Canada at top of CONCACAF World Cup group after beating Mexico 2-1

EDMONTON –

A record-tying night from Cyle Larin not only propelled Canada to a 2-1 win over Mexico on Tuesday at Commonwealth Stadium, but put the Canadians at the top of their CONCACAF World Cup group.

That’s right. As the eight remaining teams in CONCACAF each completed the eighth of their 14-game schedules in the Octagon, Canada (4-0-4), a country that hasn’t been to a World Cup since 1986, is tops. A point up on the Americans. Two points up on the Mexicans and Panamanians. The top three qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while the fourth-place team gets a final shot to qualify via an intercontinental playoff.

Larin’s two-goal performance gave him a total of 22 for the national side, tying Dwayne De Rosario as the top Canadian men’s goal-scorer in history.

Just before the end of the first half, a skipping shot from Canadian defender Alistair Johnston could only be parried by Mexican keeper Guillermo Ochoa. The ball fell right into the path of Larin, who made no mistake.

Johnston’s shot looked to accelerate after it took a wicked hop on the artificial turf, an effect of a slick, cold ball on a hardened playing surface. According to Environment Canada, the game time temperature was at — 9 C, with a wind chill of — 14 C. If there was a moment that justified Canada Soccer’s decision to stage this game in Edmonton on a November night, that was it.

Larin struck again seven minutes into the second half, as he side-footed home an inch-perfect cross from Stephen Eustaquio, leaving Ochoa flailing on the goal line.