Canada open 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup with a point in Toronto

Canada got a point from their opening group match at the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup in Toronto after a Tuesday 2:2 draw with visiting French side Guadeloupe. The visitors held a 1-0 lead at the break, Canada took the lead with a pair of goals in the second half, then Guadeloupe equalised three minutes into added time to square things up.

“The result wasn’t what we wanted tonight, but there were a lot of positives in the performance, particularly the performances of our debutants,” said John Herdman, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Head Coach. “We showed a lot of resilience to come back after that first goal. We’ll have to regroup and get ready for our next big test in Houston against a very determined, and well-organized Guatemala.”

Canada Soccer Match Centre
https://canadasoccer.com/national-team-match-upcoming/?matchId=4443

In the Tuesday match at Toronto, Thierry Ambrose scored for Guadeloupe, Lucas Cavallini scored for Canada, and both sides conceded an own goal. In Fort Lauderdale, Darwin Low scored the match winner for Guatemala.
 
With the Tuesday draw, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team remained undefeated across 22 consecutive matches in Toronto since 2011. It also marked the first time since 1968 that they featured five debutants in a competitive “A” match (starters Ali Ahmed, Moïse Bombito and Zac McGraw along with substitutes Jacen Russell-Rowe and Dominick Zator.)

Guatemala, Canada’s next opponents on Saturday 1 July in Houston, lead Group D after their opening 1:0 win over Cuba on Tuesday night in Fort Lauderdale. All four Group D nations are also in action next Tuesday 4 July after which the top-two nations advance to the Concacaf Quarterfinals on Sunday 9 July.

Across Canada, the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup matches are broadcast live via OneSoccer, available as a linear channel on Telus’ Optik TV (Channel 980), on the fuboTV Canada platform as well as online at OneSoccer.ca, and through the OneSoccer app. Fans will find extended coverage for the matches across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube featuring the hashtag #CANMNT.

CANADA SOCCER’S MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM
Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team are Concacaf runners up after taking Silver at the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League Finals in Las Vegas. Before this year, they made their return to the men’s FIFA World Cup after finishing first in the Concacaf Final Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Canada previously won titles when they lifted the Greg Kafaty Trophy at the 1985 Concacaf Championship and the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2000.

CAN 2 : 2 GLP
2023-06-27 Toronto, Ontario
BMO Field att: 15,301
Referee / Arbitre : Rubiel Vasquez (Corey Parker, Kyle Atkins, Keylor Herrera)

Goals / Buts
GLP 23′ Thierry Ambrose (left foot / pied gauche) 0-1 (a.Jordan Leborgne)
CAN 49′ Lucas Cavallini (right foot / pied droit) 1-1 (a.Junior Hoilett)
CAN 70′ GLP own goal / but contre son camp 2-1
GLP 90’+3 CAN own goal / but contre son camp 2-2

CANADA – 18 GK Milan Borjan capt, 22 Richie Laryea (6 Dominick Zator 90′), 15 Zachary McGraw, 15 Steven Vitória, 4 Kamal Miller, 11 Liam Miller (13 Jacob Shaffelburg 65′), 20 Ali Ahmed, 14 Moïse Bombito (3 Liam Fraser 65′), 21 Jonathan Osorio, 9 Lucas Cavallini (17 Jacen Russell-Rowe 81′), 10 Junior Hoilett (19 Charles Andreas Brym 65′). Coach / entraîneur John Herdman. Unused substitutes / substituts non utilisés: 11 GK Dayne St. Clair, 16 GK Tom McGill; 2 Zachary Brault-Guillard, 7 Jayden Nelson, 8 David Wotherspoon, 12 Victor Loturi, 23 Scott Kennedy.

Gatorade Performance of the Match / Performance du match Gatorade :
Ali Ahmed