VANCOUVER, BC – The Canadian men's national team is coming back to BC Place.
Canada Soccer announced today that the Reds will face CONCACAF powerhouse Mexico on March 25, 2016 in the fourth round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Vancouver.
The match will be the first in a home-and-home series with the second leg to be played in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City four days later.
Tickets for the home fixture go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, December 15 at 10 a.m. PT. 'Caps Club Season Ticket Members will receive presale information in the coming days. Complete ticket information is available at canadasoccer.com/tickets.
On November 13, Canada defeated Honduras 1-0 at BC Placein front of 20,108 fans, setting a new attendance record for a Canada men's national team match in British Columbia.
"The crowd was fantastic," said Will Johnson, whose header was knocked in by teammate Cyle Larin for the match-winner. "It was probably the best Canada crowd in front of which I have played in my career. The fans were unbelievable. It was a real treat to come in and see a lot of red everywhere."
Head coach Benito Floro's side then earned a scoreless road draw versus El Salvador the following week. Vancouver Whitecaps FC defender Sam Adekugbe, and midfielders Kianz Froese and Russell Teibertwere called up for the pair of fixtures.
Mexico has a perfect 2W-0L-0D record after two matches in the fourth round and sit atop Group A with six points. The Red and White currently hold second place with four points. El Salvador and Honduras round out the group, with one and zero points, respectively.
GROUP A
<strong>Team</strong> |
<strong>PTS</strong> |
<strong>W</strong> |
<strong>L</strong> |
<strong>D</strong> |
<strong>GF</strong> |
<strong>GA</strong> |
<strong>GD</strong> |
Mexico |
6 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
+5 |
Canada |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
+1 |
<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">El Salvador</span> |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
-3 |
Honduras |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
-3 |
The top two finishers from each of the three groups will move on to the fifth and final round of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which is nicknamed “The Hexagonal” (usually abbreviated to “The Hex”). The top three finishers in “The Hex” will automatically qualify for the World Cup while the fourth-place finisher will participate in a playoff with the fifth-place finisher from Asia.
British Columbia has provided a strong home field advantage for Canada's men's national and Olympic teams against Mexico in the past. Mexico has yet to defeat Canada in the province, with notable Canadian victories in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers (1-0 win in 1980), Olympic Qualifiers (1-0 wins in 1971 and 1983), and the Three Nations Cup (2-1 win in 1990).
BC Place recently served as the host city for the record-breaking 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final. The Vancouver landmark also hosted its first MLS Cup Playoffs match last month when Whitecaps FC faced Portland Timbers in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Be a part of the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver! 2016 Whitecaps FC Season Tickets are on sale from $39/month all in. In addition to Season Tickets, Whitecaps FC offer a flexible range of ticket products, including Half-Season Packs, 5-Packs, a Youth Soccer Half-Season Ticket, and single match tickets. For more information, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
