How Canada can win Group B and play knockout round matches at BC Place
This is the Canada’s third trip to a men’s FIFA World Cup.
They didn’t win a game in 2022. They didn’t even score a goal in 1986.
But after picking up a draw last week in Toronto, everything came together Thursday in Vancouver. They won 6-0, destroying Qatar in a beatdown you rarely see at the World Cup.
It puts Canada in an incredible position heading into their final match against Switzerland.
A win or a draw Wednesday at BC Place would clinch first place for Canada in Group B. Not only would that put them up against a third-place team (from Group E, F, G, I, or J) in the Round of 32, it would ensure that Canada stays in Vancouver to start the knockout round. And if they were to win again, they’d play in the Round of 16 at BC Place, too.
“It’s a massive carrot for us,” Canadian defender Alistair Johnston admitted post-match. “Just getting to the knockout stage was the main goal, but now you see where we’re at in this group, it becomes a possibility. You go and get a result in that final match day and you’re going to stay in Vancouver. That’s something that was kind of the dream scenario. We put ourselves in a great position.”
Canada is leading Group B heading into their final group-stage match. (FIFA)
Goal differential is the first tie-breaker, which is good news for Canada, as they’re currently at +6. A win or draw against Switzerland (+3) clinches first place for Canada.
Canada would likely finish in second place with a loss. Finishing second would send Canada to Los Angeles for the Round of 32, with their opponent being the second-place team in Group A (likely South Korea or Mexico).
It’s technically possible for Canada to slip to third, though it would take a lot for Bosnia and Herzegovina (-3) and Qatar (-6) to overcome massive goal differentials.
Canada’s third match is expected to be their toughest test yet, against the 19th-ranked Swiss.
“We’re going to have to go out and play a really good Swiss team. They’re going to be obviously very motivated because they want to top the group too,” Johnston said. “It’s going to be an exciting match and we have that crowd behind us, anything’s going to be possible.”