Canada's final training session ahead of Tuesday night's game
A 3-0 victory over Cuba in its second-to-last group stage World Cup qualifier has left the men’s Canadian national team with its destiny in its own hands.
A win or draw in Tuesday afternoon’s clash down in enemy territory against Honduras would put the maple leafs into the final six-team stage for World Cup qualifying – which would be just the second time in its history and a first since Canada qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.
“We can’t afford to make mistakes,” said Impact midfielder Patrice Bernier. “In a tournament like this, you can’t come back from mistakes. Going in Honduras will be similar to when we went down to Panama, playing in a hostile environment. They have been playing well; earning some good results lately and will be full of confidence.”
Canada will face off Honduras in its do-or-die matchup on Tuesday, at 4pm (ET) at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano. The game will be broadcast live on Sportsnet.
Rosters
HONDURAS
GOALKEEPERS (2): Donis Escober (Olimpia/Honduras), José Mendoza (Platense/Honduras)
DEFENDERS (9): Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic/England), Víctor Bernárdez (San Jose Earthquakes), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic/Scotland), Osman Chávez (Wisla Krakow/Poland), Johnny Leverón (Motagua/Honduras), Mario Rene Berrios (Marathón/Honduras), Juan Carlos García (Olimpia/Honduras), Wilmer Crisanto (Victoria/Honduras), José Velásquez (Victoria/Honduras)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Boniek García (Houston Dynamo), Jorge Claros (Hibernian/Scotland), Marvin Chávez (San Jose Earthquakes), Mario Martínez (Seattle Sounders), Edder Delgado (Real España/Honduras), Arnold Peralta (Vida/Honduras), Luis Garrido (Olimpia/Honduras)
FORWARDS (6): Carlo Costly (Veria/Greece), Georgie Welcome (Motagua/Honduras), Jerry Bengtson (New England Revolution), Roger Rojas (Olimpia/Honduras), Mitchel Brown (Marathón/Honduras), Junior Lacayo (Victoria/Honduras)
CANADA
GOALKEEPERS (3): Milan Borjan (Sivasspor/Turkey), Lars Hirschfeld (Vålerenga/Norway), Kenny Stamatopoulos (AIK/Sweden)
DEFENDERS (7): Kevin McKenna (FC Köln/Germany), Dejan Jakovic (D.C. United), André Hainault (Houston Dynamo), Marcel de Jong (FC Augsburg/Germany), Ante Jazic (Chivas USA), Mike Klukowski (APOEL/Cyprus), David Edgar (Burnley FC/England)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Julian de Guzman (FC Dallas), Terry Dunfield (Toronto FC), Will Johnson (Real Salt Lake), Pedro Pacheco (Santa Clara/Portugal), Patrice Bernier (Montreal Impact), Nik Ledgerwood (Hammarby IF/Sweden), Atiba Hutchinson (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands)
FORWARDS (4): Tosaint Ricketts (Vålerenga/Norway), Simeon Jackson (Norwich City/England), Iain Hume (Doncaster Rovers/England), Iain Hume (Doncaster Rovers/England), Lucas Cavallini (Juventud/Uruguay)
