There have only been three previous matches between Cymru and Canada as the two nations prepare to meet again at the Swansea.com Stadium in an international challenge match on Tuesday, 9 September.
Cymru have the overall advantage over their opponents having won two of the three previous meetings although it was Canada that claimed the win when they first came together in Toronto back in May 1986. Ahead of the fourth meeting between these two countries, here’s a look back at those three games and how Cymru have played at three different venues in the city of Swansea during the last 130 years.
Previous meetings – Cymru v Canada
The first two matches between Cymru and Canada were arranged as part of Canada’s preparation for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Qualifying for the finals for their first time in their history, Mike England’s Cymru squad were invited to play two friendlies in Toronto and Vancouver a month before the tournament in Mexico began.
The first match would have historical significance for the game in Canada as a goal from Igor Vrablic and an own goal from Joey Jones in the opening half sealed a 2-0 victory for the home side. It was the first time that Canada had defeated a European nation in a senior international, and that stat would remain in place until they claimed a 1-0 win away to the Faroe Islands in April 1989.
The second match took place nine days later on 19 May 1986 in Vancouver. Andy Dibble replaced Tony Norman as the Cymru goalkeeper while Malcolm Allen dropped to the bench in place of Steve Lovell. Dean Saunders scored twice for Cymru before Allen completed the scoring in the final 10 minutes following his introduction with just over 9,000 fans in attendance. Canada would head to Mexico the following month but were eliminated at the group stage after three defeats.
The last meeting between Cymru and Canada was watched by almost 11,000 fans in Wrexham as Paul Parry scored his one and only senior international goal to earn his side a 1-0 victory. Parry had played for the Cymru Semi-Pro Team the year before and would then earn 12 senior caps between 2004 and 2008. Current head coach Craig Bellamy also started the match for Mark Hughes’ side.
Cymru x Swansea firsts
The Cymru Men’s National Team have played at three different grounds in Swansea dating back to 1894. The first match was a significant landmark for the Football Association of Wales as the national team would play in South Wales for the very first time, despite this being the 46th international. As the Vetch Field would not be constructed until 1912, the match took place at St. Helen’s.
The decision to play in South Wales for the first time reportedly attracted just under 10,000 supporters and it was Cymru that won their first match for four years as Ireland were defeated 4-1. Billy Lewis and Edwin James scored two goals each in the comfortable victory with Olphert Martin Stanfield scoring for the visitors. It was reported in the South Wales Daily News that record gate receipts of £147 had been collected, with a deduction of just £10 for the hire of the ground.
Cymru would return to Swansea to once again take on Ireland on 9 April 1921, but this time at the Vetch Field, the home of Swansea Town. Cymru would again claim the victory as Stanley Davies and William Hole scored the goals in 2-1 win. Fred Keenor, who would go on to captain Cardiff City to FA Cup glory in 1927, was also named in the Cymru team. The Irish goal was scored by Jimmy Chambers.
The Vetch Field was used sporadically for Cymru internationals until the early 1980’s when the stadium improvements that matched Swansea City’s rise through the Football League made it a more suitable venue. However, Ninian Park and the Racecourse would host the majority of Cymru fixtures. In fact, when Cymru played their first international at what is now called the Swansea.com Stadium in August 2005, it marked the end of a 17-year exodus of playing in the city.
These were still relatively early days for John Toshack as his Cymru side faced Slovenia in an international friendly on the back of two World Cup qualifying defeats against Austria. John Hartson, born and raised in Swansea, captained his country for the first time in the 0-0 draw and saw his header cleared off the line to deny him the perfect return home. Craig Davies, Richard Duffy and Gavin Williams all made their senior Cymru debuts in that match.
The last Cymru match in Swansea also finished goalless as the United States were held to a 0-0 draw in November 2020 in a friendly international (above) played behind closed doors due to the pandemic. “It was always going to be a tough game,” explained Rob Page after the match. “We had to defend in numbers and we had to be disciplined in our defensive performance. On the ball, there’s areas where we need to improve. I thought we were slightly better in the second half.”
