Canadian men take breath before looking to seal World Cup berth in Qatar

Four years into his tenure as coach of the men's soccer team, John Herdman is now one win away from taking Canada to the World Cup — ending a 36-year absence from the world showcase.

A Canadian tie in Costa Rica on March 23 would also do it if Panama fails to win that day. But first some well-earned shut-eye after a three-game, seven-day trek through three countries that netted nine points for the 40th-ranked Canadian men in a gruelling FIFA international window.

"I think we're all knackered," Herdman said late Wednesday after a 2-0 win in El Salvador. "This has been a big window, a challenging window."

Unbeaten Canada (7-0-4, 25 points) tops the eight-team standings in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, four points ahead of the U.S. and Mexico (both 6-2-3, 21 points) and eight ahead of Panama (5-4-2, 17 points). Costa Rica (4-3-4, 16 points) is fourth.

After each team plays its remaining three games, the top three finishers will qualify for Qatar 2022, representing North and Central America and the Caribbean. The fourth-place side will face an Oceania team in an intercontinental playoff to see who joins them.

After the visit to Costa Rica, the Canadians wrap up their 14-game final-round qualifying schedule March 26 at home to Jamaica and March 29 in Panama.

A win in Costa Rica would give the Canadians 28 points and guarantee a top-three finish, with Panama and Costa Rica unable to catch them. A Canadian tie in Costa Rica, coupled with a Panama loss or tie against visiting Honduras, would also mean a top-three finish.

Still Herdman has made it clear the team not only wants to qualify, it wants to be the CONCACAF leader as it heads to Qatar. He calls it "new Canada."

"For us, internally we've got some really clear