The Canadian men’s national team get their 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup campaign underway Tuesday night, opening Group D action against Guadeloupe at BMO Field.
How to watch and stream
- English: OneSoccer (in Canada), FS1 (in United States)
- Spanish: UniMás
When
- Tuesday, June 27 - 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT
Where
- BMO Field | Toronto, Canada
Group D's presumptive favorites, Canada will also face Guatemala (July 1) and Cuba (July 4) in the early stages of the tournament ahead of the knockout rounds, building up to a July 16 final at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Les Rouges have their sights set on the title match in the hopes of lifting a first major trophy in 23 years. Their last piece of silverware came precisely at the Gold Cup, a competition they've won twice (2000, 1985).
John Herdman's side flirted with a Concacaf Nations League triumph earlier this month, only to fall 2-0 to the United States in the final.
Should Canada add a third Gold Cup trophy to their collection, they'll do so without several key players. Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, Cyle Larin, Alistair Johnston and Ismaël Koné are among the noticeable absentees who were given time off to prepare for the upcoming European season with their respective clubs.
This has opened the door for six players who didn't feature at the Nations League: CF Montréal fullback Zachary Brault-Guillard, Nashville SC winger Jacob Shaffelburg, Columbus Crew striker Jacen Russell-Rowe, Portland Timbers defender Zac McGraw, Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Ali Ahmed and Charles-Andreas Brym (FC Eindhoven).
McGraw, Ahmed and Russell-Rowe all received their first international call-up and could earn their first caps at the tournament. The same goes for Colorado Rapids center back Moïse Bombito, who was a part of the Nations League squad but has yet to make his official senior debut.
While not a member of FIFA, Guadeloupe are recognized by both the Caribbean Football Union and Concacaf, allowing them to participate in all affiliated competitions. The Gwada Boys reached the 2023 Gold Cup through the Prelims, defeating Antigua and Barbuda (5-0) and Guyana (2-0) en route to the tournament proper.
Despite their underdog status, Guadeloupe won't be pushovers either in their fifth-ever Gold Cup appearance, having reached the 2007 semifinals. That memorable run included a group stage win over Canada and a quarterfinal defeat of Honduras before losing to Mexico in the semis.
Current standout players include goalkeeper Davy Rouyard (Bordeaux), defenders Meddy Lina (the side's most-capped player with 21 appearances) and Andreaw Gravillon (Reims), as well as forwards Luther Archimede (Sacramento Republic FC) and Jordan Tell (Grenoble).
