Canada Pumped For Qatar After Dramatic Win Against Japan
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By Harry Kettle
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Summary
- Canada surprised Japan in their warm-up game and beat them 2-1
- Canada will take a lot of confidence from this win into the FIFA World Cup
- Canada have a tough opening game as they play Belgium on 24 Nov
Canadian football fans were very happy when Canada ended up qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The World Cup is set to take place in Qatar from Nov 21 to Dec 18 as 32 countries look to compete to become the 2022 World Cup champions.
Canada goes into this World Cup with little to no expectations as this is the first time in 36 years that Canada has qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Canada played Japan on Nov 17 in a friendly warm-up game at the Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai and were not expected to beat Japan who have qualified for their 9th consecutive World Cup.
Canada Beat Japan 2-1 In Warm-Up Game
Japan did not play their best team against Canada as they wanted to rest some of their top players but they still were the better team on paper against Canada who earlier this week announced their 26 man squad. It did not take Japan long to score as Yuki Soma scored early on in the 9th minute to put Canada under pressure.
Canada came back strong as Steven Vitoria scored in the 21st minute to even the score at 1-1. Japan could not make further inroads as Canada’s defense played really well and it looked like the game would end in a draw. However, Canada ended up getting their nose in front as they went 2-1 up after Lucas Cavallini (pictured) scored a penalty to hand Japan a shock defeat.
Canada Have Tough Test Against Belgium
Even though it was a warm-up game and Japan were not at full strength, Canada will take a lot of confidence heading into their opening game against Belgium especially after losing to Uruguay in September . Canada are set to play Belgium on Nov 24 and go in as heavy underdogs as Belgium is one of the top teams in the competition.
Belgium are currently ranked in 2nd place on FIFA’s World ranking and have a talented squad that should have an easy outing against Canada. However, Belgium will be a lot more cautious playing Canada after their surprise win against Japan. Canada’s defense will once again need to be on their toes in order to put Belgium under pressure and give their strikers a chance to score and win!
