Canadian men's coach John Herdman declares need for better competition following World Cup exit

It was a "life-changing experience" that was 36 years in the making. 

Led by head coach John Herdman, Canada's men's World Cup drought ended in November. 

Alphonso Davies scored Canada's first-ever goal at the men's tournament against Croatia but the 41st-ranked Canadians were eliminated in the group stage and failed to capture a desired result in Qatar.

"We were written off pretty early back in 2018," Herdman told Andi Petrillo, in his first interview since returning from the men's soccer showcase. "To galvanize the group around a clear vision with that purpose of having a moment that our country could come together and connect over was what drove us through the times you've had to go knocking on doors to get additional funding ... or just those unforgettable moments."

Herdman, from Consett, England, identified a pair of "unforgettable moments" in Canada's World Cup qualifying campaign: Davies' highlight-reel goal in a win against Panama on the frozen tundra of "Iceteca" (aka Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium), plus the victory over Jamaica in Toronto to clinch a historic World Cup berth.

Canada topped the final round of qualifying in the CONCACAF region following an unprecedented unbeaten run but suffered losses to No. 2 ranked Belgium, back-to-back World Cup semifinalists Croatia and No. 22 Morocco in Qatar.

WATCH l 1-on-1 with Canadian men's coach John Herdman following World Cup:

"We needed more games against that type of opponent," the 47-year-old said, looking back at Canada's World Cup run. "One error [can] lead to real punishment. I think we needed to feel some of that punishment prior to coming into the World Cup and we hadn't.

"That's just part of a big learning that our organization will take on board as we