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VANCOUVER, B.C. - After ten long years, the Canadian Men's National Team will be returning to Vancouver to play Honduras in a 4th round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying match on the road to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Canada will host Honduras on Friday, November 13 at BC Place. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, September 18 at 10:00 a.m. PT.
Group A competition will also see Canada play Mexico, and El Salvador in both home and away matches. The top two teams will advance to the dreaded hexagonal stage next fall. Canada has faced some of the biggest highs and lows in its history against Honduras. It was exactly 30 years ago to the day that Canada defeated Honduras in World Cup Qualifying to advance to the 1986 World Cup. Canada's only appearance in the World Cup. During the last round of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Honduras crushed Canada's chances at earning a spot at the World Cup thanks to a shambolic 8-1 loss in San Pedro Sula.
Canada Coach Benito Floro knows Mexico will present the toughest of challenges for Canada, but he sees Honduras as the team Canada must conquer if they are to move forward and progress to the hex.
"Obviously (Honduras) is one of our fiercest rivals. Mexico is on another side, but it is true Mexico is on another step."
July 2, 2005 was the last time the Canada Men's National Team stepped onto the field in Vancouver. Coincidently enough, it was a 2-1 loss to Honduras. Players, coaches, tactics, and the entire kitchen sink have changed in the past decade. Canada Soccer President Victor Montagliani seemed quite bothered by the assumption that tickets and support would be a tough sell for Vancouver fans who've endured a long enough hiatus between Canada Men's matches on the west coast.
"Only in this country do I get asked that question. It's your national team, it's your country. You shouldn't be asking those questions. I really don't care who puts on the jersey. It's the jersey, it's the maple leaf and that's what you are coming to support. You're not coming out to support a player, this is not club football. Maybe we're too used to club football in this country, this is the national team. If you can't support your national team, you've got problems."
The vast country of Canada can be quite cruel and unforgiving during the fall and winter months. While some supporters have clamoured for a home World Cup Qualifying fixture in the frigid climates of Whitehorse, Edmonton, or Winnipeg, Tthat seems to to never really have been in the cards. An optimistic Montagliani is hoping that a ridge of arctic air moves into Vancouver.
"It gets pretty cold in Vancouver too, that's why the roof's going to be open. I've been playing in Edmonton in November myself and it was warmer than it was here. There's some places you just can't play in November. The stadiums are not even operational, but the reality is that I'm hoping that it's one of those bone chilling nights in Vancouver that we sometimes get in November."
While the Canadian Football League playoffs will be underway in operational stadiums such as Commonwealth Stadium and perhaps Investors Group Field, Vancouver was always the venue Canada Soccer had in mind. Future fixtures against Mexico and El Salvador could also see Canada move out of the friendly confines of Toronto and BMO Field. Montagliani wants to see more friendly matches for Canada and it appears that they could be potential spread out throughout the country.
"As it relates to friendlies, we want to play more friendlies at home as we try to grow the marketplace. We would like to play more friendlies throughout the country. I think the Women's World Cup helped us sort of discover a few new markets. Winnipeg, and obviously Edmonton has always been there. Ottawa and Winnipeg are the two that I'm thinking of and even Moncton."
In preparation for Honduras and El Salvador, Canada will play Ghana in an international friendly on Tuesday, October 13 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. - Canadians looking to watch this match on television could be out of luck as Canada Soccer does not currently have a television broadcast deal in place.
Victor Montagliani provided an update on negotiations.
"We're actually right in the middle of negotiations or obtaining bids for them. We'll have that definitely sorted before then. We'll have an announcement hopefully in the not too distant future. The other component is the international TV rights and that's a little bit more complicated because we don't own them. We're in the middle of negotiating with those as well so we have a reciprocal for the games that we play away."
Rogers and Bell are not the only players at the television table. Montagliani would not go into specifics, but it is understood that the suitors are not just limited to Rogers and Bell. Having a TV deal in place is crucial. Canadians should not have to depend on the likes of Belize Channel 5 for Canada Soccer match coverage. October 13 remains the objective for Canada Soccer.
"That's our goal to get a TV deal. Even if we don't and let’s say we're in the last strokes of it, we're hoping that we can come up with some sort of solution to show the game."
Toronto FC player Jonathan Osorio’s exclusion in Canada's qualification matches against Belize earlier this month caused some displeasure from fans. Osorio has not found himself in Floro's doghouse. The matter of him being left off the roster is strictly down to the depth and the health bodies already in place. Floro cleared the air in discussing the missing 23 year-old midfielder.
"The matter with Osorio is a position matter. It's only in this positioning that there are a lot of players. Now Atiba (Hutchinson) and Will (Johnson) are there. At the same time the winger, it's a bit difficult for Oso, but he needs to continue fighting at his club because he is a good player."
The time is clearly now for the Canada Men's National Team. Group A is by no means a cake-walk for the FIFA 102 ranked Canadians. Mexico will be the cream of the crop, while Honduras and El Salvador must fall if Canada is to advance. It will be an up hill climb, but a home victory over Honduras on November 13 could exercise some demons and get Canada off to a flying start.
NOTES: Tickets for Canada vs Honduras will start at $25.
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