Canadian midfielder de Guzman expects to walk into hell come Tuesday in Honduras

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Members of Canada\'s men\'s national soccer team gather for practice in San Pedro Sula, Honduras on Monday, Oct.15, 2012. Canada faces Honduras in a key World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Neil Davidson

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras – Canadian midfielder Julian de Guzman knows what to expect when he emerges from the metal tunnel at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in Honduras on Tuesday.

Hell.

The crumbling arena adorned with barbed wire and a moat will be filled by as many as 40,000 screaming Hondurans, who know anything less than a win will kill off their World Cup qualifying hopes.

For Canada, a tie or win means a ticket to the final round of qualifying in CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.

That makes it the Canadian men’s most important game since 1997, the last time they made the final round in the region.

The Canadians went through a steamy late-morning workout at the stadium Monday in 30-plus degree conditions.

Kickoff Tuesday is 2 p.m. local time.

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