“Canada vs Dominica” by Chris McPhee
In Canada, the sport of soccer may hold less interest when compared to other options on the calendar. The biggest franchise teams in the country play south of the border in the US while the national side has yet to really make a mark on the global stage.
Interest in soccer is modest but there will be an upsurge later in the year when the 2022 World Cup takes place. Canada have made it to Qatar ahead of the biggest tournament in the sport but what lies in store for head coach John Herdman and his team?
Tough Draw
Canada have been drawn in Group F along with three other sides – Belgium, Morocco and Croatia. The biggest test by far will be offered by the Belgians who finished in third place at the last World Cup in 2018 and are highly ranked in World Football.
Croatia may not enjoy such a high ranking but they went one step further in 2018, reaching the final. In the last four years, many of their top players have moved on but the Croatians will remain strong in 2022.
Morocco aren’t expected to make it out of the group but the African country has qualified for the World Cup for the second time in succession. The nation’s biggest achievement on the global stage came in 1986 where they made it to the Round of 16 in Mexico.
It’s a tricky test to say the least but do Canada have the quality to progress beyond the group stage of the competition?
Canada’s Chances Ranked
There isn’t too much support from the neutrals. The best sports betting sites in Thailand list Belgium as the red hot favorites to win Group F, Croatia are in second place while Morocco and Canada are in joint third.
Those odds are supplied by sources attached to Asiabet and they will be updated in the weeks and months leading up to Qatar 2022. Readers can assess any changes as they come in while taking on board any breaking news stories that appear here.
With lots of knowledge to hand, visitors may want to get involved with the World Cup markets and it’s possible to do that too. Any of the sportsbooks mentioned by Asiabet are happy to welcome new customers subject to eligibility and a quick and secure sign up form.
Opening promotions can be found while welcome offers can also be in place for the life of the account. Different deposit and withdrawal options, mobile betting and efficient customer service are among the other benefits.
It’s a sensible site to follow if you are looking for World Cup markets but is there any hope for Canada in 2022?
Can the Maple Leafs Make the Knockouts?
Canada has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for only the second time in the nation’s history. The last time that the team performed on the biggest global stage came in 1986 when the side failed to make it beyond the group stage.
The current Canada team is in better shape and the format of the tournament could work in their favor. The top two countries in each group will progress to the knockout phase so there is hope for the underdogs.
Belgium are by far the strongest team in the section and they should be looking to win all three of their group games. That would leave one final qualifying place to be contested by Croatia, Morocco and John Herdman’s Canadian team.
Canada will start their campaign with a game against group favorites Belgium on November 23rd. From there, they will tackle Croatia four days later. Finally, on December 1st, the Maple Leafs will take on Morocco.
The absolute minimum target for Herdman’s team is to take a point from those opening two games. If Croatia were to lose to Belgium in their final group match, a big win over the Moroccans might just be enough to see Canada progress.
At the very least, qualification for the World Cup should help to raise the profile of soccer in the country. Canada’s national teams needs to strengthen and greater exposure in major tournaments can only help that aim.
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