Is the Canadian national soccer team playing in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil?
No, sadly, the Canadian men's team has not qualified for a World Cup since 1986, a tournament which saw the team lose all three games in the first round to finish at the bottom of its group.
At the moment, things don't look too hopeful for the future either. Canada hasn't won an international match since October of 2012, when the team defeated Cuba.
Many of Canada's best players actually decline to play for the squad, choosing to play for more competitive international teams, according to CBC. One example is Ontario's Jonathan de Guzman, who will play for the Dutch team in Brazil.
And so far the presence of Major Leagues soccer teams in Canada hasn't helped much. Squads in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal do train Canadian talent, but don't have particularly stringent quotas for using Canadian players, according to Yahoo! Sports. Canadian teams must have a minimum of three domestic players.
The Canadian women's team is a different story, qualifying for every World Cup except for the first in 1991. In 2015, Canada will host the tournament and, according to The Globe and Mail, is aiming to win. The team thrilled Canada with a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics (robbed!) and remains among the top teams internationally.
So, there is a ray of hope and a chance for Canadians to watch live international soccer at the highest level. Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Moncton will all host matches in the summer of 2015.
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