Belize v Canada: Floro calls for clinical finishing

Benito Floro has warned his Canada side that they must be more clinical if they are to qualify for the World Cup ahead of their CONCACAF qualifying third-round second leg against Belize on Tuesday.

Tosaint Ricketts scored twice and Atiba Hutchinson added a late third goal as Canada beat underdogs Belize 3-0 in Toronto on Friday.

Canada will be expected to finish off the job in Belmopan and join Mexico, Honduras and the winner of the El Salvador against Curacao in a robin-round group phase for round four. 

But head coach Floro stressed that Canada can ill afford to squander so many chances against stronger sides in their quest to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 

“It is the first time in my professional career my team has not faced any shots on target, it means my team played a very good game,” Floro said after the first-leg victory.

“My team played perfectly, controlling the game and created a lot of attacking moves. But we should have won by more goals; we should have scored eight goals. It was not because of the Belize defence that we did not score more goals.

“If we get through then I think it is a good group. Mexico is a step above, but the other three teams we have the same possibilities.” 

Canada midfielder Nik Ledgerwood echoed Floro’s sentiments following a one-sided encounter at BMO Field.

“I think we should have punished them a lot worse and I think it would have made the job in Belize a lot easier. But I’m just happy we got the third goal. It means a lot.” he said.

“The finishing needs to be better going through the next stages of qualifying and that’s what we need to work on.”

Canada have conceded just one goal in their last eight matches, so it is difficult to envisage the minnows of Belize producing a second-leg fightback.