On the eve of the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final against Panama, Canada coach John Herdman sounded another warning that help is needed off the field for his team to continue to flourish on it.
Herdman noted that 58th-ranked Panama has been in camp 10 days and already played a game, beating No. 140 Nicaragua 3-2 on Saturday.
The 47th-ranked Canadian men go into Thursday’s game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas with four days of preparation.
And while Herdman spoke out in support of Canada Soccer interim general secretary Jason deVos, a former Canada captain, and the current board, he said there is more work to be done.
“Things are changing but it’s got to change quick,” Herdman told reporters. “It’s going to come down to dollars and the investment and a commitment and words turning into actions quickly. Because we’ve got a team here that has got a chance of doing something really special at a home World Cup [in 2026]. You can feel it. You can smell it. But we need that change.”
The issue of support for Canada’s national teams, from the men’s and women’s senior squads to youth sides, has been front and centre in recent months in ongoing labour talks.
The Canadian men are looking for their first trophy since lifting the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000. If they get past Panama, they will face either the 13th-ranked U.S. or No. 15 Mexico in Sunday’s final, also at Allegiant Stadium.
The Nations League winner will collect around US$1-million in prize money.
The Canadian men have played just two games since last year’s World Cup in Qatar, wrapping up Nations League group play in March by defeating No. 80 Honduras 4-1 and No. 88 Curacao 2-0.
The Nations League features 41 teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean split into three tiers: League A (12 teams), B (16) and C (13). The four group winners in League A advanced to the final four.
After the Nations League, the Canadians turn their attention to the Gold Cup. Canada opens Group D play against a yet-to-be-determined qualifier in Toronto on June 27 before heading to Houston to play No. 116 Guatemala and No. 165 Cuba.