Canada Announces Roster for Gold Cup

Canada’s 23-man roster for next month’s 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup was released on Tuesday with high expectations.

The Canadians finished camp with both home and away victories over Dominica in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, winning the first leg 2-0 in Dominica and the second leg 4-0 in Toronto. Now, the final roster adjustments have been made as the team shifts focus to the Gold Cup.

May 30, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando City SC forward Cyle Larin (21) at Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Canada’s attack will feature the likes of Orlando City SC rookie striker Cyle Larin and striker Marcus Haber of England’s Football League One club Crewe Alexandra FC.

Larin, the Brampton, Ont. native and first overall pick in this year’s MLS SuperDraft, made a lasting impression on the Canadian men’s side with two goals in his last two contests.

FC Dallas forward Tesho Akindele had an impressive showing for Canada in the World Cup qualifiers as well. He will also be a central part of Canada’s youthful offensive presence.

FC Dallas midfielder Kyle Bekker will join teammate Akindele for Canada. Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Russell Teibert, Montreal Impact midfielder Maxim Tissot and New York Red Bulls defender Karl Ouimette will also be playing for Canada.

Other distinguished MLS players include a trio of Toronto FC players, featuring midfielder Jonathan Osorio, defender Ashtone Morgan and goalkeeper Quillan Roberts.

Sporting Kansas City defender and notable Canadian international Marcel de Jong will also be playing for Canada, while veteran Canadian midfielder Atiba Hutchinson will not be with the team because of a sustained groin injury. Goalkeeper Milan Borjan will also miss the tournament.

Midfielder Tosaint Ricketts of Israel’s Hapoel Haifa FC had a pair of goals in Canada’s 4-0 win over Dominica at BMO Field in Toronto on June 16. He successfully reserved his spot on the national team.

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Veteran midfielder and Canadian captain Julian de Guzman of the NASL’s Ottawa Fury FC along with other seasoned notables such as forward Simeon Jackson, defender Nikolas Ledgerwood and goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld will also represent Canada.

Canada has a lot of leadership that will be invaluable as the country looks to make a strong impression in the tournament.

“The main aim in this Gold Cup for us is to get as far as possible. We want to get to the final and every game that we get in the tournament will increase our level of play,” Canada’s head coach Benito Floro told CanadaSoccer.com.

Despite some solid performances under Floro as of late, Canada will face three strong teams in the group stage that will push the developing Canadian side to the limits.

“It is true that good results always help,” said Floro. “But now we are going to play against three teams that are higher ranked than us so we need to show that we are growing and developing against those teams and show that we are doing things in the right way.”

Canada’s first match of the Gold Cup is on July 8 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California against El Salvador. The team then moves to Houston, Texas to meet Jamaica on July 11. The Canadians close out the group stage when they host Costa Rica at BMO Field in Toronto on July 14.