Fresh off one of its biggest wins in recent history, Canada is now down in Panama preparing for what is sure to be a tough away battle World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.
Sitting in first place in its group with seven points after three games, Canada is now in pole position to move onto the final round of qualifying and it has now opened the door towards giving itself a decent chance of ultimately qualifying for Brazil 2014.
Tuesday programming alert: Watch Panama vs. Canada in FIFA World Cup qualifying live on Sportsnet ONE. Coverage starts at 8:30 pm ET with our pre-game show.
While Friday’s win was undoubtedly a jubilant evening for anyone with an emotional investment in the team, make no mistake, the Canadians are going to be in for a major fight to earn another point or three against a side that is desperate while at the same time also playing in front of a very hostile crowd in Panama City.
Reports out of the Panamanian capital having already started to leak that a supporters group known as the Marea Roja have set up shop outside the Canadian team hotel and are using fireworks, drums and laser pointers as they attempt to intimidate the players ahead of Tuesday’s game.
However, it is not a stretch to believe that this Canadian team has the character and experience to overcome any adversity and to just get on with business in a level headed and mature manner.
One of the biggest cliches in the business word is that the most successful businessmen usually learned more from their early failures than they did by their greatest successes. They had to fail several times before they had the necessary experience to succeed at the highest levels of industry.
In a similar sense, Canada’s performance in Friday’s must-win home match and in World Cup qualifying to date suggests a team that could very much be one that has "declared bankruptcy" a few times and is now ready to put everything they have learned towards finally hitting the jackpot.
After all, the core of the team has been playing together for years and a large percentage of the players on the squad have experienced the travails and challenges of competing in the CONCACAF region together as a group.
While the players themselves were certainly happy with the win over Panama, they also weren’t getting carried away during the post-match media festivities and were fully cognizant of the fact that there is still a long way to go.
That said, there was also a quiet confidence and a genuine sense that the shared experiences and the clear bond between the players is something that has a very good chance of seeing Canada through to its ultimate goal this time around.
"We have a great team spirit and a lot of us have been together for 9-10 years now. So we know each other and we knew we had to dig deep and we understood the importance of this game. And we know that in the past, we probably let some games like this get away," midfielder Patrice Bernier said.
Atiba Hutchinson described the Canadian team as a family that has grown up and matured together during the many ups and downs it has experienced over the years competing in the rough and tumble CONCACAF region.
"I think we are like a family. We all know each other so well and we have played together for so long. The character of all of the players on this team is to always go out there and give 100 per cent and to work and battle for each other," said Hutchinson.
He later added: "A lot of us have been together for a long time now. You can see that it is gelling and we are gelling together and it is getting better and better for us. We are having the right understanding when we should be going forward and also when it is time to sit back and just set up shop. It’s a nice feeling that we have together on the pitch and hopefully we can continue that way."
Team captain Kevin McKenna was also quick to point to the significant experience that runs through the veins of this Canadian squad.
"The spine of the team is all experienced players. We have Julian (de Guzman), Atiba, Lars (Hirschfeld) and myself. Andre (Hainault) has been playing with the team for a while now as well. I think the experienced showed today," McKenna said.
In addition to the veterans who have over 50 caps (such as Hutchinson, McKenna, de Guzman and Dwayne De Rosario) are the young players who have also formed a very cohesive bond via their experiences competing together with Canada’s youth national teams, as well as with the senior roster over the last couple of years.
"I think we are starting to blossom and peak together. Obviously, we had our struggles growing up in the youth tournaments," midfielder Will Johnson said.
"We never got very far in any of those tournaments. (David) Edgar, Tosaint (Ricketts), myself and Simeon (Jackson) – that’s four guys that have come through from the same age group. That’s quite a lot for one age group. So we have grown up together and know each other really well. We get along really well on and off the field and I think that’s important and it is paying dividends in the locker room."
Furthermore, the unity and continuity that is central to the Canadian team is not limited to the players. Coach Stephen Hart has many years of CONCACAF experience from leading Canadian national teams at the various youth levels and he is very much a father figure for the majority of the players on the current senior team.
"Stephen knows every player inside and out and knows our tendencies and how to mix and match guys to get the best out of them. I think that sometimes when people outside the locker room see lineups, they kind of say ‘that doesn’t look right’. But it is all about a balance and all about getting results, sticking together and creating that family atmosphere," Johnson said.
Only the weeks and months ahead will truly decide whether or not this incarnation of the Canadian team will be the perfect confluence of chemistry, brotherhood and experience. That said, the recent signs have been positive.
"You have a lot of guys in that locker room who believe in this group. Hopefully more people around the country are starting to believe in us as well," Johnson said.
Steve Bottjer is a Toronto-based writer, podcaster and editor for RedNation Online, on online magazine covering all aspects of Canadian soccer. Follow RedNation Online on Twitter.