Canada to face Honduras in Montréal

Canada will face CONCACAF rival Honduras at home on Tuesday 7 September at Stade Saputo in Montréal, QC. The Men’s International Friendly match will kick off at 19.30 ET and will be broadcast live from coast to coast on Rogers Sportsnet (all four channels). Tickets to the match are available via Admission at ADMISSION.com / 514.790.1245.



Over this five-day period on the FIFA International schedule from 3-7 September, there are 67 international matches taking place around the world. On 4 September, Canada lost 0:2 to Peru while Honduras drew 2:2 with El Salvador.



“We had some good moments against Peru when we did dominate, but perhaps we were just missing that final pass,” said Canadian head coach Stephen Hart. “We will build on that as we play more matches.”



So far this year, coach Hart has featured 43 players, perhaps more than expected because he added matches outside the schedule of FIFA International Dates (one of which was against two-time FIFA World Cup™ champion Argentina). Canada is at the start of a new cycle working towards the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.



Canada last played Honduras in the quarter-final stage of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Canada previously played Honduras in Montréal in September 2008 as part of the FIFA World Cup™ Qualifiers. Honduras went on to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ South Africa, bowing out in the group phase.



“They are going to come and play,” said midfielder Iain Hume. “We owe them one as we let one get away from us the last time they played here (in Montréal – a 1:2 loss).”



Honduras is under the direction of a new head coach – Juan Castillo from Mexico. For this first camp, coach Castillo has called seven players from the Honduras squad that traveled to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ South Africa. Eighteen of his selections were called from eight different professional clubs in the Honduran national league.



Canada, meanwhile, has 17 players in uniform for the 7 September match. Twelve of those 17 players featured in the 4 September match against Peru while the other five hope to feature against Honduras (including Terry Dunfield who was just called after the Saturday match). Also of note, right back Paul Stalteri is hoping to make his 83rd appearance on 7 September, an appearance that would break the national record established by Randy Samuel in 1997.