“You can see with all of these players,” Herdman said, discussing the pitch conditions. “[Davies] had a hard time starting the dribble and the guys were putting on their shorts the entire game. It wasn’t easy, it always looks easier on TV and it was tough playing field for these guys.

Unlike on Saturday night, circumstances are favorable for the Canadians at Bridgeview, but they will not let their guard down despite the decisive away goal. They are aware of the power of Haiti on the clock, which led to this 3-2 comeback victory over Canada in the 2019 Gold Cup quarter-finals. All the more reason why defensive strength and random conversion, including this last was not on their side this weekend, are necessary to achieve the desired result on Tuesday.

Jonathan David and Cyle Larin each had the opportunity to double Canada’s lead, but were stopped by Haiti goaltender Johny Placide. But given that David also missed his first clear chance against Suriname in the first round of qualifying before finishing with a hat trick, there’s a good chance he isn’t wrong for a second game in a row.

If David and Co. showed this cruelty, it would reserve Canada’s place in the final qualifying round, simultaneously defeating the demons of 2019 while parting the dark clouds that have shrouded Canadian men’s soccer for decades. It’s only since 1997 that Canada has reached this stage of World Cup qualifying, and that’s where this generational group of players belong, with Davies and David headlining.