As with nearly every Canadian soccer player, Adam Straith and Simon Thomas grew up hearing stories about 1986 and how an unlikely grab-bag of players 鈥� that included pros, amateurs and city workers from the Island such as Ian Bridge, Jamie Lowery and George Pakos 鈥� got sa国际传媒 to the World Cup.
That was five years before Straith and Thomas, both 25-year-olds from Victoria, were born. It鈥檚 taken three decades, but optimism has never been higher as sa国际传媒 looks to finally return to the World Cup. A big step can be taken when sa国际传媒 鈥� with defender Straith and goalkeeper Thomas on the 23-player Canadian roster 鈥� meets Mexico in a key CONCACAF World Cup qualifying game for Russia 2018.
With more than 50,000 tickets already sold, a capacity crowd of 54,000 is expected to greet Straith, Thomas and their mates when they step onto the sa国际传媒 Place pitch Friday night (7 p.m. on TSN 2). World No. 87 sa国际传媒 is 1-0-1 in the CONCACAF fourth round and world No. 22 Mexico is 2-0.
鈥淚t鈥檚 massive for us,鈥� Straith said.
鈥淭o see the game create so much interest, just a couple a months after the successful game in November [a 1-0 sa国际传媒 victory over Honduras at sa国际传媒 Place in the first game of the fourth round], it just goes to show the potential that this country has to get behind a team. The fans pushed us through the game against Honduras, and we are going to need them on Friday night even more now. We want to repay the favour with putting in an exciting performance and winning the game.鈥�
The east side of Greater Victoria can be excused for feeling a bit more of a personal connection to this quest.
Straith and Thomas, who grew up together in Oak Bay and are both Norwegian League pros, came up through the Bays United youth organization before going onto the Lower Island Metro program.
鈥淚鈥檝e heard there are more than 500 people coming over from Victoria just from my old club Bays United,鈥� said Straith.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a number that gives me goosebumps.鈥�
Straith has become a defender that head coach Benito Floro greatly trusts. The Islander is the only player who has played every minute of 2018 World Cup qualifying for sa国际传媒 through six games and will likely earn his 34th cap Friday.
Thomas, a Norwegian Premiership pro with Bodo/Glimt, was dressed in reserve along with Kenny Stamatopoulos, behind Canadian starting goalkeeper Milan Borjan, for the last two World Cup qualifying games against Honduras and El Salvador. The six-foot-three Islander is likely to see bench duty again. But just by being on the roster makes him one of the top-three goalkeepers in sa国际传媒.
sa国际传媒, second in Group A behind Mexico, will need to take advantage of the friendly home setting of sa国际传媒 Place. That鈥檚 because of what awaits: the return leg next Tuesday in the cacophonous and intimidating confines of the mighty 95,000-seat Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
鈥淲e know we have a big challenge ahead of us, going up against the best team in CONCACAF, and in my opinion, one of the top 15 teams in the world,鈥� said Straith.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we get a good week of training in this week in Vancouver in preparation for what is guaranteed to be a special night on Friday at sa国际传媒 Place.鈥�
sa国际传媒 opened fourth-round qualifying play last fall with that 1-0 clean sheet against Honduras at sa国际传媒 Place, followed by a scoreless draw in El Salvador. sa国际传媒 closes the round with an away fixture at No. 89 Honduras (0-2) on Sept. 2 followed by a home game against No. 99 El Salvador (0-1-1) on Sept. 6, likely either at sa国际传媒 Place or BMO Stadium in Toronto.
The top two teams within the Mexico, sa国际传媒, Honduras and El Salvador group will advance to next year鈥檚 six-team final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, from which the top three will advance to Russia 2018, and the fourth-place finisher will play Asia No. 5 for a wild-card berth.
