Canada vs. Honduras
2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup - Group A, Matchday 3
Toyota Stadium - Frisco, Texas
Friday, July 14 – 9 pm CT
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The Canada national team enters Friday's Group A finale against Honduras knowing a draw will secure the Canucks' first Gold Cup quarterfinal berth since 2009.
Less clear may be whether difference-maker Alphonso Davies will be 100 percent.
The 16-year-old phenom departed a 1-1 draw with Costa Rica after 69 minutes with an ankle injury Tuesday, having scored Canada's goal 43 minutes earlier. And although Canada coach Octavio Zambrano said he thought the Vancouver Whitecaps player would be available Friday, he hinted it may not be in a starting role.
Davies was the tournament's first player to reach three goals, his first two providing the margin in a 4-2 win over French Guiana, and his third holding up as an equalizer as Canada earned the all-important fourth point.
Without him, Canada are still fielding one of their deeper sides in recent memory, with plenty of capable players. But there would be an element of ever-present danger missing against Los Catrachos, who have yet to find the back of the net despite the best efforts of Houston trio Romell Quioto, Alberth Elis and Boniek García.
Canada
While Davies continues to grab most of the headlines, goalkeeper Milan Borjan took his share with a 10-save performance that helped Canada earn a share of the spoils against the 2014 FIFA World Cup quarterfinalists.
Borjan earned Man of the Match honors for his efforts, though it was not the most saves made in a 2017 Gold Cup game. That honor belonged to Justo Lorente, who made 13 stops in Nicaragua's 2-0 loss to Martinique in Group B.
CANADA 23-PLAYER SQUAD
Goalkeepers (3): Maxime Crepeau (Montreal Impact / MLS), Milan Borjan (MKS Korona Kielce / POL), Jayson Leutwiler (Shrewsbury Town FC / ENG)
Defenders (6): Manjrekar James (Vasas Budapest / HUN), Steven Vitoria (Lechia Gdansk / POL), Dejan Jakovic (New York Cosmos / NASL), Samuel Adekugbe (Vancouver Whtiecaps / MLS), Adam Straith (FC Edmonton / NASL), Marcel de Jong (Vancouver Whitecaps / MLS)
Midfielders (13): Fraser Aird (unattached), Samuel Piette (CD Izarra / ESP), Russell Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps / MLS), Scott Arfield (Burnley FC / ENG), Tosaint Ricketts (Toronto FC / MLS), David Junior Hoilett (Cardiff City FC / WAL), Alphonso Davies (Vancouver Whitecaps / MLS), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC / MLS), Mark-Anthony Kaye (Louisville City FC / USL), Anthony Jackson-Hamel (Montreal Impact / MLS), Patrice Bernier (Montreal Impact / MLS), Raheem Edwards (Toronto FC), MIchael Petrasso (Queens Park Rangers / ENG)
Forwards (1): Lucas Cavallini (CA Penarol / URU)
Manager: Octavio Zambrano (Ecuador)
Honduras
Although they were subsequently awarded a 3-0 forfeit win, Honduras' 0-0 draw against French Guiana and ineligible captain Florent Malouda is the latest in a stretch of three consecutive scoreless Gold Cup matches for Los Catrachos.
But unlike Tuesday's opener when the balance of play suggested that Honduras were perhaps unlucky not to take a point from Costa Rica, this time they could've very well ended up on the losing end if not for 10 stops from Luis Lopez and another shot that struck the woodwork for French Guiana.
At least Honduras' MLSers continue to generate chances. Quioto and FC Dallas' Maynor Figueroa led their team with three shots apiece.
HONDURAS GOLD CUP 23-PLAYER SQUAD
Goalkeepers (3): Ricardo Canales (CDS Vida), Donis Escober (Olimpia), Luis Lopez (Real España)
Defenders (8): Ever Alvarado (Olimpia), Brayan Beckeles (Necaxa / MEX), Felix Crisanto (Motagua), Henry Figueroa (Motagua), Maynor Figueroa (FC Dallas / USA), Marcelo Pereira (Motagua), Carlos Sanchez (Honduras Progreso), Allans Vargas (Real España)
Midfielders (8): Bryan Acosta (Real España), Jorge Claros (Real España), Carlos Discua (Motagua), Boniek García (Houston Dynamo / USA), Ovidio Lanza (Juticalpa FC), Alex Lopez (Olimpia), Alfredo Mejia (Xanthi FC / GRE), Sergio Peña (Real Sociedad)
Forwards (4):Alberth Elis (Houston Dynamo / USA), Anthony Lozano (Tenerife / SPA), Rony Martinez (Real Sociedad), Romell Quioto (Houston Dynamo / USA)
Manager: Jorge Luis Pinto (Colombia)
