Canadian men’s national team’s two-leg playoff vs. Jamaica carries extra importance

It was a victory over Jamaica that saw the Canadian men’s team clinch a berth for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

A resounding 4-0 decision over the Reggae Boyz on a chilly afternoon last March in Toronto allowed Canada to book its spot in Qatar, ending its World Cup drought after 36 years. Now Jamaica once again stands in Canada’s way, this time from qualifying for the Concacaf Nations League finals.  

The Canadians have been drawn directly into the quarter-finals of the continental competition and will play Jamaica in a two-game series to see who advances to next year’s final-four tournament. The first leg is on Friday in the Jamaican capital of Kingston with the return match slated for BMO Field four days later.  

But this two-legged playoff carries extra importance as the winner also qualifies for the 2024 Copa América. The U.S. is hosting the South American championship next summer with 10 CONMEBOL teams plus the six best Concacaf nations as guests. 

A chance to play World Cup champions Argentina, Brazil and other South American giants is exactly what Canada needs after stagnating during its post-Qatar comedown, which included a disappointing run at this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It has to test itself against the world’s elite nations, and not just the best that Concacaf has to offer, if it’s going to reach that next level and be a competitive force when it co-hosts the 2026 World Cup.   

“You don’t want to look too far into the future, but games of that magnitude [at Copa America] would help our development massively going into the World Cup. So, we know how important it is and if we just focus on putting ourselves in the best position to win trophies that opportunity will come,” midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye told Sportsnet. 

Interim coach Mauro Biello concurred: “This series [vs. Jamaica], there’s great benefit to doing well in this window… It’s a very big window.” 

Biello announced his 23-man squad roster last week, and rather than bringing in new faces or starting a youth movement, he decided to stay the course. In total, 19 members of Canada’s World Cup squad in Qatar are in this latest roster.  

“I went with a group that’s been in these moments before,” Biello explained. “A group of players that have a strong brotherhood, that have gone through a lot and have been able to react in pressure moments.” 

All of the usual suspects are in Canada’s squad: Fullback Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), forwards Jonathan David (Lille) and Cyle Larin (RCD Mallorca), defenders Alistair Johnston (Celtic) and Kamal Miller (Inter Miami), and goalkeeper Milan Borjan (SK Slovan Bratislava). 

Five players have also been recalled into the team, most notably influential midfielder Stephen Eustáquio and winger Tajon Buchanan, who were out injured and unavailable for last month’s friendly, a 4-1 loss to Japan.

Canada should benefit from Eustáquio’s controlled possession in the middle of the park and Buchanan’s quickness and dynamic attacking play down the flanks vs. Jamaica.

“There’s some players rejoining; Eustáquio and Buchanan coming back into the group, two players we missed last time around, which will be a big help,” Biello stated. 

One notable roster omission was Mathieu Choinière, a 24-year-old midfielder who is coming off a breakout MLS season with CF Montreal. Choinière earned his first cap for Canada last month vs. Japan. 

To his credit, Biello has drafted in uncapped Fulham defender Luc de Fougerolles, 18, and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ali Ahmed, a 23-year-old with four appearances for Canada.

Critics argue Biello hasn’t gone far enough, and that there are other promising youngsters besides Choinière that he could have selected in order to give them valuable experience with the national team. But with qualification in two important tournaments at stake, the Canadian coach felt now was not the time to experiment by bringing in a bunch of inexperienced young players.

“Transitions are done gradually, and you can’t just cut the player and say ‘Okay, this guy is old and this guy’s young,’ and just make the change… The young players have to prove that they’re ready… There will be chances for the younger guys in other competitions, but for now, we have to win these games,” Biello explained. 

Biello’s latest squad features six attackers, including Larin and David, the team’s two all-time leading scorers with 28 and 25 goals, respectively. They are hugely important players for Canada, but both have been struggling to score at club level so far this season.

In 12 French league matches for Lille, David, 23, has just two goals (the last of which came on Aug. 27). Larin, 28, has yet to score in 11 Spanish league games for Mallorca. Yet, Biello isn’t concerned about their lack of goal-scoring form headed into these ultra-important contests vs. Jamaica.

“When players go through certain moments, it’s about going back to the basics and doing all the little things right because goals will come, and we’ve seen that from those players. … Once they start, goals come in buckets and hopefully when they come into camp, when I speak with them, I’ll reiterate that and give them the confidence they need, because it’s not only the goals that they bring,” Biello said.

“It’s everything else that they do and their work, their movement and how they connect the other players, and I think that’s equally as important. If they understand that and they grasp that then the goals will come.” 

John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic can be found here.