Capacity held to 12,000 for US World Cup qualifier at Canada

The crowd for Canada's World Cup qualifier against the United States on Jan. 30 will be limited to 12,000 at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario, half of capacity.

The Canadian Soccer Association said Thursday it will cancel the tickets issued when the game sold out last month and it will hold a new sale at the reduced figure.

The sale will open Tuesday to previous ticket buyers, and a general sale would take place the following day if tickets are available.

Fans attending the match will be asked for proof of vaccination, and masks are required except while eating or drinking.

Seeking its first World Cup berth since 1986, Canada leads the eight-nation final round of the North and Central American and Caribbean region with 16 points, followed by the U.S. (15), and Mexico and Canada (14 each). The top three nations qualify for this year's tournament in Qatar, and fourth place advances to a playoff against the Oceania champion, likely New Zealand.

Canada plays at Honduras on Jan. 27 and at El Salvador on Feb. 2.

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