The ideal scenario for Pacific FC today would be for Canada to beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 with PFC striker Reon Moore scoring for Trinidad and Tobago.
There are swirling emotions around the PFC offices in Langford as Moore has been called up for Trinidad and Tobago’s CONCACAF play-in game against Canada today in Frisco, Texas, with the winner advancing to a prestigious opening date this summer in the Copa America against defending World Cup holder Argentina.
Of Moore opposing Canada, PFC managing director Paul Beirne said: “It’s rare to be so invested in one player. But our hearts are with the Maple Leaf to be standing proud at the end of the day to advance to Copa America to continue indicating, as we have been the past decade, that Canada belongs at the table with the biggest footballing nations in the world.”
Today’s is the most pivotal game for Canadian men’s soccer since the national team qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This nation simply has to get to the Copa America to show it belongs with the big boys of the region, such as Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
“This is a very important match and we know what’s at stake,” Canada head coach Mauro Biello said in a Zoom conference with the Canadian sports media on Friday.
“We have had a good week of training with good spirit and energy.”
Canada is in the play-in game position after a shocking collapse against Jamaica in a two-game CONCACAF set that could have sent them straight through to the Copa America.
“We thought we had them, but it showed Jamaica was hungrier than us and we have to be more hungry,” said Biello.
“We lacked that in the last game [against Jamaica]. We will be ready [today]. I can tell you that.”
Fans might have thought Canada would be on a high after ending a 36-year drought by qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and looking ahead to co-hosting the 2026 World Cup. But that hasn’t been the case.
“We had a difficult 2023 for sure,” said Biello.
“We have to detach from that. That was another journey. This is a new one. This is about a new beginning. We had humility but that fell through last year. We will get that back.
“We were disappointed in what happened against Jamaica but we get another opportunity [today] to play in Copa America. We know we have the talent to play with anybody.”
Canada captain Stephen Eustaquio was even more direct, with the Champions League player for Porto saying during the conference: “We are going to qualify for Copa America. There is no room for disappointment. There is only room for improvement.”
Moore, newly signed for PFC, has been capped 25 times with eight goals for Trinidad and Tobago, known as the Soca Warriors. He played in the 2021 Gold Cup and the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 CONCACAF Nations League competitions. The five-foot-nine native of Sangre Grande scored three and added an assist over five 2023-2024 Nations League games, including scoring in a 2-1 upset defeat of the U.S. in November.
“We saw how Trinidad and Tobago performed against the U.S. and frustrated an American team while being a man down,” said Biello.
“Trinidad and Tobago have been in a lot of games. They will close space and be physical. They are focused and ready to give everything for their country.”
The Canadian Premier League will be well represented on Trinidad and Tobago today, with Moore joining 11-time capped Andre Rampersad, of the HFX Wanderers of Halifax, and former CPL player Malcolm Shaw, who played for Atletico Ottawa last season. Ryan Telfer of HFX was also called up by the Soca Warriors for today’s game but has been ruled out due to injury.
Seven CPL players have been called up by their national teams for this international window, including PFC midfielder Cedric Toussaint for Haiti in its friendly today against host French Guiana in Cayenne.
“This is a ringing endorsement of both our club and our league. This is the vision we had when the CPL was created,” Beirne said.
In addition, two former CPL players — respective Cavalry FC and Valour FC products defender Joel Waterman and goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois — are on the Canadian roster today to face Moore and the Soca Warriors in Texas.
“I am impressed this has happened as fast as it has. We expect nothing less in the future as the CPL continues to grow,” Beirne said.
