Canada boss John Herdman says he will be theft himself in Qatar World Cup

Canada Football World Cup: John Herdman confesses that, just for a second, he will need to pinch himself when he guides his Canada side out to face Belgium in their first gentlemen’s World Cup finals game in 36 years.

Taking on the team ranked second in the world, which comprises the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Romelu Lukaku, is a tough task, even when your team includes Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, two of the top young aptitudes playing in Europe.

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But consider Herdman’s background.

A 47-year-old from the north-east steelmaking town of Consett, with no playing context, who only got into training when he took charge of a local under-11 team as a share of his Duke of Edinburgh award when he was a teen-age and emigrated to New Zealand in his 20s when he realized there was no chance he would be given a chance in the professional game in England.

Canada Football World Cup

“I will pinch myself,” Herdman says of Canada’s Group F opener at the 44,000-ability Al-Rayyan Stadium on 23 November.

In New Zealand, Herdman moved from being a coach education director to taking charge of the women’s national side, where he began to build his standing. Then it was on to Canada, where he led the women’s team to consecutive bronze medals at the Olympics, before switching to the men’s game and securing the country’s second Football World Cup arrival.

He accepts his unconventional journey brings an element of the phony syndrome. But Herdman doesn’t feel it is exclusive to him.

“Everyone suffers with this at some point,” he said.

“I remember first flying into Vancouver thinking I was going to be at an exercise session with the greatest of all time in her craft, Christine Sinclair, and that I’d never functioned with that type of athlete before and how was I going to do it?

Qatar World Cup

“But I was listening to a podcast where Hugh Jackman spoke about imposter syndrome. I just thought if Wolverine can have it, I can too! I’m not ashamed to admit it and I’m sure I will feel that way when De Bruyne walks past.

“But if you’re willing to admit that stuff, you work harder to fill the gaps and innovate.”

Canada’s progress to Qatar was smoother on the field than off it.

A dispute in June over expenditures forced a friendly with Panama to be scrapped at short notice and while matches have taken place since the association between Herdman and his squad and Canada Soccer leftovers uneasy. To know more about Croatia Vs Canada Tickets click here.

For anything to take the focus away from Herdman’s squad is a shame.

That he switched from the women’s team to the men’s was hugely controversial in Canada. To then declare a belief his team would qualify for Qatar was bold.

“You must commit the mind to go all in,” he said. “I’d always been clear that we’d podium with the women’s team. With the men’s, no one had ever said ‘we’re going to qualify before. One of the senior guys said ‘you’ve put a noose around your neck my response to that was ‘good’. If I commit the mind, the players will see that – and the process, the systems, and the play style – and they will believe.”

It was probably not until Matchday eight of a 14-game final qualifying group that it became apparent Canada had a realistic chance of making their first World Cup since 1986.

Qatar Football World Cup

In front of 44,000 on a freezing but memorable night in Edmonton, in a game dubbed ‘Iceteca’, when the temperature at kick-off was -9C and snow had to be cleared from the pitch to allow it to go ahead, Canada beat Mexico 2-1. It was their first qualification win against El Tri since 1976 and took them to the top of the group, a position they were never to lose.

“Concacaf teams will do anything to qualify but we would roll out the red carpet for teams,” said Herdman.

“But it’s our terrain. We can control that and change the mentality. When we go to Mexico, we go into altitude, in the Azteca, with the heat. So when Mexico came here, it was on a plastic pitch and -13 at one point. There is a phrase ‘getting Concacaf-ed’. Well, we did it to Mexico for the first time.”

Canada’s comfort blanket comes from the knowledge their appearance in Qatar should not be a one-off. They are one of three co-hosts – along with the USA and Mexico – for the 2026 tournament and are expected to be awarded a place automatically by the world governing body Fifa.

Nevertheless, doing better than in 1986,

Nevertheless, doing better than in 1986, when they failed to score a goal or get a point, is demanded.

That should not be too difficult, especially as Bayern Munich’s Davies has recovered from the heart issue that kept him out for three months at the start of the year.

Davies is unquestionably the pin-up boy of Canadian football. And Herdman thinks the 22-year-old can be a major influence on the development of the game in a country he has called home since 2005, when he arrived as a refugee after his parents fled war-torn Liberia, initially for Ghana, where he was born.

“He’s been the game-changer,” said Herdman. “He symbolizes the new Canada.

“Many people in Canada can’t find an outlet so Alphonso has become the portal for them to express themselves and enjoy football.

“He’s a generational talent. He’s special.”

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Croatia Vs Canada: We look at Croatia’s probabilities in Qatar World Cup

Croatia Vs Canada: Coach Zlatko Dalić has astutely played down those exclusions, preferring to keep his side’s bases on the ground by saying that just being in Qatar was a major attainment for the small nation. Dalić has not put any added weight on his team, iterating that they will do their best and take it one willing at a time. 

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The 56-year-old tactician though will be silently confident as he heads into the competition having won a tough UEFA Nations League group which comprised world champions France and an unsafe Denmark. 

Most experts are not giving the ‘Vatreni’ much accidental of coming near their 2018 heroics, but the loser tag will favour them. 

We take a look at Croatia’s odds and some of the key factors in the Qatar Football World Cup. 

Form

Croatia will take a lot of sureness from the fact that they recorded back-to-back wins in their last two modest matches against Denmark and Austria to win their Nations League group and advance to the semi-finals for the first time.

The Nations League saw Croatia playing selected great football as Dalić continued to use the competition to blood in several newer players. There was also a win over foes France for the first ever time after six losses and four draws. 

Croatia Football World Cup Team has only lost one modest match in the last 15, coming at Austria’s hands back in June. Also positive is the form of Captain Luka Modrić. Modrić has been imposing so far in 2022 for the club and country. 

Croatia Football World Cup Key players

The victory over world winners France at State de France proves that Dalić has the squad to beat any squad on the day at the World Cup. Just like in Russia, all thoughts will again rotate around Modrić.  Modrić is so significant to the success of Croatia that it can nearly be said that if he does not have good competition then Croatia will not either. 

Croatia is heavily reliant on the Madrid midfielder. The tactics revolve around him and if he can reproduce the excellence everyone knows he is capable of, then whatever is possible again.  Another key player for Croatia will be Marcelo Brozović. The Inter midfielder’s untiring running and self-justifying work are crucial for Dalić’s system. When Brozović was out incapacitated recently, his work in defence and release up Modrić was sorely missed. 

Croatia also has several thrilling young players who could play a role in Qatar Football World Cup. Lovro Majer, Borna Sosa and Joško Gvardiol are all thrilling youngsters in great form for their clubs who could make an influence.  A lot of eyes will also be on goalkeeper Dominik Livaković. Memorable presentations from Dražen Ladić in 1998 and Danijel Subašić in 2018 show the importance of having a harmless pair of hands in goal if you want to go far in the competition. 

Concerns

One of the main concerns is in the striker section. Not since Davor Šuker has Croatia had a world-class marksman who could finish most odds that came his way. Mario Mandžukić was real in Russia four years ago, but in this competition there are concerns. Andrej Kramarić, Bruno Petković, Marko Livaja and Ante Budimir have all been tried in the no.9 role without either of them imprinting their mark on it. 

Scoring goals has banned a subject and it seems as if Kramarić will be given a chance first in the inaugural match.

Another anxiety could be the heat. As it showed in the recent warm-up match in Saudi Arabia, Croatia often struggles when fevers soar and they are a side who do prefer it chiller.  Unlike 2018, when the bulk of the team had been together for several years feeling highs and lows, this is a relatively new group with many at their first major event. Time will tell if that will be a factor.

Key Factors

Once again one of the key factors will be how Croatia starts the competition.

Unity, desire, having the fans and media behind them, players remaining injury free, and of course, luck, were all factors which aided led Croatia to success in Russia. 

Victory in the first game against Morocco is key for these issues to come into play. If Croatia doesn’t start well then it will be harder to gather all that up, so that first game, although a cliché saying, is crucial. To know more about the Croatia Football World Cup Ticket click here.

Chances

Croatia Vs Canada: The bookies are not giving Croatia a great accidental of coming close this year. Brazil is tipped favourite with Argentina, France, England, Spain and Germany all highly imaginary. Croatia is now the 12th favourite to win the World Cup at odds of 50/1.  But the bookies do get it wrong, like in 2018 when they did not tip Croatia to go as far as they did. 

If Croatia can loan from the group to the last 16 injuries-free just like in 2018 drawing on unity and passion, then with Croatians at home and all about the world behind them anything is possible. In a one-off match, Croatia can be problematic for every side in Qatar – they just need certain things to go their way.  Possible starting XI for the inaugural match: Livaković-Juranović-Lovren (Šutalo)-Gvardiol-Sosa-Brozović-Modrić-Kovačić-Perišić-Pašalić-Kramarić

Croatia’s World Cup fixtures (CET time)

23 November: CROATIA v Morocco – Al Bayt Stadium – 11 am

27 November: CROATIA v Canada – Khalifa International Stadium – 5 pm 

1 December: CROATIA v Belgium – Ahmad bin Ali Stadium – 4 pm

Croatia Vs Canada: Canada Soccer’s Earl Cochrane speeches human rights anxieties at Qatar World Cup

The general typist of Canada Soccer says the organization is renewing its call for improved labour rights in Qatar after the governing sports body was censured for its “deafening silence” on fair recompense for migrant workers.

Language to CTV National News Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor Omar Sachedina in an exclusive interview, Earl Cochrane addressed open queries about Canada Soccer’s stance on the rights of asylum seeker workers in Qatar, who helped build the stadiums used for this year’s FIFA World Cup. To know more about the Canada Football World Cup Ticket click here.

An examination by The Guardian newspaper found at least 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have decreased.

Canada Football World Cup

Croatia Vs Canada: Cochrane pointed to a declaration Canada Soccer released on Oct. 28, in which the organization said it “supports the ongoing pursuit of further progress concerning workers’ rights and inclusivity as Qatar makes to host the world.”

But in an open letter to Cochrane on Friday, Amnesty International Canada said Canada Soccer’s “deafening stillness on fair compensation for affected migrant workers and their families is a failure of management and could leave a lasting stain on Canada’s re-emergence on soccer’s biggest phase.”

Despite the conference with Canada Soccer previously, Amnesty International accused the group of not following up. Among the calls from Amnesty International is for Canada Soccer to provision a US$440-million Workers Compensation Fund for labourers and their families, somewhat other soccer associations have backed.

“We’ve continued to make of our leading body and asked them along with the Qatari government toward continuing to do the work to make the change,” Cochrane told CTV National News.

Below is a partial transcript of the meeting with Sachedina. The transcript has been edited for clarity:

Omar Sachedina: One of the things we’re saying is that your government’s ‘deafening silence on fair compensation for affected refugee workers and their families is a failure of leadership, and could have a permanent stain on Canada’s re-emergence on soccer’s biggest stage. What do you think that’s fair? What’s your reaction to that?

Earl Cochrane: Well, we did come up with a declaration a couple of weeks ago, that referred to our stance, our promise, and our ask of all the stakeholders involved FIFA, government, Qatar, to continue the work that they’ve done, to deal with some of the subjects on the ground — with rights issues, migrant workers issues.

And we rehabilitated that goal. We want them to do and continue to be at the table to make the necessary changes to touch the lives that are crushed. We would hope and encourage them to do all they can for the migrant workers for the families that were lost, and to continue, once the lights have been twisted off here in Qatar and the worlds got away, to last the development that they’ve made.

Sachedina: Do you contemplate there could be more than Canada soccer could be doing and saying? Because of the ‘deafening stillness,’ I’m quite surprised to hear that.

Cochrane: I’m not unquestionable. I’m not sure the language has been ‘deafening.’ You know, we made the declaration a couple of weeks ago. We stand behind the rest of the international community hoping that the vicissitudes that have been made continue to be made and that the development that has been made lasts to affect the lives on the ground.

Sachedina: They’ve got two exact asks, it looks like. One is for Canada Football World Cup Soccer to join the $440 million workers’ recompense fund for labourers. And it looks like the English Football Association the French Football Federation, the Royal Dutch football association, and U.S. Soccer have all done that. But Canada Soccer has not. Why has Canada Soccer not combined that fund?

Cochrane: We’ve constantly to make ask of our governing body and ask them, along with the Qatari government to continue to do the work to alter. We believe they decide to make how they affect those vicissitudes.

Sachedina: So for those people who say that Canada Soccer is kicking it off to FIFA and Qatar and Canada Soccer should be taking maybe a lead on this like other countries’ soccer federations, what do you say to those persons?

SOC Canada Soccer Training 20220607

Cochrane: 

Croatia Vs Canada: I will say that our public declaration is asking both FIFA and the Qataris, who are the responsible entities for not just what is happening in Qatar, but the event itself. It’s FIFA’s event. It’s up to them to make those choices.

Sachedina: How do you equilibrium some of the issues that are coming to the fore — the human rights issues and the fact that there is a lot of expectation for this huge sporting event as healthy?

Cochrane: Quite honestly, the fact that we’re here for a sporting event has shone a bright light on the worker’s issues, on the present issues. I’m a firm believer that sport can change besides this is one of those instances where, you know, the challenges and the subjects or the rights abuses that have occurred here have slowly started to change. And quite frankly, they altered because of football.

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