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Men's National Team July 10, 2017

Group leaders Canada, Costa Rica battle in Tuesday CONCACAF Gold Cup clash

The Canada-Costa Rica 11 July match kicks off at 18.30 local, with a live broadcast on TSN 1, 3, 4 and 5 and RDS

Canada is looking to build on their momentum when they face Costa Rica in their second match of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup in Houston, TX, USA. The two sides are first and second in Group A after the opening match, with Canada atop the group by virtue of their 4:2 victory over French Guiana and Costa Rica second with their 1:0 win over Honduras.

The Canada-Costa Rica 11 July match kicks off at 18.30 local, with a live broadcast on TSN 1, 3, 4 and 5 and RDS (19.30 ET / 16.30 PT). Fans are encouraged to follow the Men’s National Team across all of Canada Soccer’s digital channels including Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and Facebook.

“We have a tough test against Costa Rica, but we welcome it very much,” said Octavio Zambrano, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Head Coach. “We feel empowered from our first match and from all that we have done in camp before that.

The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the official national team championship of the confederation. Drawing large crowds and millions of television viewers from across the region, the CONCACAF Gold Cup is a celebration of soccer, sportsmanship, and culture. Following the Costa Rica match, Canada will face Honduras on 14 July in Frisco just outside Dallas.

Canada are undefeated in 2017 with three wins and one draw, including the recent 4:2 win over French Guiana. In 21 international matches since the last CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2015, Canada’s overall record is 10 wins, five draws, and six losses.

In their most recent victory, three Canadians scored their first international goals: Dejan Jakovic, Scott Arfield, and Alphonso Davies. Of note, Davies became the youngest goal scorer for the Men’s National Team and the youngest goal scorer in the history of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

There is plenty of history between Canada and Costa Rica at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. In seven previous encounters, Canada holds the slight edge with two wins, four draws, and one loss. The two sides have been even in their last two CONCACAF Gold Cup matches: a 2:2 draw in 2009 and a 0:0 draw in 2015 at BMO Field in Toronto.

“After the first match against French Guiana we gained lots of confidence,” said Samuel Piette. “The mood is very good with the team and we are looking forward to the Tuesday match against Costa Rica.”

From 12 nations, eight will advance beyond the group phase to the quarter-finals. That means the top two nations from each group advance as well as two of three third-place teams. The 12 competing nations are: Canada, Costa Rica, French Guiana, and Honduras in Group A; Martinique, Nicaragua, Panama, and USA in Group B; and Curaçao, El Salvador, Jamaica, and Mexico in Group C.

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.