World Cup 2022: Canada on the Brink

Costa Rica vs Canada

All eyes are on San Jose on Thursday where the match between Costa Rica vs Canada is the big game in the CONCACAF on the road to World Cup 2022.

A win for John Herdman’s rapidly improving Canada will be enough to see them through to the finals for the first time since Mexico 1986, while Costa Rica are hoping to make the play-offs and reach a fifth World Cup finals in six campaigns.

Los Ticos are fifth in the table and need to grab the fourth place from Panama over the final three games. They are currently a point behind but have momentum on their side. 

Meanwhile, Les Rouges are the only unbeaten team in the competition and are about to end their 36-year wait to join the best football nations in the world on the biggest stage. 

Costa Rica come into the game on the back of a 1-0 victory over Jamaica while Canada won 2-0 away to El Salvador, a result which took Herdman’s team four points clear at the top of the table.

The very latest World Cup 2022 betting odds tell us we have a great game on here with all three results well in play. And if Les Rouges pick up the win they crave, the celebrations in Canada will go on long into the night. 

Talking Points

Costa Rica’s Old Boys are doing the business

Los Ticos have an experienced set of players who have been there and done that many times for their countryand they’d love nothing more than one last hurrah at the 2022 finals.

Just one win in the first seven games put Costa Rica under pressure, but head coach Luis Fernando Suarez has galvanised his team to make a play-off place a distinct possibility.

Costa Rica are skippered by former Fulham star Bryan Ruiz who has 137 caps and will become the second-most capped player in the nation’s history if he makes an appearance against Canada.

PSG keeper Keylor Navas earned his 100^th cap in Los Ticos’ win over Jamaica while goal scorer Joel Campbell picked up his 109^th cap.  

Navas is in fine form and in line to become the CONCACAF goalkeeper of the tournament, picking up three consecutive clean sheets in a big win over Panama and a goalless draw with Mexico before the triumph over Jamaica.

All Costa Rica need to do is to better the results of Panama over the next three games and another shutout for Navas against Canada will be a big leap forwards.  

Canada’s history makers can take the next step

Les Rouges have stood back and watched the World Cup finals from afar for almost four decades, but surely they are on their way to Qatar having recently ended a sequence of long running records which have held them back.

During the last three games, Canada won in El Salvador for the first time since 1996, which is the first time in Honduras since 1985 and for the first time against the USA in World Cup qualification since 1980.

A North American summit with USA was a real test and Les Rouges came through with flying colours to stretch their lead at the top of the CONCACAF table. 

Twin strikers 26-year old Cyle Larin and 22-year old Jonathan David are in superb form and they can add on to the World Cup 2022 highlights. Larin is the nations all-time leading scorer with 23 goals while David scored his 20^th international goal in the win over El Salvador.

And like Los Ticos, Canada registered clean sheets in their last three games as keeper Milan Borjan put in a series of impressive performances in front of a well-organised and confident defence, but they are still without star wing back Alphonso Davies.

The Bayern Munich man is currently out with a complication following a COVID-19 infection and is scheduled to return in April.       

History

There is a beautiful balance to the head-to-heads with both nations winning four of the 12 meetings and there have been four draws.

Canada won the last encounter in 2021 – a 1-0 win on home soil as David scored the crucial goal.

In terms of recent form, Canada have the advantage, winning the last six games and are unbeaten in 11. Meanwhile, Costa Rica have won three, drawn one, and lost two of their last six games. 

Betting Tip

The hosts are at SBOTOP odds of win with the draw at 2.85 and they certainly have the experience to stop Les Rouges.

Neither Canada nor Costa Rica expect to make the latter stages of Qatar 2022, but they both believe they can qualify for the finals and I’m backing Canada to take the step they need to book their ticket. Both defences are in fine form and a 1-0 away win at odds of 5.41 is a likely outcome.

 

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