group along with a World Cup giant, like that is inevitable. It really just comes down to luck of the Draw really. Canada if we qualify, can I see us getting out of our group in Qatar? It's possible but then like I said it depends on luck of the draw and even then at best if we get out of the group, we probably exit in the Round of 16. 2026 however, with us, being co hosts along with Mexico and USA, we instantly get put in Pot 1. Being a Pot 1 team especially as hosts almost guarantees us a favorable draw and in 2026 with it being a 48 team World Cup and 3 team groups, Canada's chances of getting to Round of 32 are pretty great.
This probably has been brought up before but is Fikayo Tomori eligible for Canada or is captied to England?
Technically still could on the basis he barely played for them. I think if he plays a 3rd time for England, then that's it. 1401424680716619776 is not a valid tweet id
It's the 4th game that cap ties you if you are under 21. But because he played in official match at the age of 23 in October in World Cup qualifying for England, he's cap-tied. The rules can be found here https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/ccab990abf45fcf6/original/ro8mje8vw98yp3rvfbmi-pdf.pdf
You're right, he was called in a useless game against Andorra then snubbed afterwards. Wish him the best of luck
Canada is going to have to start preparing for being hosts that means starting on renovations in Edmonton and Toronto
They already confirmed that grass will be installed in Edmonton and BMO Field will be expanded to 45k seats
BMO Field expansion and renovation would definitely have to start from now especially if they wanna meet FIFA requirements by 2026
You win some; you lose some. [This match Mexico is playing isn't cap-tying, though.] 🇲🇽 Marcelo Flores has received his first call-up to the senior Mexico squad🗓 Our #AFCU18 midfielder will travel to Austin for Mexico's friendly against Chile next weekCongratulations, Marcelo! We're so proud of you 🥳 pic.twitter.com/1ObWCtvnBG— Arsenal Academy (@ArsenalAcademy) November 30, 2021
I believe he has said that he wants to go to a Canada camp first before he makes any decisions. Seems like he's leaning Mexico, but definitely still not a final decision I think. But basically alot of the youth being injected into the Mexican roster is coming from dual nationals from the US and Canada it seems.
36,000 is their record for a soccer match. They will probably expand the end with the supporters section, hopefully putting on a proper roof, and build a permanent stand at the other end.
Well they could remove the first dozen or so seats for Argos games. 2016 Grey Cup configuration (att 33,421)
Interesting news from Sportsnet writer Peter Galindo and Thomas Nef podcast. During FIFA visitof BMO Field in Toronto, there was a meeting held behind closed doors between 4 men about the "future of Canadian soccer". CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani CSA president Nick Bontis CSB president Scott Mitchell CPL commissioner David Clanachan None of the 3 MLS owners or league representatives were attending. That's all they could say...
Doesn't look like it. It's worth pointing that out since this never happened before where MLS owners weren't there such as Larry Tannenbaum or even Bill Manning. With Montagliani there, this definately has a regional scope in regards to Canada. Scott Mitchell from CSB being there is rather interesting. This usually signals something major is being planned for the league and soccer as a whole in this country. (Recently buying L1O - men and women division while helping with BC League 1 launch. CSB actually has some control on branding and locations of clubs) The CSA signed a 10 year deal with CSB who's gained significant influence over the CSA on behalf of CPL owners. They are now involved in most decisions in this country; media rights, Canadian Championship, D3 reforms, developmental, pyramid...etc. Hamilton hosting the USMNT in a CPL stadium - guess who must have pushing for this to happen. In a nutshell, the CSA has "outsourced" a lot of things to CSB...not that status quo was any better.
Canada are we seen as a footballing nation? No we are seen more as a hockey or a basketball nation. However, with our men's program for football, we have more or less turned the corner in recent years. Hell, at this point we are probably in the midst of a golden generation of talent. But also helps that we are 40th in the world now but also finding ways to win games. Hence our unbeaten run so far in qualifying under John Herdman. But also should we qualify for Qatar, the interest for soccer in this country will exponentially grow. Hell it already is as far as our men's program is concerned. Like for example, when the USA hosted their FIFA World Cup in 1994, we're they looked at as a footballing nation? No they were not despite making World Cups even before 1994. But the second they hosted, football interest in the USA especially for their men's program not only grew buy more and more money was poured into the game in their country hence the MLS being born. Then you saw not only more American born players developed but playing the game not just in the MLS but also all over Europe too. My point being that 2026 could do the same for us Canadians especially for our men's program but also seeing more and more Canadians playing in the CPL but also all over Europe too and in other leagues all over the world. Hence how Canada we could become a CONCACAF giant in the future.
MLS was borne as a condition of hosting the World Cup. I'd say Canada has more chance of becoming a soccer nation as the are fewer major sports and big soccer games unite the country in a way they don't in the US. We've also seen fantastic turnouts in Montreal and Toronto for CCL matches. Hard-core USNT fans have even created a division between themselves and domestic soccer league fans and that probably works both ways.
On the fandom part, I don't think that Canada's necessarily better-positioned to prevent splintering in Canadian soccer fandom. I think underdog status is often a major unifier. And that once you don't have that, the normal divisions within fandoms emerge. There was nothing. Now, there's something. It's better than nothing, but it's so young and vulnerable that fans sort of put aside some of their quibbles in the pursuit of promoting and protecting that nascent thing. In this case of course I mean MLS, but in other fandom communities that go mainstream, you probably can draw a similar parallel. Once you're on firm ground, just being on firm ground doesn't unite you anymore. Now you can debate what the "best way" forward is. What "works" and what "doesn't". Add to this Canada's similar embrace of European soccer and lack of a domestic league a la the US, and I think we're watching the rise of a US analog all the way through, fandom and all.
Which is what I alluded too pouring more money into our men's program at every level but also pouring more money into our own league, the Canadian Premier League, to make it to what and where MLS is today. If we can do all of that and also co host a successful World Cup in 2026 with the US and Mexico, but also qualify for more World Cups consistently since it is now 48 teams, then Canada could easily become a CONCACAF giant within the next few years similar to what the USA is currently. Canadian Premier League is still in its early phases so I have hope it can be an elite league in the world in like the next decade or 2 much like what MLS is right now. But of course what matters is pouring more and more money into the CSA men's program of course. Grassroots and developing our Canadian born players too from youth level onwards in academies and having said young players branch out towards clubs around Europe and North America but also getting more and more players who are foreign born as well and getting them to switch allegiances to play for Canada too of course. If we do all that but also start to build future generations of Canadian players for other competitions like the Olympics and CONCACAF Gold Cups too, then we end up becoming a CONCACAF football power. Then you will start to see Canada at more World Cups in the future, see where I'm going with this?
And FWIW, I'm told that Pa-Modou Kah, current manager of Canadian Premier League side Pacific FC, went pretty deep in the interview process with Dallas.— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) December 2, 2021