Canada, leader of the Concacaf octagonal, qualifying for the Qatar World Cup 2022with 19 points and still undefeated, and the United States, second with 18 points, meet this Sunday in the town of Hamilton (Canada) in a game that will be played in extremely low temperatures.
The Hamilton region is under an extreme cold alert and the thermometer is expected to be around -10ºC when the two teams take to the pitch of the Tim Hortons Field stadium before a maximum of 12,000 spectators.
Canada Soccer, the Canadian soccer federation, has been forced to restrict the capacity of the field to 50% to comply with public health regulations to contain the pandemic in the country.
Canada plays the game a few days after the historic victory that the North American team achieved last Thursday against Honduras in the Metropolitan Olympic Stadium of San Pedro de Sula by 0-2.
Although the Canadian squad arrived in the Honduran city without some of its key players, such as Alphonso Davies and Stephen Eustaquio, Canadians comfortably outplayed Honduras in the same stadium where almost 10 years ago they were humiliated 8-1.
The victory, the fourth in a row for the Canadians in the octagonal, It was Canada’s first against the “catrachos” since 1985.
But the United States also arrives at the icy Hamilton after a victory. On Thursday, the United States defeated El Salvador 1-0 in Columbus (USA).
The game between Canada and the United States is anticipated as a confrontation between two teams on the rise and even. The last time the American team defeated Canada was on July 18, 2021, 1-0 in the Concacaf Gold Cup.
In the octagonal, the two teams met on September 5, 2021 in Nashville (USA) and They closed the match with a 1-1 draw.
Against the United States, the Canadian coach, John Herdman, Nor will he be able to count on Davies, who suffers from myocarditis.
Likely lineups:
Canada: Milan Borján; Richie Laryea, Kamal Miller, Steven Vitória, Alistair Johnston; Samuel Piette, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Tajon Buchanan, Liam Millar, Jonathan David; Cyle Larin
Coach: John Herdman
U.S: Matt Turner; Antonee Robinson, Walker Zimmerman, Chris Richards, Sergiño Dest; Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musha; Christian Pulisic, Jordan Morris; Ricardo Pepi.
Coach: Gregg Berhalter
Referee: Cesar Arturo Ramos Palazuelos
Stadium: Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton
Time: 15:05 local (20:05 GMT).