The highly anticipated top of the table clash between the United States and Canada in a FIFA World Cup Qualifier is set for Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario on Sunday, Jan. 30 at 3 p.m. ET (Paramount+, Telemundo, Universo).
Due to local public health guidelines, the venue will be reduced to a 50 percent capacity of 12,000 spectators.
Both teams come into the match off shutout wins.
On Thursday night, the second-place U.S. Men's National Team (5-1-3, 18 points) defeated El Salvador 1-0 in Columbus, Ohio on Antonee Robinson's 52nd minute goal. The first-place Canadians (5-0-4, 19 points) recorded a 2-0 win against Honduras, their first victory away to Los Catrachos since 1985.
The confrontation is expected to be a closely contested match. The USMNT last defeated Canada in the Concacaf Gold Cup, 1-0, on Shaq Moore's first-minute strike on July 18. The teams played to a 1-1 draw in WCQ in Nashville, Tenn. on Sept. 5.
WORLD CUP QUALIFYING HISTORY
In 1985, Canada qualified for its first and only World Cup, finishing atop the final qualifying round unbeaten at 2-0-2. They did not fare well in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, losing their three matches to eventual semifinalist France, 1-0, Hungary, 2-0, and the Soviet Union, 2-0.
Since then, Canada has reached the Concacaf final round only three times in eight attempts (1994, 1998, 2022).
Les Rouges took the long road to the final round of qualifying, advancing through the four-game first round before blanking Haiti twice in June’s home-and-away playoff series. Cyle Larin scored in each win, a 1-0 victory on June 12 and a 3-0 triumph on June 15. Canada added a Junior Hoilett tally and an own goal.
USMNT WORLD CUP HISTORY VS. CANADA
The Canadians have a 4-6-4 advantage against the USA. The series goes back to 1958 qualifying, when Les Rouges won 5-1 at home and 3-2 away.
It is a different story on American soil as the USA is unbeaten in its last six matches against Canada, compiling an overall 3-1-3 mark.
Prior to the 2022 competition, the USA won the last two qualifiers between the sides by 3-0 score lines. That included a victory in Palo Alto, Calif. on March 6, 1997, as Eric Wynalda, Eddie Pope and Earnie Stewart scored, and in Vancouver, Canada as Roy Wegerle (twice) and Claudio Reyna found the net on Nov. 9, 1997.
In their first encounter in 2022 WCQ, the teams played to a 1-1 draw in Nashville, Tenn. on Sept. 5, 2021. Brenden Aaronson gave the USA a 55th-minute lead, but Cyle Larin equalized seven minutes later.
