Canada opens 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup with 4:1 victory over Martinique

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team earned three points in their opening match of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup with a 4:1 victory over Martinique. Cyle Larin, Jonathan Osorio, Stephen Eustáquio, and Theo Corbeanu scored for Canada. With the win, Canada set a Men’s National Team record with their seventh win in a row, all in 2021 since the start of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in March.

All of Canada’s matches at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup
​will be broadcast live on OneSoccer, with Canada’s next match against Haiti on
​Thursday 15 July at 19.30 ET / 16.30 PT (18.30 local). Canada wraps up the
​group phase on Sunday 18 July against the hosts USA, with only the top-two
​teams from the group advancing to the Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinals. Fans
​will find extended coverage across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Twitter,
​Instagram, Facebook and YouTube featuring the hashtag #CANMNT.

“It’s going to be tight in this group. Everyone
​wants to win the group to control their destiny for the next round. To get a +3
​(goal differential) tonight, I’m happy about that,” said John Herdman, Men’s
​National Team Head Coach. “I’m really pleased we got that test early with the
​response straight back on task. At this stage of the tournament, we needed
​something like that.”

HIGHLIGHTS from #CANMNT 4:1 MTQ #GoldCup21 pic.twitter.com/xQPkiYGp47 — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) July 12, 2021

Canada was aggressive early with Tajon Buchanan pushing
​forward before he was taken down in an advanced position leading to an early
​dangerous free kick in the 3’. Hoilett put a great ball in that was cleared by
​Martinique.

Mark-Anthony Kaye’s back pass attempt was
​intercepted by Sebastien Cretinoir in the 10’. Cretinoir played in to Emanuelle
​Riviere whose touch eventually found the side netting despite a sliding attempt
​to clear by Kaye.

Canada equalized at 1:1 in the 16’ on a corner
​kick. Junior Hoilett put a perfectly weighted ball onto Cyle Larin’s right boot
​who buried it on the volley.

Buchanan got to the goal line in the 20’. His ball
​back into the box to Jonathan Osorio was re-directed by Osario just wide of
​Martinique keeper Gilles to give Canada the 2:1 lead.

Buchanan was at it again with another drive down
​the left side in the 27’. Into the box, he played it to Hoilett, who turned his
​back on goal and played it back to goalscorer Eustáquio. The Canadian
​midfielder Eustáquio fired his low shot to earn his first international goal
​and give Canada a 3:1 lead.

Steven Vitória had another excellent goal scoring
​opportunity when he fired a shot from outside the box that was tipped over the
​bar by the Martinique goalkeeper in the 34’.

Into the second half, Canada had two chances in the
​61’ when Buchanan hit a volley into the ground and then off a defender, which went
​out for a corner. Kaye had a second chance on the corner.

Richie Laryea showed his defensive qualities in
​transition in the 72’ sprinting back to take the ball away after Martinique
​found themselves in possession on the transition.

Second half substitute Theo Corbeanu had a free kick go just wide of the post on a free kick from just outside the 18 in the 87’. Just two minutes later, in the 89’, Corbeanu finished at the back post on a brilliant ball through from second half substitute Lucas Cavallini after picking up the back pass by Martinique to give Canada the 4:1 victory.

“We started off a bit slow, conceded an early goal but
​reacted well as a team,” said Junior Hoilett. “We have to keep the same intensity
​going into the next game, keep pushing for goals and get a clean sheet.”

Canada’s starting XI featured Maxime Crépeau in
​goal, Alistair Johnston at right back, Steven Vitória at centre back, Kamal
​Miller at left back, and Tajon Buchanan, Richie Laryea, Stephen Eustáquio,
​Mark-Anthony Kaye, Jonathan Osorio, Cyle Larin and Junior Hoilett. Head Coach
​John Herdman replaced Hoilett and Kaye with Lucas Cavallini and Samuel Piette
​(63’), Larin and Eustáquio with Theo Corbeanu and Liam
​Fraser (74’), and Miller with Doneil Henry (77’).

CANADA SOCCER’S MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAM

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team are two-time
​Concacaf champions, previously winning the 1985 Concacaf Championship and 2000
​Concacaf Gold Cup. This year marks Canada’s 15th participation at the Concacaf
​Gold Cup since 1991. Along with their first-place finish in 2000, Canada
​reached the Semifinals in 2002 and 2007. Across the past five years from 2017
​to 2021, Canada are one of only four nations that have finished top-six across
​all three Concacaf major tournaments: fifth place in Concacaf Nations League A
​and sixth place at both the 2017 and 2019 Concacaf Gold Cups.

The 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup provides Canada’s
​exciting young team with an important opportunity to build momentum and gain
​valuable experience while playing meaningful matches against some of the top
​nations in the region ahead of the Concacaf Final Round in FIFA World Cup
​Qualifiers.