Canada defeat Suriname 4:0 to advance to the Second Round of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Qualifying

Canada advanced to Concacaf’s Second Round of FIFA World Cup
​Qualifiers Qatar 2022 with an emphatic 4:0 win over Suriname on Tuesday night
​in Chicago. The win keeps Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team perfect in 2021
​with four-straight wins to finish atop Group B as they advance to a
​head-to-head series against Haiti.

The two-match series will be played 12 June in Haiti and 15
​June back in Chicago, Canada’s home away from home amidst travel restrictions
​during the global pandemic. Both matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer.
​Should Canada advance past the Haitians, they would qualify for the Octagonal
​from which three teams will advance to Qatar with the fourth-place team playing
​an intercontinental playoff.

“We knew Suriname were going to be a tough test, they were
​riding a bit of a high coming out of their last game. We always knew if we
​could weather that storm and stick to the process that we’d be in good shape.”
​said John Herdman, Men’s National Team Head Coach. “The universe has brought us
​that (Haiti) game, we wanted it back. No better than an opportunity to go into
​their hometown and have that experience for the players. I don’t need to do
​motivational speeches for this team, now. They’re crystal clear, the purpose is
​there and you’ve seen the passion tonight.”

HIGHLIGHTS!#CanMNT 4:0 Suriname#WCQ2022 pic.twitter.com/z78qW5kCfd — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) June 9, 2021

Canada had a big chance in the 17’ when Richie Laryea’s shot
​from distance was saved off the post by goalkeeper Warner Hahn. On the play, it
​was a great through ball for Jonathan David whose shot was saved into the path
​of Laryea.

Canada took the 1-0 lead on the Davies goal in the 37’
​minute, his fourth in the last three matches and his ninth career goal since
​2017. On the play, debutant Scott Kennedy played it forward to David who turned
​and played it into the box. Suriname right back Kevin Leerdam got a touch on
​the ball, but he wasn’t quick enough as Davies sped in around him and fired the
​next touch through the legs of the goalkeeper.

With the goal, Davies also became the first Canadian since
​Paul Peschisolido in 1996 to score in three-straight FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
​in the same year.

In the 60’, David made it 2-0 after he was played through on
​goal by Davies. David’s low shot from inside the box after he outran the centre
​back Shaquille Pinas.

In the 73’, David scored again after Davies fought his way
​through a pair of defenders, fell over, got back up and played a ball to
​David’s back foot. David re-set his feet and coolly buried it into the top
​corner with his left foot.

Just five minutes later, Mark-Anthony Kaye threaded a pass
​into the box to a wide-open Lucas Cavallini who was taken down in the box to
​earn a penalty. David, on a hat trick stepped up and slotted it home. With the
​hat trick, it marked the first time ever that Canada scored hat tricks in three
​international matches in the same season, with David joining Cavallini as just
​the second player to ever to score three hat tricks for the Men’s National
​Team. David’s third goal was the 15th of his international career.

“We played well in a new formation in a game that was slow
​in the beginning trying to figure out how we were going to break them down,”
​said Alphonso Davies. “We’re happy that we were able to take the lead and then
​start playing the way that we know how to play and the right opportunities came
​and we put our goals away. The connection (with Jonathan David) is good, every
​time I try to find him he’s been in the right position.”

Canada’s starting XI featured Milan Borjan in goal, Alistair
​Johnston at right back, Doneil Henry at centre back, Scott Kennedy at left
​back, and Samuel Piette, Richie Laryea, Stephen Eustáquio, Jonathan Osorio,
​Alphonso Davies, Cyle Larin, and Jonathan David from the midfield up through to
​the attack. In the second half, coach John Herdman replaced Cyle Larin with Lucas
​Cavallini, Jonathan Osorio with Mark-Anthony Kaye (66’), and Alphonso Davies
​with Sam Adekugbe, Jonathan David with David Wotherspoon, and Richie Laryea
​with Tajon Buchanan (82’).

“We’ve created something here, a brotherhood based on a
​shared purpose to qualify this team to the FIFA World Cup,” said Herdman. “They
​care about each other and that’s the first thing. They care about taking this
​team to the FIFA World Cup and you saw it in March when they had a chance to be
​back together and build on that spirit in the Canada shirt.”

CANADA SOCCER’S MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAM

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team, two-time Concacaf
​champions, were one of only four nations that have finished top-six across all
​three of Concacaf major tournaments across the past three years: fifth place in
​Concacaf Nations League A and sixth place at both the 2017 and 2019 Concacaf
​Gold Cups. In 2019 against Concacaf’s top three nations, Canada earned a
​victory against USA in Concacaf Nations League as well as eliminated both
​Mexico (U-15) and Costa Rica (U-17) in Concacaf youth competitions.

It will be an exciting yet busy summer of soccer for Canada
​Soccer’s Men’s National Team Program in 2021. On the heels of FIFA World Cup
​Qatar 2022™ Qualifiers in June, Canada will participate in the 30th anniversary
​edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup, with their Group B matches scheduled in
​Kansas City on 11 July against Martinique, 15 July against a
​yet-to-be-determined Caribbean nation from the preliminary round, and 18 July
​against USA. The top-two nations from Group B advance to the final round with
​the Quarterfinals on 24 July, the Semifinals on 29 July, and the Final on 1
​August.

FIFA WORLD CUP QATAR 2022™ QUALIFIERS

Concacaf established Canada’s pathway for FIFA World Cup
​Qatar 2022™ Qualifiers beginning with a First Round being played amongst the
​Concacaf Member Associations ranked 6-35 based on the FIFA Men’s Ranking as of
​16 July 2020. The Second Round will feature three home-and-away series
​featuring the six First Round winners.