It's been an underwhelming start to the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup for the Canadian men's national team, but Les Rouges are still very much alive, with a chance to advance to the quarterfinals following their Tuesday Group D finale against Cuba at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston.
How to watch and stream
- Canada: OneSoccer
- United States: FS1
When
- Tuesday, July 4 | 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT
Where
- Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas
Coming off back-to-back draws against Guadeloupe and Guatemala to start their campaign, John Herdman's group will be heavy favorites against a Cuba side that's already been eliminated going into the match.
The Canadians will be aiming for an emphatic victory, as goal differential becomes the tiebreaker should Guadeloupe and Guatemala play to a draw in their Tuesday matchup. Assuming one of Guadeloupe and Guatemala loses, all Canada would need is a victory of any sort to ensure their advancement.
It's not the position many expected Canada to be in after entering the tournament as Group D favorites, but a pair of lackluster draws have created a must-win scenario for Les Rouges, with their Gold Cup lives hanging in the balance. Fortunately, their recent history against Cuba suggests that a lopsided result is very much attainable.
The Canadians have dominated their matchups against Cuba in recent years, a run that has included victories of 6-0 and 7-0 in 2019. Any sort of scoreline like that would all but ensure their quarterfinals ticket. But a breakout performance offensively is a must for Herdman's side to get their mojo back, following an uninspiring scoreless draw against Guatemala.
One added wrinkle is captain and goalkeeper Milan Borjan will miss the remainder of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup through injury. That could open a window for Minnesota United FC's Dayne St. Clair to start.
Cuba will be looking to play the spoiler role, as they couldn't take a point from their first two Gold Cup matches – starting with a 1-0 defeat to Guatemala that preceded a 4-1 rout at the hands of Guadeloupe. Even an upset victory over Canada wouldn't be enough to advance, as both Guatemala and Guadeloupe already have the four points necessary to ensure they'd finish ahead of Los Leones del Caribe in the standings (only the top two teams advance).
Having managed just one goal in their opening two matches (a penalty kick against Guadeloupe), the Cubans will need to generate much more in attack if they plan on delivering a shock result that would send the Canadians packing.
