Legend Hutchinson returns home for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Toronto

Hutchinson, Canada’s active leader in Men’s National Team
​appearances, is just the second Canadian to feature in five editions of FIFA
​World Cup™ Qualifiers. Of his 85 career international appearances for Canada,
​he has made 14 of those in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers including six at BMO Field
​in Toronto. Since the current edition started in the global pandemic, these
​September matches will be Canada’s first FIFA World Cup™ Qualifiers at home
​since September 2016.

“This time around we’ve got a team that is full of talent,”
​said Hutchinson. “We’ve got a lot of players that are playing in some good
​clubs around the world. They have great abilities and can add a lot to the team
​and have been doing that over the past couple of years. So, this time around,
​there’s a different feeling in the squad.”

Tickets for Canada’s two home matches at BMO Field in Toronto are available via Ticketmaster.ca, with the first match on Thursday 2 September against Honduras and the next match on Wednesday 8 September against El Salvador. In between the two home matches, Canada will play away against USA in Nashville, TN on Sunday 5 September.

Canada’s two home matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer (Canada v Honduras at 20.00 local / 20.00 ET / 17.00 PT; Canada v El Salvador at 19.30 local / 19.30 ET / 16.30 PT) while the away match will be broadcast live on TSN and RDS (USA v Canada on 5 September at 19.00 local / 20.00 ET / 17.00 PT). Fans will find extended coverage across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube featuring the hashtags #CANMNT and #CANWNT.

Coming into his fifth campaign of FIFA World Cup™ Qualifiers
​with Canada, Hutchinson believes this time around the style of play has
​changed. Hutchinson explained that “we go into games with a different mentality
​now. We believe that we can win against any team in this region.”

The 38-year old Hutchinson described this new squad as
​fearless, admitting that he didn’t think he would be back playing for Canada at
​this stage in his career. He said he is extremely grateful and blessed to be in
​the position and “extremely happy to see that we’ve been growing and developing
​over the years.”

Hutchinson believes that kicking off the Final Round of the
​tournament at home will provide Canada with a good start.

“We’re all very aware of what we need to do, how important
​it is playing at home and protecting our home. Getting the maximum amount of
​points we can at home and then taking care of the rest on the road.”

The Beşiktaş veteran midfielder is returning to play at
​home, just a few kilometers away from his hometown of Brampton, for the first
​time since October 2018 in Concacaf Nations League Qualifying. Of his 12 career
​appearances at BMO Field in all competitions, Hutchinson has an all-time record
​of seven wins, four draws and one loss (including six consecutive wins since
​2012).

“Just knowing that we were gonna have a game here in Toronto
​and to have that feeling of coming back home playing in front of our home
​crowd, in front of my family and friends again, which a couple years ago, I
​didn’t think would happen again. It’s just exciting. I’m really looking forward
​to it. We’ve got a team that can be very successful and make a lot of noise on
​that (and) that comes together with it. I think, creating that feeling of
​having that home advantage is going to be great for us. So yeah, I’m really
​looking forward to it.”

Story by Duaa Rizvi

CANADA SOCCER’S MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAM

Canada has built plenty of momentum in a landmark year for
​the Men’s National Team Program that will feature a record 19 international matches
​including FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and the Concacaf Gold Cup. Canada have
​already played 11 of those 19 matches, posting a record of 9-0-2 with six clean
​sheets and a record 42 goals scored. Canada also set a record with eight
​consecutive wins and reached the Concacaf Gold Cup Semifinals for the first
​time since 2007.

Canada will play eight of their 14 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
​in the Concacaf Final Round from September through November 2021: three matches
​in September, three matches in October, and two matches in November). In 2022,
​Canada will play three more matches in January/February and three more matches
​in March. Along with Honduras, USA and El Salvador, Canada’s other opponents in
​the Concacaf Final Round are Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico and Panama.

To reach the Concacaf Final Round, Canada won their First
​Round group against Aruba, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Suriname, then
​eliminated Haiti in a head-to-head Second Round series. This marks the first
​time since 1997 that Canada have reached the Concacaf Final Round of FIFA World
​Cup Qualifiers. From the Concacaf Final Round of eight nations, the top-three
​nations automatically qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and the
​fourth-best nation advancing to an inter-continental playoff for additional
​FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team are two-time Concacaf
​champions, previously winning the 1985 Concacaf Championship and 2000 Concacaf
​Gold Cup. This year marks Canada’s 15th participation at the Concacaf Gold Cup
​since 1991. Along with their first-place finish in 2000, Canada reached the
​Semifinals in 2002, 2007, and 2021. Across the past five years from 2017 to
​2021, Canada are one of only four nations that have finished top-six across all
​three Concacaf major tournaments: fifth place in Concacaf Nations League A and
​sixth place at both the 2017 and 2019 Concacaf Gold Cups.