Tens of thousands of fans will pack into Commonwealth Stadium on Monday to watch Team Canada duke it out against Uzbekistan in a friendly soccer game.
The game, part of the Canadian men’s national team’s “Send-Off Series,” comes before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is set to see the first-ever men’s tournament matches played on Canadian soil in Vancouver and Toronto.
Despite Environment Canada forecasting 10 to 20 millimeters of rain to fall on Monday, national team coach Jesse Marsch said the team is ready to play — and pivot — even if “the pitch is a little bit soggy.”
“We’ll be ready to adjust to the elements,” Marsch told reporters at a news conference on Sunday. “We’re excited to be here in Edmonton. We know there’ll be a big crowd.”
This isn’t the first time the Canadian men would have to play in inclement weather.
Just over four years ago, the team qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Commonwealth Stadium after winning against Mexico, while in the snow, allowing fans to dub the game, “Iceteca.”
Marsch said those memories are a big reason the team is back in Edmonton.
“Our captain, our best player’s from here. … So I ask that everybody just comes out and loves this team,” he said.
“We’re ready to put on a performance.”
Monday’s exhibition game is a chance for the Canadian team to find its groove, even without the help of hometown hero and captain Alphonso Davies, Marsch said.
Davies will be missing from the pitch because of a hamstring injury.
“At a moment like this — even if they’re only playing 45 minutes and it’s friendly — that each guy has to be at his maximum and be ready,” he said. “Those are the best things to do to set us up for success.”
Davies, who is on the team’s roster for the World Cup tournament, is not yet ready to suit up for Monday and will instead be present to cheer on the team, Marsch said, noting the superstar captain is a “difference-maker” for the team.
“The minute he walks in the room, everyone’s gonna be psyched to see him,” Marsch said. “He brings energy. He’s excited to always be here and he’s part of us, man. He’s a big part of us.”
Fans welcome Uzbek team at airport
The Uzbekistan national team received a warm welcome from Edmonton’s Central Asian community after flying into the city on Saturday.
Sasha Raimova, the president of the Uzbek Canadian Association, said she is excited for the World Cup, which boasts Uzbekistan’s first-ever tournament appearance.
“We are all so excited,” she said, noting this is the first time the team is playing a soccer match in Canada.
Abbosbek Fayzullaev, who was among the Uzbekistani players who landed in Canada, said he’s eager to get on the pitch against Canada.
“It will be very good preparation for us and we are very pleased our fans come to the airport to see us,” he said.
“It’s giving good vibes for us.”
The Uzbekistan national soccer team is in Edmonton ahead of their friendly match against Canada on Monday at Commonwealth Stadium. The match is part of Canada’s final preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Amal Mohamud was on hand for a special welcome from the local community.
Games comes after city loses World Cup host bid
Edmonton put up a bid to host the 2026 World Cup, but eventually lost to Toronto and Vancouver.
In a news release on Friday, Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack said hosting the friendly match shows “Edmonton’s ability to deliver major sporting events.”
The game will create “an incredible experience for fans,” both from Edmonton and elsewhere, Knack said.
Ticket costs for the World Cup games have been steep, but some members of Edmonton’s soccer community say the friendly game is giving them a taste of World Cup festivities, at a fraction of the cost.
Radio Active5:03Local soccer fans are getting hyped for the big soccer game
Tens of thousands of eager soccer fans will pack into Commonwealth Stadium on Monday for the friendly game between Team Canada and Team Uzbekistan. That includes three members of the Knettig family.
“It wasn’t cheap, but it’s a lot cheaper than flying to Toronto or Vancouver and going to a game there,” said Johanna Knettig, an Edmontonian who bought tickets to Monday’s game.
“Travelling to go see a World Cup game is something that’s pretty lucrative. We’re super fortunate that Team Canada is coming here right before the World Cup,” she said.
As of Wednesday, thousands of face-value tickets starting at over $1,000 are still available for matches in Toronto, including for those where Canada plays. The most expensive available ticket for the friendly in Edmonton, as of Sunday, is just over $190.
Tim Kasper, the manager of event attraction with Explore Edmonton, told CBC News that he anticipated Monday’s game to be one of the most well-attended soccer matches in Commonwealth Stadium’s history, with more than 50,000 people expected to attend.
Commonwealth Stadium has been the site of previous FIFA events, including the 2015 Women’s World Cup, the 2014 Under-20 Women’s World Cup and the 2007 Under-20 World Cup. It also served as the location for a friendly World Cup warm-up match in 1994 where Canada and eventual FIFA champions Brazil went 1-1.
Explore Edmonton estimated the friendly game will drive upward of $20 million into the local economy.
Excitement is brewing across Edmonton as Commonwealth Stadium prepares to host Canada’s Men’s National Team with less than three weeks until the FIFA World Cup. As Ilka Sweeting-Rodgers reports, it’s first time Canada’s men have played in the city since the famous ‘Iceteca’ game in 2021.
Playing a game in Edmonton was a deliberate choice to ensure more people get to be involved in the upcoming soccer festivities, Marsch said.
“I’ve been calling [the team] the people’s team,” Marsch said. “To do that, I think we really need to be in every market that we can possibly be in.”
After Monday’s game, Team Canada will make a stop in Montreal for a friendly game against the Republic of Ireland, before starting its World Cup run on June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Source link
