Canada’s head coach, Jesse Marsch, is organizing a 10-day January camp in California for North American players in preparation for a friendly match against Guatemala. The camp is scheduled to take place from January 8 to 18 in Irvine, Calif., with the game against Guatemala set for January 17 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Given that European-based players are occupied with their domestic club commitments, the camp is specifically designed for North American players who are currently out of season. The upcoming Guatemala match will be categorized as a Tier 1 international fixture and will contribute towards FIFA men’s world rankings, as confirmed by Canada Soccer.
The Canadian team is seeking retribution against Guatemala following their elimination from the Gold Cup in June through a dramatic 6-5 penalty shootout defeat in Minneapolis. Despite the game ending in a 1-1 tie after regular time, Canada faced adversity when Jacob Shaffelburg was red-carded in stoppage time of the first half.
The history between Canada and Guatemala shows a record of 10 wins, 2 losses, and 3 draws in favor of Canada, with the recent Gold Cup encounter being a turning point leading to a loss. Notably, Canada’s previous defeats against Guatemala occurred during World Cup qualifying matches in August 2004 and October 1998.
With only two FIFA international windows available before the World Cup commences on June 11, the January camp serves as a crucial opportunity for Coach Marsch to engage with his players. Marsch emphasized the significance of the camp as a platform for North American players to unite, adapt to the team environment, and enhance their skills in preparation for the upcoming year.
The Canadian national team currently holds the 27th position in the FIFA rankings and is set to kick off their World Cup campaign on June 12 at Toronto’s BMO Field against the victor of a European playoff.