Canada stays atop Group A with impressive 1:1 draw ‎with Costa Rica at CONCACAF Gold Cup

Canada remain undefeated in first place following a CONCACAF Gold Cup 1:1 draw against Group A rivals Costa Rica. Alphonso Davies scored his third goal of the tournament while Milan Borjan put forth a man of the match performance to keep Canada undefeated through five international matches in 2017.

MATCH CENTRE & PHOTOS : CANADA v COSTA RICA

“The point puts us in a good position and we are still in first place in our group,” said Octavio Zambrano, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Head Coach. “We came to this tournament with a goal of reaching the next round. We have managed to stay focused and the group has performed well.”

Canada have three wins and two draws in five international matches this year, including both a 4:2 win over French Guiana and 1:1 draw with Costa Rica at the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Davies has three goals in two matches, while Scott Arfield has a goal and two assists from the two matches. In the 1:1 draw with Costa Rica, goalkeeper Milan Borjan made 13 saves.

“I think the team played very good,” said Borjan. “We were together as a team, we showed that the first game and now this game. This is a very big thing for Canada. We need to continue like this and fight every game like this and we’re going to bring Canada good results. “

“I think the young players played well and you can see the potential for more,” said Zambrano. “We know the ceiling is quite high. We need to keep developing these young players.”

GOALS
The opening goal was scored in the 26th minute. Michael Petrasso beat his opponent to the inside from the right flank, touched it ahead to Scott Arfield who found Alphonso Davies far post. The 16-year old Davies then snuck in behind his defender and smashed the ball home with a left-footed strike.

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.

CANADA IN TORONTO ON 2 SEPTEMBER
Following the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team will return to Toronto to face CONCACAF rivals Jamaica on Saturday 2 September. Tickets to the Men’s International Friendly match start as low as $20 (plus applicable fees) and can be purchased online via Ticketmaster.ca, by phone at 1.855.985.5000, or in person at the BMO Field Box Office. As the match takes place during the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), all match tickets include free admission to the CNE grounds on match day. The 2 September match kicks off at 19.00 ET with complete ticket details at migmultidev-canada-soccer.pantheonsite.io/tickets.