The Canadian national men’s soccer team hasn’t had a great deal of success on the international stage since reaching the World Cup for the first and only time in 1986.
Wednesday’s World Cup qualifying game against Panama at BMO Field in Toronto certainly marks one of the most significant games for Canada since the team went goalless in three games at Mexico ’86.
That doesn’t mean there hasn’t been plenty of drama in the past 35 years, though. A program with next to no stability on the coaching front, Canada still has played its fair share of fascinating fixtures.
Here is a look at five of the more memorable matches for Canada since its first and only appearance in the sport’s biggest men’s event.
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Australia 2, Canada 1 (World Cup qualifying, Aug. 15, 1993, Sydney Football Stadium in Australia)
A 2-1 loss to Mexico at Varsity Stadium in Toronto earlier in the year prevented Canada from qualifying for the 1994 World Cup on its first shot, but it still had an opportunity to advance in a home-and-home series against Australia.
After a 2-1 win for Canada in Edmonton, Australia triumphed by the reverse score at home, sending it to penalty kicks to determine a World Cup entrant.
Australia scored on its first four attempts, while Canada was denied on two to send the Aussies to the United States in 1994.
“Losing in penalties at any level of football, as you can imagine, is horrendous,” former Canadian midfielder Colin Miller told MLSSoccer.com. “But to be knocked out of the World Cup by penalties was not much fun at all.”
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Canada 1, Brazil 1 (Friendly, June 5, 1994, Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton)
With powerhouse Brazil looking for a tuneup ahead of the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Canada was in the right spot geographically for a marquee match.
A crowd of 51,936 when into hysterics when Eddy Berdusco got behind the Brazilian defence in the second half to tie it at 1-1.
“When it hit the back of the net, to see 50,000 people at Commonwealth Stadium go absolutely crazy was a special, special moment, one of the best I can remember,” former Canada goalie Craig Forrest told Canada Soccer.
Just over a month later, Brazil beat Italy on penalty kicks to win the World Cup at the Rose Bowl.
Canada 2, Colombia 0 (Gold Cup final, Feb. 27, 2000, Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles)
This game almost never happened.
Canada won a coin toss with South Korea to advance out of the group stage.
The Canadians then went on to defeat defending champion Mexico in the quarterfinals, Trinidad and Tobago in the semis before stunning Colombia for the country’s first major soccer championship.
“It was unreal,” Forrest recalled of the game. “It was just pure joy. (Teammate) Jason (deVos) and I just looked at each other and were laughing and screaming. We didn’t have to say anything to each other. We knew what a special moment it was and what we just achieved. It was a proud moment for soccer in Canada.”
Coached by Holger Osieck, the squad was quickly dubbed “Holger’s Heroes.” But the German coach resigned in 2003 after a failed World Cup qualifying run.
U.S. 2, Canada 1 (Gold Cup semifinal, June 21, 2007, Soldier Field, Chicago)
Canada made its way back into the Gold Cup spotlight with a shot to upset the favoured Americans and go to the final.
But referee Benito Archundia ruled Atiba Hutchinson was offside on what would have been the tying goal, despite replays showing that it might have been the wrong call.
The Americans went on to beat Mexico in the final.
Honudras 8, Canada 1 (World Cup qualifying, Oct. 16, 2012, Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras)
Needing a tie or a win to move on to the final round of World Cup qualifying, Canada didn’t put up much of a fight.
It was Canada’s worst loss since falling 8-0 to Mexico in 1993.
A tie, rather than a win, against Honduras earlier in the competition in Toronto loomed large in the end.
“You’re supposed to go down all guns blazing, you’re supposed to fight,” coach Stephen Hart told The Canadian Press. “You’re supposed to die out there.
“We were horrible. … It’s disturbing to me that the team fell apart.”
Less than a week later, Hart resigned.
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