Canada vs. Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying: What you need to know
Canada heads into Thursday's game in Costa Rica on the cusp of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
If all goes to plan, Canada's 36-year wait to return to the FIFA World Cup will finally end on Thursday when it plays in Costa Rica.
After going unbeaten through its first 11 games of the final round of the Concacaf qualifiers, Canada finds itself on the verge of punching its ticket for this year's tournament in Qatar. All that stands in their way is collecting three points against Los Ticos.
"Every man knows what's in front of them. They're in the front row seat. Their hands are on the steering wheel. They can do this. They can actually do more than qualify, and that's the exciting bit. That's the real motivator," coach John Herdman said.
Here’s what you need to know about Thursday's match (10:05 p.m. ET) between Canada and Costa Rica at Estadio Nacional in San Jose.
