With a month to look back on what happened that night in Toronto, USMNT players and staff arrived in Florida during the last week still feeling the sting of the result.
“Obviously, we were disappointed after that loss. It was the first time it happened since 1985 and it kind of hurts,” said Cannon, one of seven USMNT players to play their first competitive away match that night.
The only player alive when the USMNT last lost to Canada in 1985, veteran goalkeeper Brad Guzan is no stranger to the rigors of the international game. With Canada needing a win in the match to bolster their hopes of a place in the Concacaf’s final round of World Cup Qualifying, the 35-year-old pointed to the aggression and intensity brought by the hosts as the difference that night at BMO Field.
“We were never on the same level,” he said. “These games, more times than not, they turn into a bit of a dog fight. You’ve got to have intensity, you’ve got to have desire, and you have to have a competitive edge about you when you step on the field.”
The feelings from that night in Toronto have morphed into a determination to ensure that the intensity will match the moment, particularly with what’s at stake.
