First place in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying is on the line Sunday when the United States Men’s National Team visits Canada. Canada leads the group with 19 points after beating Honduras on Thursday, while the U.S. is sitting on 18 points after a win over El Salvador. The two teams played to a draw when they met earlier in the Octagonal.
Canada vs USA Stats
Looking vs Canada Stats
The Canadians are quickly closing in on their first World Cup appearance since 1986. John Herdman’s team continues to sit atop the Octagonal after an impressive 2-0 road win against Honduras on Thursday. They remain the only team of the eight left in qualifying without a loss during the Octagonal.
Much like the US, Canada’s defense has been a driving force in the team’s success. In nine qualifying matches during the Octagonal, Canada has allowed just five goals. Also, goalkeeper Milan Borjan made several impressive stays to keep a clean sheet against Honduras on Thursday.
Attacking-wise, Canada has also scored the most goals during the Octagonal, finding the back of the net 18 times in nine matches. Cyle Larin and Jonathan Davis have both excelled throughout qualifying, while Tajon Buchanan is one of the most exciting young players in CONCACAF. However, Canada won’t have the services of Alphonso Davies, who hurt the U.S. in the first meeting between these teams.
Looking at USA Stats
Things could not be going much better for the Americans right now. They suffered just two losses in 22 matches in 2021 and opened the 2022 calendar with a 1-0 win over El Salvador on Thursday. They now have a chance to jump into first place in the Octagonal standings with a win on Sunday, which would put them on the verge of World Cup qualification.
That being said, the U.S. team wasn’t overly convincing during Thursday’s win against what should have been an overmatched El Salvador team. Star players like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie were largely quiet in the match. The Americans also continued their struggles scoring goals in the first half, which has been a trend throughout qualifying.
On the bright side, the American defense continues to be solid. The U.S. has allowed just five goals over its nine qualifying matches. Gregg Berhalter’s defense has also kept three clean sheets in its last four matches overall, including a 2-0 win over Mexico in November.
Canada vs USA Betting Trends
- Both the U.S. and Canada have allowed five goals in nine qualifying matches.
- Only two of the 13 goals the U.S. has scored during qualifying have come in the first half of matches.
- Canada has won four straight games and is unbeaten in nine qualifying matches.
- Canada has outscored teams 9-2 during its four-game winning streak.
Who to Bet Canada vs USA
The betting odds are tight for this game, with most sportsbooks listing the U.S. as a slight favorite at +155 and Canada at +180. There is also a moneyline of +210 for a draw. Both teams have excelled throughout qualifying and have been outstanding lately.
On paper, there isn’t much to separate these teams, so all three betting options are viable, although the most value is in this match ending in a draw.
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