It shouldn’t have been unexpected, but it was. Long-time Canadian fans will understand – the Canucks don’t make things easy on themselves. They play down to their opposition and struggle to overcome even the slightest hint of adversity.
So, doing exactly what they were supposed to do – beating the group’s weak touch Cuba – is viewed as reason for celebration. And, it should be. World Cup qualifying is a grind and getting three points on the road – regardless of who you are playing – is never a sure thing. With the win, Canada can pretty much assure itself a spot in the Hex simply by winning its three home games.
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Easier said than done, of course, but when you’re coming off a cycle where you failed to win a game in the semi-final phase, you’ll take the three points and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.
Before the start of this two game set there were many that said that Canada needed a minimum of four points from its first two games. A draw against Honduras will do that. However, with the win on the books Canada can’t afford to think that way. Honduras lost at home to Panama yesterday. A Canadian win Tuesday will bury them and make for a very stressful summer for the Central Americans. If you have a chance to bury a tea in World Cup qualifying, you’d best take it.
Like the game against the United States there were troubling things about the performance. Goals are not going to come easy. It’s imperative that the strong defensive performances continue.
With concerns there are also reasons for optimism. Again like in the USA game the best aspect of the performance is the way they competed. For whatever the reason this team seems to be playing with more confidence than previous Canadian teams. That, in turn, is giving them a chance. In with a chance is more than they ever were in 2008.
It’s one game. Canada still needs to find at least two more wins to escape this round. Fans shouldn’t get carried away just yet.
But, there is hope – a feeling that has been in short supply in recent years. Hopefully they can build on that.