Canada are back on home soil for the first time since qualifying for the FIFA 2022 World Cup, and Tuesday’s showdown with Honduras will determine which Group C (League A) team advances to this summer's Concacaf Nations League Finals.
How to watch and stream
- TV: OneSoccer, Optik TV
- Streaming: Paramount+, OneSoccer.ca, fuboTV
When
- Tuesday, March 28 | 8 pm ET/5 pm PT
Where
- BMO Field | Toronto, Ontario
With a 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup spot already secured via Saturday’s 2-0 win over Curaçao in Nations League play, Canada will look to make it a two-for-two March international window. Head coach John Herdman’s team is carrying a record 15-match undefeated streak at home, and they’re expected to build on that vs. Los Catrachos.
Canada got goals from Jonathan David and Cyle Larin to cruise past Curaçao over the weekend, a duo that fueled their historic Concacaf-topping run during the 2022 World Cup cycle. The strikers are in strong form, respectively, for Lille (Ligue 1) and Real Valladolid (LaLiga).
Looking to build off their first men's World Cup trip in 36 years, Les Rouges need a win or draw against Honduras to earn top honors in League A, Group C. The top-place team advances to the Concacaf Nations League Finals from June 15-18 in Las Vegas, a four-nation series featuring the four group winners from League A competition.
It’s vital Herdman’s team reaches that benchmark during the summer, maximizing their competitive opportunities in the buildup to co-hosting the North America 2026 World Cup. Just like the US and Mexico, they’ve already qualified for the quadrennial tournament.
Six MLS players are helping fuel this month's efforts, most notably the Toronto FC trio of fullback Richie Laryea and midfielders Jonathan Osorio and Mark-Anthony Kaye. Former CF Montréal standouts Ismaël Koné and Alistair Johnston also return to home soil after their respective wintertime transfers to Watford (English Championship) and Celtic (Scottish Premiership).
Honduras certainly won’t be a pushover, as Canada already learned during the June 13 reverse fixture in Nations League play. That’s when goals from Kevin López and Minnesota United FC midfielder Kervin Arriaga were the difference in a 2-1 upset victory in San Pedro Sula.
Honduras will be carrying momentum, too, after securing a 1-0 win over Central American rival El Salvador last Wednesday at LAFC’s BMO Stadium. That game featured Arriaga, CF Montréal forward Romell Quioto and LAFC center back Denil Maldonado in the starting lineup, while Minnesota midfielder Joseph Rosales came off the bench.
Head coach Diego Vásquez’s team, which must win to reach this summer’s Concacaf Nations League Finals, will reportedly be without star forward Alberth Elis due to travel documentation issues. The former Houston Dynamo FC forward, who plays for Ligue 1 club Brest, is arguably Honduras’ top player.
As the pieces come together, Honduras are hoping to quickly move on from their last-place finish in Concacaf qualifiers during the 2022 World Cup cycle. Getting a result at a rising Canadian program would be quite the statement.
