Ready, not ready? The issue is still not entirely settled – really, it won’t be until Belgium are across the center line on November 23 – but Canada have offered some encouraging answers to their latest preparatory match before the start of the World Cup.
Six days before its official return to the biggest stage in world football, the Canadian team recorded a 2-1 victory over Japan, 24e nation in the FIFA rankings.
“I think it was important for our confidence to get a result tonight. Winning is the icing on the cake,” coach John Herdman commented in an interview posted on Canada Soccer’s Twitter account.
“But all I cared about was the quality of our performance. I had to see that my men could show their true colors against a team like Japan. »
Both teams looked set to settle for a draw when defender Miki Yamane mowed down Richie Laryea in the penalty area in the third minute of stoppage time.
Called to the penalty spot, Lucas Cavallini deceived the vigilance of Shūichi Gonda with pain and misery with a panenka which touched the end of one of the goalkeeper’s gloves. A spectacular conclusion to a match that Canada had started with the left foot, but during which it quickly replaced its ideas and imposed its identity.
“The last time he tried a panenka, he missed it, was at the Gold Cup. On the bench, I said that if he tried it again, he was in trouble! But he did and it worked. It shows all the confidence that lives in my players, ”said Herdman.
Against a team that completely dominated the United States in a 2-0 win in September, the Reds fired 17 shots at the net and conceded just seven.
Nothing suggested such an imbalance when the Japanese opened the scoring in the ninth minute. Canada were writing a starter without bite when, on a long ball swung in the axis, Yuki Soma took advantage of a late reaction from defender Kamal Miller and a positioning error from goalkeeper Milan Borjan to redirect the pass deep in the aim.
We could see in this sequence a variant of a hard lesson learned a few weeks earlier against Uruguay. Against teams of this caliber, the slightest moment of distraction often comes with a bill that we cannot afford to pay.
But the warning was well heard by a group which was nevertheless deprived of two of its pillars. Alphonso Davies, who is treating a thigh discomfort suffered on November 5 with Bayern Munich, and Stephen Eustaquio, injured the day before in training, were not available for this aperitif. Their status for the start of the World Cup remains uncertain.
Herdman stressed that the withdrawal of Eustaquio was precautionary, the young midfielder having been used extensively by his club in recent weeks. Davies, who had remained in Germany, will join his teammates on Friday and will be evaluated by the doctors of the selection.
“We will see how the file will progress, cautiously updated Herdman. Tonight the band showed they have the right mindset to rise above that kind of constraint, but we also know there’s only one Alphonso Davies and we’re waiting. looking forward to his return. »
If Samuel Piette had a more difficult exit in front of the defense in replacement of Eustaquio, Junior Hoilett offered a reassuring presence by starting the meeting in the left lane normally occupied by Davies.
The contribution of the veteran has also – especially? – made felt on the set play phases, a specialty which is generally the business of the two absentees. He was threatening from a free kick and precise from corner kicks, a context in which he also set up Steven Vitoria’s equalizer in the 21st.e minute.
Usually a prime target for aerial strikes, the tall defender saw a deflected ball at the far post by Atiba Hutchinson land at his feet and lifted it into the ropes for his fourth national team goal. Canada will be happy here to have produced rather than suffered from set play, an aspect of the game in which it had conceded three goals in its two previous games.
“I wanted us to score tonight,” Herdman said. I didn’t worry about what was going to happen at the other end of the field. I told the guys that I was disappointed in our game against Uruguay because we didn’t give our fans a chance to celebrate. »
Hutchinson, whose presence at the World Cup was for a time in question due to a pre-season injury with Turkish club Besiktas, also relieved by delivering a solid 60 minutes. The dean of the Scarlet Brotherhood was called up to the bench in favor of Mark-Anthony Kaye in a triple change on the hour mark.
Ten minutes later, Cavallini entered for Cyle Larin. Herdman completed his substitutions by giving CF Montreal defender Joel Waterman about 20 minutes, who came to offer a rare rest to Alistair Johnston.
Johnston also made a 28 on Thursdaye consecutive appearance with the national team, a record previously held by Bruce Wilson. He will make his 29th next week when the Group F sides break the ice in Doha. This is currently the closest thing to a certainty in the Canadian camp.
There are other questions for which it will be necessary to wait a little longer before obtaining the answers.