VANCOUVER – There has been an air of self-confidence at BC Place this week, as Canada prepared for Friday’s crucial World Cup qualifier versus Mexico.
From the experienced leaders to the newer faces in Benito Floro’s squad, the message has been a confident one from Les Rouges, despite the daunting task of a home-and-home series of matches versus CONCACAF powerhouse Mexico.
With a sold-out crowd of over 54,000 expected for the first clash in downtown Vancouver on Good Friday, the focus for the Canadians is to take advantage of the big atmosphere and claim an historical result.
“Going into qualifying, we said to ourselves that getting maximum points at home is going to be very important. That’s always been in the past,” said Canadian midfielder Atiba Hutchinson. “Obviously, we don’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves, but I think we all know what’s at stake. We’re going out to get three points on Friday.”
Canada knows full well it is facing a formidable opponent in Mexico over the Easter long weekend, but unlike previous encounters where there was trepidation at facing such opposition, Floro’s side is relishing the prospect of testing itself against El Tri on Friday evening and in Mexico City’s famous Estadio Azteca next Tuesday.
“I’ve been part of the Holger (Osieck) time when we were very set up and very regimental, then obviously with Frank Yallop and Stephen Hart, we tried to play football. We did extremely well at times and outplayed a lot of teams in CONCACAF,” said veteran Canadian striker Iain Hume. “I think now we’ve got that blend with the young players that are fearless. It’s like they’re playing on the street and they’re enjoying playing and they do what they see fit.
“With Junior (Hoilett) having been in for a couple of games, and with Scotty (Arfield) coming in now, we’ve got strength in depth. There are regular starters from a couple of years that might not get a game. That’s the interesting thing. We’ve always had a set side. Your starting XI was your starting XI, but now it’s up in the air, as we’ve got players that are fighting for every position. It’s definitely exciting.”
An intriguing storyline ahead of Friday’s qualifier has been the ticket sales for this weekend’s contest at BC Place. While it will be a new experience for Canada to play a home game in front of over 50,000 people, Hutchinson and his Canadian teammates are keen to prove their worth in front of a big audience.
“It will feel amazing to have this stadium completely full. It will be a nice feeling,” he said. “Even the last game here (at BC Place), we had 20,000, and that itself was a nice atmosphere. To see it completely full with record numbers for us, it will give us a big push. We’re excited about that.”
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