CANADA vs. CURACAO
Tuesday, June 13, 7:30pm ET
Stade Saputo, Montreal, Quebec
TV: TSN, RDS
At long last, Octavio Zambrano will make his Canada coaching debut.
Zambrano will man the sidelines for Canada on Tuesday for the first time since being appointed head coach of Les Rouges in March. The venue for the occasion is Stade Saputo in Montreal, and the opponent will be a Curacao side that, like the Canadians, is preparing for next month's CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Canada have called in a strong squad for this final tune-up before that regional tournament, with Zambrano summoning a 23-man roster that includes 11 MLS-based players. Zambrano will be keen to get an up-close-and-personal look at his players, and they will be eager to make strong first impressions so as to establish themselves firmly in his plans.
Canada Outlook
Zambrano watched from the stands the last time Canada took to the field in a 1-1 road draw with Scotland in a friendly back in late March. While that was a respectable result, Zambrano will want to see an improved performance in his first match in full control of the North American side.
With Gold Cup matches against Costa Rica, Honduras, and French Guyana looming, Zambrano is almost certainly going to field a strong starting lineup. The proven likes of Cyle Larin and Maxime Crepeau will likely get nods, but Zambrano may also want to use the match to get a glimpse of promising youngsters like Alphonso Davies, Raheem Edwards, and Anthony Jackson-Hamel.
Curacao Outlook
Curacao are not only currently preparing for the upcoming Gold Cup but also a Caribbean Cup semifinal showdown with Martinique later this month. Curacao will be playing the first of two friendlies this week when they face Canada, and head coach Remko Bicentini's men will want to make an impact so as to cement their places in his lineup ahead of Saturday's tilt with Nicaragua.
Curacao were on the verge of picking up an upset victory the last time they played, but gave up a stoppage-time goal in a 1-1 draw with El Salvador in March. Curacao will want to correct their mistakes from that outing while trying to beat Canada, especially since the Caribbean side could use a jolt of confidence ahead of its tough Gold Cup meetings with Jamaica, El Salvador, and Mexico.
Player to watch
Canada – Cyle Larin
The Orlando City striker enters this match with just one goal in his last five MLS games, but should still be a major threat. His movement in the penalty area and size will test Curacao plenty, and that should also give Zambrano a better idea of how to use Larin in games that count.
Curacao – Leandro Bacuna
A member of English outfit Aston Villa, Bacuna has gotten off to a strong start in his international career. He made his debut for Curacao last year, and has scored four times in six appearances. He also brings a wealth of experience after playing his entire professional career in Europe for Villa and FC Groningen in his native Netherlands. Canada will need to be wary of him.
Canada roster
Goalkeepers (2): Maxime Crepeau, Montreal Impact; Milan Borjan, MKS Korona Kielce (Poland)
Defenders (7): Fraser Aird, unattached; Manjrekar James, Vasas Budapest (Hungary); Dejan Jakovic, New York Cosmos; Marcel de Jong, Vancouver Whitecaps; Juan Cordova, CD Huachipato (Chile); Andres Fresenga, Cerro Largo FC (Uruguay); Tyler Pasher, Sporting Kansas City
Midfielders (11): Kianz Froese, Fortuna Duesseldorf (Germany); Samuel Piette, CD Izarra (Spain); Russell Teibert, Vancouver Whitecaps; Will Johnson, Orlando City; David (Junior) Hoilett, Cardiff City; Alphonso Davies, Vancouver Whitecaps; Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC; Mark-Anthony Kaye, Louisville City FC; Adam Straith, FC Edmonton; Raheem Edwards, Toronto FC; Patrice Bernier, Montreal Impact.
Forwards (3): Cyle Larin, Orlando City; Marcus Haber, Dundee FC (Scotland); Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal Impact.
Curacao roster
Goalkeepers (3): Eloy Room, Vitesse (Netherlands); Jarzinho Pieter, Centro Dominguito (Curacao); Rowendy Sumter, Scherpenheuvel (Curacao)
Defenders (9): Dustley Mulder, unattached; Darryl Lachman, Willem II (Netherlands); Cuco Martina, Everton (England); Shanon Carmelia, IJsselmeervogels (Netherlands); Doriano Kortstam, Achilles '29 (Netherlands); Ayrton Statie, Oss (Netherlands); Gillian Justiana, Helmond Sport (Netherlands); Quentin Jakoba, Kozakken Boys (Netherlands); Jurien Gaari, Kozakken Boys (Netherlands)
Midfielders (7): Leandro Bacuna, Aston Villa (England); Jeremy de Nooijer, Levski Sofia (Bulgaria); Ashar Bernardus, Centro Dominguito (Curacao); Jarchinio Antonia, Go Ahead Eagles (Netherlands); Gevaro Nepomuceno, C.S. Maritimo (Portugal); Kemy Agustien, Global FC (Phillipines), Michael Maria, Erzgebirge Aue (Germany)
Forwards (4): Gino van Kessel, Slavia Praha (Czech Republic); Rangelo Janga, Trencin (Slovakia); Felitciano Zschusschen, 1. FC Saarbrücken (Germany); Elson Hooi, Vendsyssel FF (Denmark)
