Scotland-born Scott Arfield, of Burnley FC, will join Canada after receiving his Canadian papers this week.IAN MACNICOL/AFP / Getty Images
On the eve of two World Cup qualifying games against mighty Mexico, captain Julian de Guzman looks at the Canadian squad and likes what he sees.
"The confidence we have coming into this camp, just looking at the names we have on our side, there's no fear," de Guzman told a media conference call on Friday. "It's a different feel versus the way it has been in the past. We're definitely confident to step up to this challenge."
Adding to that warm feeling is the knowledge that BC Place Stadium will be rocking next Friday, when the Canadian men, ranked 87th in the world, host No. 22 Mexico. More than 46,000 tickets have been sold already, a record number for a Canadian home World Cup qualifier.
De Guzman says he gets goosebumps just thinking of the crowd.
Mexico will have home-field advantage when the two teams meet again on March 29 in Mexico City. Azteca Stadium has been a graveyard for Canada, which has been outscored 21-2 by Mexico there while going 0-5-1.
An 8-0 Gold Cup loss before 100,000 fans at Azteca in 1993 remains one of the ugliest blemishes on Canada's soccer résumé. A more recent humiliation was the 8-1 thrashing in Honduras in October, 2012, that knocked Canada out of contention for the previous World Cup.
De Guzman, who turns 35 on the day of the BC Place game, wasn't born when Canada last scored at Azteca (Gerry Gray, in a 1-1 tie Nov. 16, 1980).
Canadian coach Benito Floro has summoned a strong squad to face Mexico. It includes newcomer Scott Arfield, a midfielder with Burnley, which currently leads England's second-tier Football League Championship division. The 27-year-old Arfield, who was born in Scotland but qualifies to play for Canada through his Toronto-born father, joins recent converts Steven Vitoria and Junior Hoilett on the 23-man squad. Arfield, who played for Scotland at the under-19, under-21 and B levels, just got his Canadian papers this week, with FIFA signing off on his change in international allegiance. "It's just great to see guys finally commit to the national team … It's something Canada has been missing for such a long time," said de Guzman, who has a Canadian record of 85 caps.
De Guzman is joined by fellow veterans Atiba Hutchinson and Will Johnson on the squad. There is youth in the form of 22-year old Doneil Henry, 21-year old Samuel Piette and 20-year old Cyle Larin.
Mexico leads Pool A with six points from two matches. Canada is second with four points, while El Salvador has one and Honduras has none.
After the Mexico series, Canada plays in Honduras and hosts El Salvador to wrap up the round.
The top two teams in the pool advance to the final round of qualifying in the region.
The Canadian men are 7-8-10 since Floro took over in 2013, including 6-2-6 in their last 14 outings.
It's been a steady climb since falling to No. 122 in the FIFA rankings in October, 2014, which tied Canada's all-time low.
Canada's all-time record against Mexico is 3-16-7. The wins came in 2000 in San Diego (2-0), 1990 in Burnaby, B.C. (2-1), and 1976 in Vancouver (1-0).
On the plus side, Canada has tied its past three home meetings with the Mexicans.
A win, de Guzman suggested, would be difficult, "but it's not impossible."
And success in Vancouver next week would have long-ranging implications, the Ottawa Fury FC midfielder added. "Just one game at home could change futures for Canadian soccer, future careers," he said. "It could change the respect we've been getting in the past.
"And it will open up opportunities for Canadian players in the future."