OneSoccer Today reconvened Monday night to preview the Canadian men’s national team’s crucial 2022 World Cup qualifying second leg tilt with Haiti set to air on their service Tuesday night (9 pm ET/6 pm PT). John Herdman’s side is up 1-0 following a crucial Cyle Larin away goal in the first leg on Saturday. A win or a draw would send Les Rouges to the final round of Concacaf qualifying for the first time since the 1998 World Cup cycle. Co-hosts Andi Petrillo, Oliver Platt, and Gareth Wheeler surmised Saturday’s result against Haiti was a confidence booster, with the Canadians looking poised and in control despite conditions.

RELATED READING: PREVIEW: CanMNT ‘hosts’ Haiti in decisive World Cup qualifying 2nd leg || Forge FC, CanMNT defender Dejan Jakovic: 'It's an exciting time for Canada' ahead of Haiti

"It’s early but it was a good start, specifically winning away in Concacaf," Platt said, looking ahead to the eight-team final-round "octagon" where they’ll face the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras and two other second-round winners. "Their first two road games [of the final round] would be USA and Mexico – they’re going to learn a ton of lessons, they are games they don’t necessarily need to get a lot of points in, and they can approach the other five matches and try to get some results on the road. "It’s too early to say they can go to Honduras and get a result [like they did in Haiti]... but Canada is showing they are going in the right direction." The gang also talked about star winger Alphonso Davies’ ability to keep cool despite getting kicked around the park in Port-au-Prince and what that could mean for the second leg in Chicago... and if referees should do something about it. "I’m so impressed by the players – they’re all calm, it’s a lot different than other Canada teams we’ve seen," Wheeler added. "Haiti is a good team, it’s exceptionally difficult to go there in June, play at 5 pm on that kind of turf field... This team was ready and prepared." Canada faces Haiti Tuesday night in the "home" leg of their second-round tie live on OneSoccer at 9pm ET/6pm PT.

Continue reading...