Canada reintroduced to rigours of Concacaf in loss to Honduras

One of the most chaotic windows in Canadian men's national team history came to an end on Monday, as Canada fell 2-1 to Honduras in San Pedro Sula in Concacaf Nations League action.

The defeat leaves Canada three points adrift of top spot in Group C of League A, albeit with one game in hand. The team's final two games will be played in March 2023.

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But Canada has bigger priorities. Unless Canada Soccer can lock down three friendlies in September, there are likely just two games left for the Canadians to prepare for the World Cup.

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A labour dispute dominated the first week of the June window which led to another cancelled friendly, thus costing the team an extra game and two training sessions worth of prep, so every moment counts between now and November.

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Players on both sides were slipping constantly, the ball was caught up in large puddles on the dribble which didn't make for a fluid game.

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Thursday's win over Curacao saw the Reds prioritize quick, direct passes via the flanks and early crosses, although there appeared to be a reliance on keeping the ball on the ground.

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Cyle Larin may have broken the men's national team's all-time scoring record, but Jonathan David is breathing down his neck.

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David's late consolation was his 21st goal in his 31st cap for Canada, which keeps him in third all-time but he's just three tallies behind Larin after Monday's strike.

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Both strikers were noticeably rusty on Thursday against Curacao, as they seemed to hesitate in the box when the ball landed at their feet. That wasn't an issue for David with his one clear-cut opportunity on Monday.

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