The Canadian men's national team will return to Vancouver, British Columbia for a crucial Concacaf Nations League Qualifying match on Sunday, March 24 at BC Place (3 p.m. PT kickoff).
The home match will feature a rematch of last year’s Concacaf Gold Cup opener between Canada and French Guiana, with Canada looking to secure its place in Group A of 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League and the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup.
“Vancouver has played host to some of the most important matches in Canada Soccer history that were some of the highest attended sporting events in Canadian history,” said Canada Soccer president Steven Reed. “We expect that this critical Concacaf Nations League match will be no different and we look forward to seeing fans out in force to support this new generation of players on the men’s national team.”
Canada, perfect through their first three qualifying matches, still need a result to clinch their spot among the top-six nations in the qualifying stage. From 34 nations in Concacaf Nations League Qualifying, six nations will advance to Group A alongside pre-qualified nations Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and USA.
Tickets to the Canada match will go on sale to the public this Wednesday, November 28 at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster.ca, with public ticket sales preceded by an exclusive advance window for 'Caps Club Members and Canada Soccer insiders on Tuesday, November 27. Fans are encouraged to ‘give the gift of soccer’ this holiday season with tickets starting at $20 and special offers available including groups discounts of up to 30% off regularly priced tickets. For complete ticket information, visit canadasoccer.com/tickets.
“We need to get a result to guarantee our spot in Group A of Concacaf Nations League, so we are putting all our focus and attention on achieving that outcome,” said John Herdman, Canada Soccer’s men’s national team head coach. “As the qualifying round progresses, you are facing nations from higher-seeded pots, so you know the matches will get harder. We need to continue to improve so that we are ready for whatever French Guiana throws at us in March and ready to move this team to the next level. The fans in BC can play a big role in pushing the team to a first berth in Concacaf Nations League Group A and to Concacaf Gold Cup qualification.”
While Canada are in third place perfect with nine points, French Guiana are in 11th place with six points following two wins and a loss. On the cusp of a top-10 finish, French Guiana are expected to provide a stiff test in search of three points to support their effort to qualify for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Since September, Canada have won 8-0 away over US Virgin Islands, 5-0 at home over Dominica, and 1-0 away over St. Kitts and Nevis. Including a 1-0 win over New Zealand in a March friendly match, Canada rounded out the 2018 season with their first-ever perfect record of four wins and four clean sheets.
Canada also finished the 2018 season with an all-time best 3.5 goals per match, setting records with eight goals in a single match on September 9 and then their five-goal victory margin for a home match on October 16. Canada has featured a mix of experience and youth through the qualifying stage with the next generation highlighted by three teenagers starting in three consecutive competitive matches for the first time in program history.
“It is always important to play at home so that our heroes in red shirts are visible to our young fans and supporters,” said Herdman. “For the players coming back into Canada, there is always that extra excitement playing on home soil, they know what it meant to them growing up to see the men’s national team playing in their communities. For us all, there’s no better feeling than seeing your stadium filled with red and hearing your fans singing the national anthem. Every man wants to be part of that experience and we know that when our players get into camp, they just want to perform for Canada, nothing else matters; they want to make their fans, friends and families proud.”
TICKETS ON SALE
Individual tickets to the Canada v French Guiana match will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, November 28 at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster.ca and by phone at 1.855.985.5000. Tickets to the match start as low as $20 (plus applicable fees) and fans will once again be able to take advantage of a ‘Me+3’ offer in select price categories. Groups of 10 or more will also be eligible to receive up to 30% off regularly priced tickets. BC Place Club Seats will be available, offering fans an enhanced match day experience featuring access to exclusive full-service food and beverage concessions, private entrance and some of the best views in the stadium.
Canadian Supporter Groups will be allocated dedicated seating in the South stand at BC Place. Information about the Canadian supporter sections will be available via the Voyageurs website (thevoyageurs.org) at a later date. Please note that persistent standing will be permitted in these sections. Visiting supporters will be allocated dedicated seating. More information will be available shortly.
Complete ticket information can be found at CanadaSoccer.com/Tickets.
