To run onto the turf in the province’s largest sporting venue is a dream come true for any British Columbia athlete.
Goalkeeper Simon Thomas of Victoria gets to experience that as the lone British Columbia player named Tuesday for Canada’s fixture March 24 at B.C. Place against French Guiana in a decisive CONCACAF Nations League qualifying match.
Canada needs to win to guarantee its spot in both the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup and 2019-20 CONCACAF Nations League Group A.
“It’s an honour to be selected for Canada, and it’s even more exciting when it is in B.C.,” said Thomas, from Norway, where he plays professionally for newly-promoted First Division club KFUM-Kameratene Oslo.
“I don’t get to come back to B.C. much. So these games in front of friends and family are extra special,” said the six-foot-three Bays United and Lower Island Metro product.
“The [Norwegian pro] season starts shortly after the international break. It has been a productive off-season, and now full focus will be on the start of the season, after this important Nations League match for Canada.”
Thomas, along with Maxime Crepeau of the Vancouver Whitecaps, realize they will be backing up Canada’s unquestioned No. 1 goalkeeper Milan Borjan, who last year backstopped Red Star Belgrade to the Serbian SuperLiga title and qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
The real question is who between Thomas and Crepeau will be chosen to be 39-time capped Borjan’s top back-up this summer in the Gold Cup and later on the road to World Cup 2022. Thomas says he has learned a lot by watching Borjan.
“He’s had a fantastic season in Europe and been the main reason Red Star has been so successful,” said Thomas, who has eight caps.
“Everyone can learn from his winning mentality and fight in those matches.”
The top storyline of the game, of course, won’t be Thomas returning to B.C., but the return of former Whitecaps prodigy Alphonso Davies, now in the Bayern Munich system.
Canada is pulling out all the stops for this game and has called in all its top pro players from Europe.
“Every game you play at home is special, but this game has the little something extra, as the result could really shape the destiny for Canada,” said Canadian team head coach John Herdman.
“The people of British Columbia have been amazing at being there for Canada when we’ve needed them most, and we need them out again on March 24th to help this team make history by qualifying for CONCACAF Nations League Group A.”
The 3 p.m. start time on a Sunday will make it easier for fans from the Island and Okanagan to attend and make it back home on the same day.
“I know how important it is for [Canadian players] to play at home so that our heroes in red shirts are visible to our young fans,” said Herdman.
“It’s a big part of why they do what they do. For the players coming back into Canada, there is always that extra emotion playing on home soil. It’s just special and even more so when the game they’re about to play has real meaning and they hear and feel that Canadian support.”
The top 10 of the 34 CONCACAF nations will qualify for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, while the top six also qualify for 2019-20 CONCACAF Nations League Qualifying Group A. Canada is looking good in third place with nine points and plus-14 goals difference heading into its final qualifying game.
Canada is among six nations with nine points in the standings with three straight wins, while nine other nations could still equal that total, with wins in the last week of the qualifying process. French Guiana is in 12th position with six points and needs to beat Canada to qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The only previous meeting between the nations was in the opener of the 2017 Gold Cup when Davies, then only 16, scored his first two goals for Canada in a 4-2 victory.
