Coach Zambrano confirms squad for home friendly in Montréal

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team have announced their 23-player roster for the 2017 Men’s International Friendly match on 13 June at Stade Saputo in Montréal. Head Coach Octavio Zambrano picked his squad from an extended 28-man roster that trained this week in Laval.

Canada will face Curaçao on 13 June at Stade Saputo, with tickets available via migmultidev-canada-soccer.pantheonsite.io. The match will be broadcast live on TSN and RDS, the official broadcaster for Canada Soccer’s National Teams.

“The new guys have adapted well while the veterans can see a path that, if we stay on it, we can get some results,” said Octavio Zambrano, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Head Coach. “You can start to see what the young guys can bring to the National Team, but you can also see why the experienced players are still part of the team. It is a good combination and a well balanced team.”

Included in the squad are players from four different Canadian teams, including Montréal players Patrice Bernier (from Brossard, QC), Maxime Crépeau (Candiac, QC) and Anthony Jackson-Hamel (Québec, QC). Samuel Piette (Le Gardeur, QC) of CD Izarra in Spain is also included in the squad.

“It is sure to be a wonderful event,” said striker Anthony Jackson-Hamel, who scored in his first international start earlier this year in Bermuda. “With the match in Montréal at Stade Saputo, some of us will have family and friends which is super. It will be important that we get a good result, not just for them, but for us, too.”

Bernier is the most experienced player in the squad with 53 international appearances, while Marcel de Jong of Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Will Johnson of Orlando City SC, Adam Straith of FC Edmonton, Dejan Jaković of New York Cosmos, and goalkeeper Milan Borjan of MKS Korona Kielce add to the experience.

Alongside that experience, the youngest player in the squad is 16-year old Alphonso Davies who is taking part in his first Men’s National Team camp. Davies, who has been part of Canada Soccer’s Men’s EXCEL Program since 2014, became a Canadian citizen earlier this week before flying across the country for his first call up with the National Team.

While Davies is the lone teenager, he is one of 12 players aged 23 or younger. He is also one of six players who hopes to make his international debut alongside Juan Córdova, Raheem Edwards, Andrés Fresenga, Mark-Anthony Kaye, and Tyler Pasher.

SUMMER OF SOCCER IN CANADA
This summer, Canada Soccer’s National Teams will play in Winnipeg, Toronto and Montréal from 8-13 June. The Women’s National Team face Costa Rica in back-to-back match on 8 and 11 June in Winnipeg and Toronto before the Men’s National Team, in their send-off match before the CONCACAF Gold Cup, face Curaçao on 13 June at Stade Saputo. For complete ticket and event information, fans can visit migmultidev-canada-soccer.pantheonsite.io/tickets.

CONCACAF GOLD CUP
Taking place every two years, the CONCACAF Gold Cup is the official national team championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Drawing large crowds and millions of television viewers from across the region, the Gold Cup is a celebration of soccer, sportsmanship, and culture.

Canada are two-time CONCACAF champions, having won the CONCACAF Championship in 1985 and the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2000. Since the first edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1991, Canada’s best finishes are first place in 2000 and semi-final finishes in 2002 and 2007. All time, Canada have posted a record of 15 wins, 11 draws, and 15 losses in 41 matches.

In 22 international matches since the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup‎, Canada’s record is eight wins, five draws, and six losses, including most recently a 1:1 draw with Scotland on 22 March 2017.

CANADA
1- GK- Maxime Crépeau | CAN / Impact Montréal FC
2- FB- Fraser Aird | Unattached
3- CB- Manjrekar James | HUN / Vasas Budapest
4- CB- Dejan Jaković | USA / New York Cosmos
5- M- Kianz Froese | GER / Fortuna Düsseldorf
6- M- Samuel Piette | ESP / CD Izarra
7- M- Russell Teibert | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
8- M- Will Johnson | USA / Orlando City SC
9- F- Cyle Larin | USA / Orlando City SC
10- M- David Junior Hoilett | WAL / Cardiff City FC
11- F- Marcus Haber | SCO / Dundee FC
12- M- Alphonso Davies | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
13- M- Jonathan Osorio | CAN / Toronto FC
14- M- Mark-Anthony Kaye | USA / Louisville City FC
15- M- Adam Straith | CAN / FC Edmonton
16- M/F- Anthony Jackson-Hamel | CAN / Impact Montréal FC
17- FB- Marcel de Jong | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
18- GK- Milan Borjan | POL / MKS Korona Kielce
19- M- Raheem Edwards | CAN / Toronto FC
20- M- Patrice Bernier | CAN / Impact Montréal FC
21- FB- Juan Córdova | CHI / CD Huachipato
23- FB- Andrés Fresenga | URU / Cerro Largo FC
24- FB- Tyler Pasher | USA / Sporting Kansas City

CANADA A-Z
Name | Birthyear | Age | City in which he was raised | First club/active start
Aird, Fraser | 1995 | 22 | Scarborough, ON, CAN | North Scarborough SC
Bernier, Patrice | 1979 | 37 | Brossard, QC, CAN
Borjan, Milan | 1987 | 29 | Hamilton, ON, CAN | Radnicki JP
Córdova, Juan | 1995 | 21 | Los Anges, CHI | San Esteban Association
Crépeau, Maxime | 1994 | 23 | Candiac, QC, CAN | Ligue de soccer pour enfants de Candiac
Davies, Alphonso | 2000 | 16 | Edmonton, AB, CAN | Edmonton Strikers
de Jong, Marcel | 1986 | 30 | Valkenswaard, NED | De Valk
Edwards, Raheem | 1995 | 21 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Erin Mills SC
Fresenga, Andrés | 1992 | 24 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Toronto Argentina
Froese, Kianz | 1996 | 21 | La Habana, CUB & Winnipeg, MB, CAN | Garden City Community
Haber, Marcus | 1989 | 28 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | Dunbar SA
Hoilett, David Junior | 1990 | 27 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Mississauga SC
Jackson-Hamel, Anthony | 1993 | 23 | Québec, QC, CAN | Impact Junior ARS Québec
Jaković, Dejan | 1985 | 31 | Etobicoke, ON, CAN | Kingsview
James, Manjrekar | 1993 | 23 | North York, ON, CAN | North York Azzuri
Johnson, Will | 1987 | 30 | Toronto, ON, CAN & Chicago, IL, USA |
Kaye, Mark-Anthony | 1994 | 22 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Wexford SC
Larin, Cyle | 1995 | 22 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton YSC
Osorio, Jonathan | 1992 | 25 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Toronto Futsal League
Pasher, Tyler | 1994 | 23 | Elmira, ON, CAN | Woolwich Soccer Association
Piette, Samuel | 1994 | 22 | Le Gardeur, QC, CAN | Lionceaux de le Gardeur
Straith, Adam | 1990 | 26 | Victoria, BC, CAN | Bays United SC
Teibert, Russell | 1992 | 24 | Niagara Falls, ON, CAN | Niagara Falls SC