TORONTO — We all know how it’s supposed to go. We’ve seen it before so many times.
Canada has an inglorious track record of washing out during the semifinal round of CONCACAF qualifying for the World Cup. In the buildup for 2010, the Reds dropped five points in their first two outings before being eliminated with two matches to spare.
Not since the 1998 qualifiers has Canada made it to “the Hex,” the final round of the CONCACAF campaign — and even then it finished dead last.
But this time Canada finds itself firmly in the CONCACAF mix following a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Honduras Tuesday evening before 16,132 spectators at BMO Field.
Only the top two countries in this group move on to the six-team, final qualifying round. From there three nations will automatically qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Tuesday’s draw comes on the heels of Canada’s 1-0 win over Cuba in Havana last Friday. Canada is in second place in the group with four points, ahead of Honduras (one point) and winless Cuba. Panama, with six points, tops the group.
Canada is now off until September when it plays Panama home and away. It closes out the semifinal group stage against Cuba on Oct. 12 in Toronto and on the road in Honduras four days later.
With four points heading into the two-month break, and with the heavily favoured Hondurans, participants at the 2010 World Cup, still looking for their first win, there is genuine hope for Canada. When was the last time we could say that?
And yet Canadian coach Stephen Hart sounded like a defeated man, bemoaning his team’s lack of finishing in front of goal against an under-performing Honduras side that was there for the taking.
“I’m not happy with the point,” Hart admitted. “I think we should have come away with something from the game in terms of three points.”
He later added: “I think you have to get 12 points, the way this group is shaping up.”
While pleased with the overall team performance, defender David Edgar called Canada’s failure to earn three points a “wasted opportunity.”
“We dominated the game. It’s disappointing but there comes a time when we have to put our scoring chances away if we want to move on,” Edgar said.
Canada’s wastefulness in the penalty area is a worrying narrative that continues to define this team. Hart has no answers how to fix it.
“I keep saying the same thing: if we keep creating chances then hopefully somebody will hit form. But I thought we missed some easy chances. … I can’t rectify the problem because now I don’t see these players until September,” Hart explained.
Hart made two lineup changes from the Cuba game, putting in goalkeeper Milan Borjan for the suspended Lars Hirschfeld. The other change was a midfield swap, Atiba Hutchinson replacing Tosaint Ricketts.
It was a gamble considering Hutchinson’s persistent knee problems, but the move paid off. Not only did the PSV Eindhoven star not suffer an injury relapse, but he brought genuine creativity and purpose to the Canadian attack with his probing runs and sublime distribution.
“He wanted to play. I wasn’t so sure about his fitness but he said, ‘Listen, I’m ready.’ He settled us down nicely, (and he) moved the ball well,” said Hart, who also offered praise to midfielders Julian de Guzman and Will Johnson.
For all of its big reputation, Honduras looked disjointed and out of sync. Canada took advantage early, with Hutchinson spraying passes with great accuracy and Dwayne De Rosario running at the Honduran defence. De Guzman and Johnson did an effective job of protecting the back four. Edgar provided Canada width going forward down the right flank.
But brutal finishing in front of goal and poorly taken set pieces were the order of the day for Canada. De Rosario was the worst culprit, ballooning a pair of attempts on goal over the crossbar.
Los Catrachos didn’t offer much in attack, except in the 40th minute when three Honduran players broke forward quickly. Nothing came of it. Anthony Lozano found himself open deep in the box but didn’t even force a save from Borjan.
A dull start to the second half burst into life in the 68th minute when Edgar flashed a header just past the post off a corner kick. Canada continued to press, only to see its forays into the penalty area snuffed out by the stout Honduran defence.
Roger Espinoza nearly won it for Honduras in the 88th minute, his long-range effort whispering above the crossbar.
In injury time, it was Canada’s turn to tempt fate, as Kevin McKenna’s bullet header off a corner just blew by the near post. Moments later Canadian substitute Simeon Jackson spurned a chance in front of goal with a misplaced header.
“We can be disappointed that we didn’t score but you can’t get mad about coming away with four points and no losses from the first two games against tough opposition,” Edgar said.