Canada downs El Salvador, keeps rolling in World Cup qualifying

Captain Atiba Hutchinson scored a pinball-like goal and Jonathan David added an insurance score in stoppage time to help Canada defeat El Salvador 2-0 Wednesday — and move yet closer to Qatar 2022 with a sixth straight World Cup qualifying win.

A prickly El Salvador side made life difficult for the Canadian men with a choppy, physical game filled with fouls on a warm, humid night at Estadio Cuscatlan before some 10,000 fans.

The breakthrough cane in the 66th minute when substitute Cyle Larin beat a defender and sent a cross that a diving Hutchinson headed at goal from close-range.

The Salvadorans did not put a shot on goal until stoppage time with Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan reaching high to palm away a long-distance ball that somehow found the target.

David, on a solo rush in transition, then chipped the Salvadoran goalkeeper to make to 2-0 in the 93rd minute.

The result means Canada emerges with a maximum nine points in the FIFA window following 2-0 victories over Honduras, in San Pedro Sula, and the U.S., in Hamilton.

The Canadians came into the contest knowing that a win combined with other results could see them qualify for Qatar. That would require Panama lose to Mexico, the U.S. lose to Honduras and Costa Rica lose or draw against Jamaica.

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But the 11th-ranked Americans torpedoed that scenario earlier in the evening with a 3-0 win over No. 76 Honduras in frigid conditions in St. Paul, Minn.

Canada wraps up qualifying play at Costa Rica on March 23, at home to Jamaica on March 26 and at Panama on March 29.

Come the end of March, the top three countries will represent North and Central America and the Caribbean in Qatar. The fourth-place finisher will face an Oceania team in an intercontinental playoff to see who joins them.

Wednesday results essentially means Canada can finish no lower than fourth.

The Canadian men are now 13-0-4 through three rounds of qualifying, outscoring their competition 50-6.

There was some doubt the game might go on with the El Salvador players releasing an open letter during the day saying they would not play over a bonus dispute with the Salvadoran football Federation. But they recanted soon after.