The co-hosts await the opponent for their first World Cup match on June 12.
The Canada men’s national team has had June 12 in Toronto circled on the calendar for months but has yet to confirm the opponent for their first World Cup game.will close World Cup Group B in Vancouver against Qatar and Switzerland but will have to wait until the end of March to find out their first opponent, as Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Bosnia and Herzegovina compete for one spot in the final tournament.
The UEFA playoffs consist of two rounds, starting with semifinal matchups of Italy vs. Northern Ireland and Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, with winners advancing to a one-game showdown for the final spot in Canada’s group this summer.Conor Bradley hopes to lead Northern Ireland to a miracle run to the World Cup. | Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile/Getty Images Northern Ireland will have to look to its nation’s name for inspiration. After all, it was North Macedonia that ended Italy’s 2022 World Cup dreams, just as theManager Michael O’Neill says that Italy has “all the pressure,” but it isn’t lost on him how “difficult to win” the game will be in Bergamo, an untraditional theatre for such a critical Italian match. The nation has not been to a major international tournament in 10 years, with Euro 2016—then also under O’Neill’s tutelage—the last time they reached a marquee stage. That era was brimming with experienced talent, including Steven David, Jonny Evans and Aaron Hughes. Compare that team to today’s, with a squad highlighted by Southampton’s Shea Charles, Sunderland’s Trai Hume and Liverpool’s Conor Bradley, and it’s evident that taking down Italy, as well as one of Wales or Bosnia and Herzogovina stands as a massive—yet still conceivable—challenge.Bosnia and Herzegovina were within 13 minutes of qualifying for the World Cup in the final round of the group stage, leading Austria by a goal, before a late equalizer brought the score to 1–1 and sent them into the playoffs. They must now take on the challenge of playing Wales away in a raucous Cadriff atmosphere, before a potential test against a hungry Italian side with a World Cup berth on the line. That said, it’s not impossible for them to return to soccer’s greatest stage for the first time since 2014, their only previous appearance. Despite being in the twilight of his career at 40, former Premier League striker Edin Džeko, now an FC Schalke 04 attacker, is likely to lead the line. He’s scored six goals and three assists in just 538 minutes in the 2. Bundesliga this season, while his potential striker partner, Haris Tabakovic, has 11 goals in the German top flight with Borussia Mönchengladbach. At the back, Dennis Hadzikadunic and Tarik Muharemović formed a Serie A-based central defensive duo. Ranked 71st in the world, Bosnia and Herzegovina enter the bracket in strong form, after a 1–1 draw with Austria to end their group stage play and wins over Malta and Romania. Still, the test of Wales away and the potential of Italy at home might be a step too far., and it’s a darn good one. They hope they can wear it at the tournament this summer. First, they must get past Bosnia and Herzegovina before looking on to potentially hosting a World Cup qualifying final in Cardiff against likely Italy. While the Welsh aren’t the team they once were with Gareth Bale, who brought them to the 2022 World Cup, they remain a strong side under manager Craig Bellamy. Led by the qualities of Crystal Palace’s Brennan Johnson, Fulham’s Harry Wilson and Nottingham Forest’s Neco Williams, they finished second in their qualifying group, only two points behind Belgium. In that run, they beat Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, and Liechtenstein, but lost to Belgium 4–3 and 4–2, forcing them into the playoff bracket. Of four playoff ties in the past two major competitions, Wales have beaten Austria, Ukraine and Finland in Cardiff, with a loss in penalties to Poland when Euro 2024 qualification was on the line, their only recent high-stakes mistake. They enter the bracket in solid form, with back-to-back wins against Liechtenstein and North Macedonia, as well as a 1–0 loss to Canada in September, the team they would face in the World Cup should they get there. Riccardo Calafiori hopes to avoid another heartbreak with Italy in World Cup qualifying. | Alessandro Sabattini/FIGC/Getty Images There was a time when Italy couldn’t fathom missing out on the World Cup. Now, if the playoffs don’t go their way next week, a generation could go by without seeing the Azzuri at the tournament, even at the expanded 48-team edition. Ghosts from losses to Sweden that ended their 2018 hopes and to North Macedonia that ended their 2022 hopes will be at the front of mind as the team takes the field for the semifinal matchup against Northern Ireland, aiming for their first World Cup appearance since 2014. The talent on Italy’s roster is unmatched, as is their form. Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori and Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali have enjoyed a consistent level in the Premier League, while Inter Milan’s Nicolò Barella has played nearly every minute through the Serie A season. Meanwhile, Gianluigi Donnarumma remains an elite goalkeeper, despite Manchester City’s fall back to reality. Aside from the talent, the group has won five of its first six matches since manager Gennaro Gattuso took over for Luciano Spalletti. That loss came against Norway, forcing them into the playoffs rather than the World Cup. Any result other than qualifying would be a massive disaster for Italy, especially given the World Cup game is against the hosts in Toronto, home to Canada’s largest Italian population.Ben Steiner is an American-Canadian journalist who brings in-depth experience, having covered the North American national teams, MLS, CPL, NWSL, NSL and Liga MX for prominent outlets, including MLSsoccer.com, CBC Sports, and OneSoccer.
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