Posted on February 3, 2012
Canada will play four matches – a special Centenary match and three World Cup qualifiers at BMO Field in Toronto this year.
The Canadians will host the United States in an international friendly on June 3 as part of the Canadian Soccer Association’s 100th anniversary celebrations. The team will also play WC qualifiers at BMO Field against Honduras on June 12, Panama on Sept. 7 against Cuba on Oct. 12.
“2012, the Canadian Soccer Association’s centennial year, is a crucial season for our team as we continue towards our goal of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil,” Canada coach Stephen Hart said in a statement. “We will need the full support of the Canadian soccer community as we work towards the collective goal of reaching a FIFA World Cup.”
Matches in Toronto will be played on grass at BMO Field. While in the Toronto area, the Canadian team will also make use of the grass soccer training grounds at Nottawasaga Inn in nearby Alliston, Ontario.
Canada will play six matches in the CONCACAF semifinal round with three at home and three on the road. Only two teams from the four-team group will advance to final round, also known as the hexangol in 2013. Canada will perform abroad in Cuba on June 8, in Panama on Sept. 11 and in Honduras on Oct. 16.
The send-off match on June 3 will help the CSA celebrate its 100th anniversary. The association’s first official home international match was played against U.S. on June 27, 1925 at Alexandra Park in Montreal. The two CONCACAF neighbors next faced off in Canada’s first World Cup qualifier on June 22, 1957 – a historic 5-1 victory for the hosts at Varsity Stadium in Toronto.
The two sides have met each other 10 times at the international “A” level in Canada, with the most recent meeting on 9 November 1997 for the 1998 World Cup at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, British Columbia. In those 10 matches, Canada has a 6-3-1 record of six wins, including two victories in Toronto.
Canada will kick off the year against UEFA opponent Armenia in Limassol, Cyprus on Feb. 29.
Photo: Dwayne De Rosario and his Canadian teammates will call BMO Field in Toronto home for its semifinal round of World Cup qualifiers Scott Bales/YCJ
Categories: Canada, Cuba, Honduras, North America, Panama, World Cup Qualifying
Tags: 2014 World Cup Brazil, BMO Field, Canadian Soccer Association, Stephen Hart, World Cup qualifying
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