On the eve of the Concacaf Nations League semi-final against Panama, Canada coach John Herdman issued another warning that help is needed off the pitch if his side are to continue to s flourish.
Herdman noted that 58th-ranked Panama have been in training camp for 10 days and have already played one game, beating Nicaragua 3-2 on Saturday.
The 47th-ranked Canadian men enter Thursday’s game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas with about four days of preparation.
And while Herdman came out in support of Canada Soccer’s acting general secretary Jason deVos, a former Canada captain, and the current board, he said there was still work to be done.
“Things are changing, but it has to change quickly,” Herdman told reporters. It will depend on money, investment, commitment and words that quickly turn into actions. Because we have a team here that has the chance to do something really special at a home World Cup (in 2026). You can feel it. But we need this change. »
When asked if he saw any light at the end of this funding funnel, Herdman could only offer hope and hard work.
“All I can control is what I can control and keep bringing my passion where I can take it. To influence and excite people, and try to move the needle in places where the vision might not be clear, he said. So I’m going to keep doing what I can do from the position I’m in…to keep pushing this program forward.
“I mean we’ve come a long way on the male and female side, a long way. We still have a long way to go. But it is an exciting journey. This is the challenge we all face at Canada Soccer. Thirty-six, the first time (at the Men’s World Cup). It changed everything for us. We now had to think differently as an organization. I don’t think anyone expected this to happen. It happened early. So let’s adapt. Let’s go. »
The Canadian men are looking for their first trophy since winning the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2000. If they beat Panama, they will face 13th-ranked USA or 15th-ranked Mexico. in Sunday’s final, also at Allegiant Stadium.
The winner of the League of Nations will receive approximately one million US dollars in scholarships.
The Canadians have played just two games since last year’s World Cup in Qatar, concluding the Nations League group stage in March by beating Honduras 4-1 and Curacao 2-0.
