VANCOUVER — A highly anticipated World Cup showdown is scheduled for Thursday as Canada takes on Qatar at BC Place stadium in Vancouver, with Group B remaining wide open and three points on the line for both teams.
Co-host Canada is coming off a 1-1 tie with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto during its tournament opener. The team can count on enthusiastic home support once again in Vancouver, where fans have already shown they are ready to embrace the sport in a country better known for its passion for ice hockey.
Qatar, which hosted the 2022 World Cup, also kicked off this tournament with a 1-1 draw, that time against Switzerland out in California.
BC Place has already demonstrated its enthusiasm for the competition, packing in a strong crowd for Australia’s 2-0 victory over Turkey. The stadium is expected to deliver a lively atmosphere as Canada pushes for a home win.
Canada enters as the favorite despite still being in search of their first-ever World Cup victory. Star forward Jonathan David, the country’s all-time leading scorer, will be looking to step up after substitute Cyle Larin scored the goal in the opening match.
A significant question mark hangs over the fitness of captain and left-back Alphonso Davies, who is dealing with a hamstring issue. That leaves head coach Jesse Marsch with a major lineup decision heading into the match.
Defender Joel Waterman is also hoping to see time on the field. He sat on the bench during the opener, but playing in his home city would make this game especially meaningful for him.
Qatar has had a tough road when it comes to earning respect on the World Cup stage. Heading into this tournament, the team had gone without a win across six matches played at the 1986 and 2022 editions. In 2022, they finished last in their group without earning a single point.
Still, Qatar has already shown improvement over that dismal 2022 showing and now has a chance to build on their opening draw with another strong result.
Waterman summed up the stakes heading into Thursday’s match. “The group is wide open,” he told reporters. “We want to top the group. The focus has never changed for us.”
“It’s a big game on Thursday to beat Qatar and then we’ve got to try and beat Switzerland as well,” Waterman continued. “We’re going to try and pick up the six points and go on to the next round.”
