The Reds take on Haiti in quarterfinals this Saturday
So far, so good for the Canadian men’s national team. Finishing second in their group behind Mexico, the only team to beat John Herdman and his men in the group stage, Canada will now face Haiti in the quarterfinals, after they edged out Costa Rica for top spot in the group.
“They’re a team that’s going to count on their physical qualities to try and unbalance us and try to counterattack,” explained midfielder Samuel Piette. “On our end, we need to stay vigilant when we lose the ball while staying focused during defensive transitions.”
This will be familiar territory for Piette and many of his teammates, who reached the same stage in the 2017 edition of the continental tournament, only to see themselves beaten by Jamaica. Haiti, on their end, are coming off their first ever first-place finish in the group stage of a Gold Cup.
“Against Jamaica two years ago, we all thought we were the favourites and the better team on paper,” added Piette. “We thought we would win, which wasn’t the case. It’s the same situation against Haiti, so we know now not to take this game lightly and stay focused from beginning to end.”
United goal
It’s been a while since the Canadians were able to get their hands on the continental trophy: their last successful tournament was in 2000, when they beat Colombia 2-0 in the final. 19 years later, this version of the CanMNT have the exact same goal in mind.
“We’re all focused and united on the same objective, which is to win this tournament,” said Piette. “Same thing with John: he’s an organized coach, but he’s especially motivated to bring us as far as possible in this tournament. So, we’re working hard, but we know it’s for our own good.”
The Impact will also be in action Saturday, taking on Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 6pm (TVA Sports, 98.5, TSN 690).
