A crowd of more than 50,000 is expected to greet Adam Straith and Simon Thomas, both of Victoria, Friday night when they join Canada (1-0-1) on the B.C. Place Stadium pitch to play Mexico (2-0) in a crucial CONCACAF fourth-round qualifier for a berth in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
More than 46,000 tickets have been sold for the B.C. Place fixture, one of the biggest men’s soccer games in Canada in years.
Defender/midfielder Straith and goalkeeper Thomas, who grew up together in Oak Bay, have been named to the 23-player Canadian roster. Both 25-year-olds are Norwegian League pros and Lower Island Metro products out of the Bays United youth organization.
The emerging Straith, who has the confidence of head coach Benito Floro, is the only player who has played every minute of 2018 World Cup qualifying for Canada through six games. He is expected to earn his 34th cap Friday.
Thomas, the Norwegian Premiership pro with Bodo/Glimt, and Kenny Stamatopoulos, dressed as reserves behind starting goalkeeper Milan Borjan for Canada’s last two World Cup qualifying games against Honduras and El Salvador.
Canada, second in Group D behind Mexico, will need to make optimum use of B.C. Place because what awaits after is the decidedly less-friendly return leg March 29 in the howling cauldron of mighty Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, which has reduced numerous CONCACAF opponents to rubble.
Canada opened fourth-round qualifying play last fall with a 1-0 victory over Honduras at B.C. Place and a scoreless draw in El Salvador. Canada closes the round at Honduras on Sept. 2 and at home against El Salvador on Sept. 6 at a venue to be announced.
The top-two teams among the group that includes Mexico, Canada, Honduras and El Salvador will advance to the six-team final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. The top-three will then advance to Russia 2018, while the fourth-place finisher will get one last chance to qualify against the fifth-place team from Asia.
Canada has not qualified for the World Cup since 1986, when Ian Bridge, Jamie Lowery and George Pakos represented the Island on the world’s greatest stage.
