Canada on Wednesday moved to the brink of their first FIFA World Cup finals appearance in 36 years with a 2-0 victory over El Salvador, while the US reignited their qualification campaign with 3-0 triumph against Honduras.
Second-half goals from Atiba Hutchinson and Jonathan David gave Canada a deserved victory in San Salvador and left them leading the qualifying standings with 25 points from 11 games.
Although their qualification for Qatar is not mathematically certain, it would require a freak sequence of results for Canada to fail to qualify for their first World Cup since the 1986 finals in Mexico.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Canada lead the standings by four points with three games remaining, all of them be played next month.
A win over Costa Rica in their next game on March 24 would seal Canada’s place in Qatar.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, the US cruised to a 3-0 win over Honduras in a game played in sub-zero temperatures in St Paul, Minnesota.
Two Honduras players were substituted at halftime due to the extreme weather conditions at the Allianz Field.
Players from both teams took to the pitch with multiple layers of clothing, with some opting for balaclavas in addition to gloves and thermal jerseys.
Jamaican referee Oshane Nation also wore a balaclava and gloves throughout.
US coach Gregg Berhalter defended the decision to play in St Paul, where temperatures for the evening kickoff plunged to about minus-16°C.
“We provided Honduras and their staff, and the referees, with warm-weather gear, we provided them with headgear, and trying to make it a safe environment for them to play,” Berhalter said. “When we go down to those countries and it’s 90 degrees [Fahreinheit] and it’s unbearable humidity, and guys are getting dehydrated and cramping up and getting heat exhaustion. That’s the nature of our competition. When we scheduled this game and this location, you know, you have to go by average temperatures.”
Berhalter’s side, beaten 2-0 by Canada on Sunday, bounced back to win with goals from Weston McKennie, Walker Zimmerman and Christian Pulisic.
The victory leaves the US with 21 points from 11 games, four adrift of Canada.
With three games remaining, the US look well-positioned to grab one of the three automatic World Cup qualifying berths available for teams from Central America, North America and the Caribbean.
Mexico are in third place, level with the US on 21 points, after battling to a scrappy 1-0 win over Panama in Mexico City.
Mexico’s winner in an unconvincing performance at the Azteca Stadium came via Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez from the penalty spot.
The team finishing in fourth place faces a playoff against the winner of the Oceania qualifying tournament.
Elsewhere, Costa Rica kept their qualifying hopes alive with a 1-0 away win over Jamaica in Kingston.
The victory leaves Costa Rica in fifth place with 16 points, just behind Panama (17 points) following their defeat to Mexico.
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