The Rise of the Canadian Men’s Soccer Team

CBC

In 1986, the Canadian men’s soccer team competed at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history. In 2022, 36 years later, the team qualified for a second time. How, after so many years dormant, did the team achieve such significant success?

In early 2018, John Herdman was hired as the head coach for the Canadian men’s soccer team after coaching for the female’s team.

Herdman set the path for the Canadian team’s road to success. “Ever since John took over, he’s been focused on changing the identity of Canadian soccer,” stated defender Kamal Miller in an interview with the Canadian Press in October of 2019.

“This guy knows what he’s doing... because he has a tactic for every game,” said for ward Jonathan David in the same interview. Herdman’s undeniable passion for the game is a large contributor to the newly positive outcomes of the Canadian team. He decided to see the glass half-full at all times and never let his team be dismayed.

In February of 2019, Herdman told a news conference “We’re going to qualify for 2022 Qatar, and lay the foundation for 2026.” Though Herdman knew that his team would end up having to qualify the hard way, his determi- nation did not fluctuate while travailing through the second tier teams of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

The first round qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup took place in March

and June of 2021. The Canadian team finished with a 4-0-0 record and pro- gressed to the second round, with forward Cyle Larin and Junior Hoilett both scoring against Haiti. Herdman, being impressed with his team, stated in a postgame interview, “After that goal, you could sense it. It was almost like the bottle top had been released for the guys and they could just drop their shoulders and let the talent start to flow,” in reference to a goal made by Larin in the second half of the game.

Their success allowed them to moved on to the third round of qualifiers in September of 2021. The Canadian team remained unbeaten in the first 11 matches and Herdman’s determination continued to grow. “Every time [John] talks to the team, he motivates us to a different level,” defender Alphonso Davies told the Toronto Star in March of 2022.

On March 24, 2022, the Canadian team entered the fourth and final round, but ended up losing their first match in Costa Rica by a score of 1-0. However, they were presented another chance to qualify for the international tournament at a game against Jamaica a few days later. At this game, the Canadian men’s team left no room for doubt on the field, and secured their spot at the World Cup with a score of 4-0.

In a postgame interview with Herdman after Canada’s win over Panama in October, Herdman stressed, “we cannot back down at any moment now, this group of boys are one, they’ll rise as one and [they’ll] fall as one.” The Canadian men’s soccer team did exactly that, rising as one and earning Canada the chance to compete at FIFA’s 2022 World Cup for the first time in 36 years.