Canada v Mexico (2022 FIFA World Cup qualification)

Last updated

Canada 2–1 Mexico (2021)
Battle of the "Iceteca"
Event 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
Canada Mexico
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svgFlag of Mexico.svg
21
DateNovember 16, 2021 (2021-11-16)
Venue Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta
Referee Mario Escobar (Guatemala)
Attendance44,212
WeatherSnow

The 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Canada and Mexico was an association football match contested by the Canadian and Mexican men's national soccer teams during the third round of CONCACAF's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament. Canada's victory over Mexico ended Mexico's eleven match unbeaten streak against Canada dating back to August 15, 2000, and put Canada in first place of the qualifying group. [1] [2] The temperature at kickoff was recorded as −9° Celsius, making it the coldest match ever played by the Mexico national team. [3]

Contents

Pre-match

Venue selection

Canada was scheduled to be the home team for the seventh and eighth fixtures of the qualifying group, and the Canadian Soccer Association chose to host their matches in Edmonton, Alberta, a city renowned for very cold Prairie winters. This strategy was often used by both Canada and the United States to create a disadvantage for the Mexican team, as those players would not be used to playing under such frigid conditions. [4] [5] These cold conditions caused Canadian fans and eventually Canada Soccer to nickname Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton as the "Iceteca" or "Estadio Iceteca" which was a play on words of the Estadio Azteca, Mexico's home stadium. [6] [1] Several fans would later refer to the match as the Battle of the "Iceteca".

Background

Canada and Mexico had faced each other twice before in 2021. Mexico was able to beat Canada 2–1 in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals, defeating them with a winning goal in the 90+9th minute of the match scored by Héctor Herrera. [7] Mexico had also hosted Canada earlier in October for a World Cup qualifying match which ended in a 1–1 draw at the Estadio Azteca. Mexico were in second place of the group, tied with first place U.S. with fourteen points, while Canada trailed by one point in third place. Both teams had the opportunity to rise to the top of the group if they could come away with a win.

Table as of November 12, 2021
PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of the United States.svg  United States 7421114+714Qualification for 2022 FIFA World Cup
2Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 7421105+514
3Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 7340114+713
4Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 732298+111Advance to inter-confederation play-offs
5Flag of Costa Rica.svg  Costa Rica 713346−26
6Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica 713359−46
7Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador 713338−56
8Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras 7034413−93
Updated to match(es) played on November 12, 2021. Source: FIFA, CONCACAF
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Match

Summary

First half

The first half quickly became a hostile affair, with both sides carrying over the bitterness from the recent fixtures. A particularly hard challenge in the first couple minutes of play left Mexican forward Hirving Lozano down for several minutes as the foul count continued to grow. As tensions rose, both managers were cautioned after half an hour for complaints towards the referees and each other. [8] Canada were able to find the opening goal in first-half stoppage time after Cyle Larin was able to tap in a rebound after goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa mistakenly fumbled the ball from a long shot by Alistair Johnston. [9]

Second half

Seven minutes into the second half, Canada would double their lead when Mexico failed to defend a Stephen Eustáquio free kick which landed in the goal area for Larin to tap in. During the goal celebration, Canadian defender Sam Adekugbe made headlines after celebrating in true Canadian fashion by jumping into a snow bank which had developed near the corner of the pitch. This goal was Larin's twenty-second goal for the Canada men's national team, and equaled the team's top scoring record held by Dwayne De Rosario. [10] Both sides continued to get stuck in and frustrations started to boil over near the end as Mexico desperately attempted to find equalizing goals. Mexico would eventually find the net in the ninetieth minute of play, when Hector Herrera was able to head in a cross from the right and half the deficit. This was quickly followed by a skirmish in front of goal as Mexican players attempted to swipe the ball from goalkeeper Milan Borjan, whom had immediately pounced on the ball to delay the restart as the match entered stoppage time. With increased motivation to equalize, Mexico unleashed several promising attacks throughout additional time, most notably in the third additional minute when the Canadian defence failed to clear away a cross and gave away a shot from two yards out. However, Borjan was able to make a goal line save, prompting several protests from Mexican players who believed the ball was over the line. [11] Canada attempted to kill the last couple seconds of the game by holding the ball in the corner, causing an angered Néstor Araujo to recklessly shoulder charge Lucas Cavallini from behind. The referee issued a yellow card for the challenge before ending the match.

Details

Canada  Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg2–1Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico
  • Larin Soccerball shade.svg45+2', 52'
 Report (FIFA)
Report (CONCACAF)
Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton
Attendance: 44,212
Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body nikepark7b.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks sevilla1819h.png
Kit socks long.svg
Canada
Kit left arm mex20a.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body mex20a.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm mex20a.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts adidaswhite2002.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks mex20a.png
Kit socks long.svg
Mexico
GK18 Milan Borjan
RB2 Alistair Johnston
CB4 Kamal Miller
CB15 Doneil Henry Yellow card.svg 13'Sub off.svg 37'
LB3 Sam Adekugbe
DM13 Atiba Hutchinson (c)
RM22 Richie Laryea
CM7 Stephen Eustáquio
LM19 Alphonso Davies Sub off.svg 88'
SS11 Tajon Buchanan
CF17 Cyle Larin Sub off.svg 72'
Substitutes:
GK1 James Pantemis
GK16 Maxime Crépeau
DF5 Steven Vitória Sub on.svg 37'
DF23 Derek Cornelius
MF6 Samuel Piette
MF8 David Wotherspoon
MF10 Jonathan Osorio Sub on.svg 88'
MF14 Mark-Anthony Kaye
MF21 Liam Millar
FW9 Lucas Cavallini Sub on.svg 88'
FW12 Iké Ugbo
FW20 Jonathan David Sub on.svg 72'Sub off.svg 88'
Manager:
Flag of England.svg John Herdman Yellow card.svg 32'
GK13 Guillermo Ochoa (c)
CB2 Néstor Araujo Yellow card.svg 90+8'
CB3 Julio Domínguez Sub off.svg 46'
CB5 Johan Vásquez
RM6 Jorge Sánchez
CM10 Orbelín Pineda Sub off.svg 59'
CM4 Edson Álvarez Sub off.svg 74'
CM16 Héctor Herrera
LM23 Jesús Gallardo
SS22 Hirving Lozano Yellow card.svg 14'
CF9 Raúl Jiménez
Substitutes:
GK1 Alfredo Talavera
GK12 Rodolfo Cota
DF15 Osvaldo Rodríguez
DF21 Jesús Alberto Angulo
MF7 Luis Romo
MF8 Charly Rodríguez
MF14 Sebastián Córdova Sub on.svg 59'
MF18 Andrés Guardado Sub on.svg 74'
MF20 Roberto Alvarado
FW11 Rogelio Funes Mori
FW17 Jesús Manuel Corona Sub on.svg 46'
FW19 Henry Martín
Manager:
Flag of Argentina.svg Gerardo Martino Yellow card.svg 32'

Assistant referees:
Caleb Wales
William Andrés Arrieta
Fourth official:
Benjamín Pineda

Statistics

CanadaMexico
Goals21
Shots812
Shots on target46
Possession41%59%
Fouls1621
Yellow cards [a] 23
Red cards00
  1. ↑ Includes cautions for team officials

Post-match

Standings

Table as of November 16, 2021
PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 8440135+816Qualification for 2022 FIFA World Cup
2Flag of the United States.svg  United States 8431125+715
3Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 8422117+414
4Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 8422119+214Advance to inter-confederation play-offs
5Flag of Costa Rica.svg  Costa Rica 823367−19
6Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica 8143610−47
7Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador 8134410−66
8Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras 8035515−103
Updated to match(es) played on November 16, 2021. Source: FIFA, CONCACAF
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Reactions

Canada's three points from the match would cause them to surpass the United States and take first place, a position that they would maintain for the rest of the tournament. In Canada, this match was seen by many as a turning point for Canadian soccer and the men's national team, whose normal reputation of being an underdog team in international competition with little prestige or potential, were now being proclaimed as the 'Kings of CONCACAF.' [12] A staggering forty-four thousand fans turned up in sub-zero temperatures to watch the match, which in Edmonton was the national team's third highest attendance record, only sitting below the forty-eight thousand who showed for the match against Costa Rica four days earlier, and the fifty-two thousand people who attended a friendly against Brazil in 1994. Canada would eventually qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986. Despite the loss, Mexico would eventually reach second place and qualify as well for the seventeenth time in their history.

2022 World Cup

Despite their successful qualifying campaign, Canada was only able to qualify for Pot 4 of the World Cup draw, and were placed in a challenging group with Belgium (the 2nd ranked country in the world), as well as Croatia and Morocco who would both eventually reach the semi-finals. Mexico despite qualifying for Pot 2 were also matched with difficult opposition in Poland, the eventual World Cup champions Argentina, and Saudi Arabia.

Canada were able to shock the world in their fourth ever World Cup match by putting up an incredible fight against Belgium, but were unable to find their first points at the World Cup due to a missed penalty-kick and poor finishing in an eventual 1–0 loss. [13] Despite being praised by the international press, and the Belgian coaching staff, [14] Canada would be defeated by Croatia and Morocco, and exited their second World Cup with two goals and no points.

Mexico's run was relatively unsuccessful as well. They managed to hold Poland to a 0–0 draw thanks to a penalty-save from Ochoa, [15] however, their 2–0 loss to Argentina put them in a difficult position on the final matchday. [16] Despite coming away with a win against Saudi Arabia, a 90+5th minute consolation goal for the Saudi Arabia national team eliminated Mexico on goal differential. [17]

Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada RoundFlag of Mexico.svg  Mexico
OpponentResult Group stage OpponentResult
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 0–1 Match 1Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 0–0
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 1–4 Match 2Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 0–2
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 1–2 Match 3Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia 2–1
Group F 4th place
PosTeam
PldPts
1Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 37
2Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 35
3Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 34
4Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 30
Source: FIFA
Final standings Group C 3rd place
PosTeam
PldPts
1Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 36
2Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 34
3Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 34
4Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia 33
Source: FIFA

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Armstrong, Laura (November 17, 2021). "'It was a bit of a tactical battle.' How Canada upset Mexico and climbed to the top in World Cup qualifying". Toronto Star . Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Canada national football team: record v Mexico". 11v11.com. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Sources: Canada loss Mexico's coldest on record". ESPN.com. November 17, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  4. ↑ Sandor, Steven (November 16, 2021). "Home field advantage? Cold, snow await Canada and Mexico in Edmonton soccer match". cbc.ca. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  5. ↑ Moore, David (November 12, 2021). "The USMNT Should Use Some Real Home-Field Advantage Against Mexico And Play In North Dakota". the18.com. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  6. ↑ Galindo, Peter (November 16, 2021). "'Welcome to the Iceteca': Canada ready for frigid World Cup qualifier". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  7. ↑ "FINAL ROUND - SEMI-FINAL | SEMI-FINAL 2". concacaf.com. March 11, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  8. ↑ Sandor, Steven (November 16, 2021). "Canada beats Mexico 2-1, securing key win in quest for World Cup berth". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  9. ↑ Singh, Michael (November 19, 2021). "Recap: Canada 2, Mexico 1". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  10. ↑ Sandor, Steven (November 16, 2021). "Canada beats Mexico 2-1, securing key win in quest for World Cup berth". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  11. ↑ Morassutti, David (November 17, 2021). "'Snowbank Celly': Following Canada's win over Mexico, party starts at Iceteca". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  12. ↑ Kloke, Joshua (November 16, 2021). "Canada stuns Mexico 2-1 on a frigid night in Edmonton in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying". The Atlantic. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Belgium run ragged by Canada but Michy Batshuayi strikes to grab victory". The Guardian. November 23, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  14. ↑ "World Cup 2022 – Belgium 1–0 Canada: Michy Batshuayi fires Red Devils to opening win". Sky Sports. July 20, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Mexico vs Poland final score, result: Memo Ochoa extends Robert Lewandowski's World Cup frustration". sportingnews.com.
  16. ↑ "Lionel Messi, Enzo Fernandez keep Argentina's World Cup hopes alive with win over Mexico". ESPN.
  17. ↑ "Mexico beat Saudi Arabia 2–1 but are eliminated from World Cup 2022". The Athletic.
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