Canada blanks Suriname to advance in World Cup qualifying

• Canada 4 (Davies 37’; David 59’, 73’, 78’), Suriname 0
• David records his second hat trick for Canada
• 2-game playoff vs. Haiti up next for the Reds

In the buildup to Tuesday’s Concacaf World Cup qualifier, Canadian coach John Herdman played down suggestions that his team was the favourite against Suriname.

But deep down in his heart of hearts Herdman knew they were, despite his public spinning of a false narrative that Suriname would offer his team a serious test. They never did, and in the end Canada ran out comfortable 4-0 winners over Suriname on Tuesday night in Bridgeview, Ill., to move on to the second round of the Concacaf qualifiers.

Jonathan David recorded a hat trick and Alphonso Davies also scored and had a pair of assists for Canada (4-0-0) who finished with 12 points to top Group B ahead of Suriname (3-0-1, nine points). The Reds only needed a draw against Suriname to win the group and book their spot in the next round, while a loss would’ve ended their hopes of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.