
Coach of national soccer team always believed Canada belonged at World Cup, players now believe too
Global News
John Herdman believed when virtually no one else did. Canada was going to the World Cup in 2022.
John Herdman believed when virtually no one else did. Canada was going to the World Cup in 2022.
That was the message at his first camp in charge, in March 2018 in Murcia, Spain.
“He told us the goal in that very first meeting — which was to qualify for the World Cup. He said it then and there,” said Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio.
“He had the vision long before anybody else did. Nobody there was thinking about 2026. We were all focused on the next thing right in front of us — which was the chance to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.”
Some 46 matches and 56 months later, Herdman and Canada are in Doha, back at the men’s soccer showcase for the first time in 36 years.
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Osorio is one of nine players from that first camp that made the World Cup roster. The others are Milan Borjan, Derek Cornelius, Samuel Adekugbe, Atiba Hutchinson, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Liam Millar, Samuel Piette and Cyle Larin.
When Canada made its World Cup debut in Mexico, Herdman was 10 years old and living in Consett just outside Newcastle, England.