Canada made to wait for World Cup place after defeat in Costa Rica
Ten-man Canada failed to take a point from Costa Rica that would've assured the men's program of its first World Cup appearance in 36 years on Thursday.
Even with the 1-0 defeat in San Jose, a Mexico win in a concurrent fixture at the Estadio Azteca would've sent Canada to Qatar 2022. However, Mexico drew 0-0 with the United States.
Canada lost Mark-Anthony Kaye to a second yellow card in the 34th minute and then fell behind to Celso Borges' header just before halftime. But Canada fought valiantly after the break and was unlucky not to level after hitting the woodwork twice.
John Herdman remained upbeat despite the loss, and said he was proud of the team's performance.
"I thought we controlled the game with 10 men but we just couldn't get it in the back of the net," the manager said after the match. "Now we get the chance to come home and qualify at home."
Qualification standings with 2 matches left:
| # | Nation | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada | +13 | 25 |
| 2 | United States | +9 | 22 |
| 3 | Mexico | +6 | 22 |
| 4 | Costa Rica | +2 | 19 |
| 5 | Panama | +1 | 18 |
It would take a monumental collapse for Canada to surrender one of CONCACAF's three automatic places for the World Cup and instead drop into fourth, the position that sends a team into an intercontinental World Cup playoff against an Oceanic side.
Canada can now rubber-stamp qualification on home soil. A point for John Herdman's outfit against Jamaica in Toronto on Sunday will be enough to confirm its progression to Qatar, regardless of results elsewhere.
The Canadians will then play their final qualifier in Panama next Wednesday.