Canada earns gritty 1:0 win over Uzbekistan in U-23 series
Caniggia Elva was the goalscorer just before the hour mark. Captain and goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau posted the clean sheet while Jordan Schweitzer earned man of the match honours.
“We came out with the idea to beat them and we did,” said Octavio Zambrano, Head Coach of Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Program. “We need to keep our feet on the ground and we need to play just as hard, if not harder, against the hosts Qatar.”
Canada’s next match is Tuesday 28 March against the hosts Qatar (19.00 local / 12.00 ET / 09.00 PT). Pending the availability of the required infrastructure at the venue, Canada Soccer will stream the match live to our YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/canadasoccertv). Additional in-match coverage will be provided via Canada Soccer’s digital channels including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Flickr.
Uzbekistan won their first match 3:1 over Qatar before falling in their second match to Canada.
“Our boys had the grit in the key moments to keep the victory which is encouraging and rewarding,” said Zambrano. “You can see with these young players that if they get the proper training and the right environment, they can excel and come into our Men’s National Team.”
The U-23 series provides Canada Soccer with an opportunity to develop and transition younger players on their path to the Men’s National Team. The tournament also provides coach Zambrano with his first matches in charge of the Canadian Men’s National Team Program. Coach Zambrano oversees an integrated program from the Men’s National Team through to all men’s national youth teams from the U-14 age level and up.
“There’s a very good mood in camp,” said Caniggia Elva, who was making his international debut for Canada. “We all have the quality to play and understand each other. We defended well together and we managed to gel.”
Zambrano’s first match in charge of the Men’s National Team will be 13 June in Montréal when Canada faces Curaçao as part of both nations’ preparations for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Tickets to that home international match go on sale this 29 March, with full details available at canadasoccer.com/tickets.
Canada Soccer’s Men’s EXCEL Program channels our nation’s exceptional players into the best soccer environments. The Canada Soccer Pathway works in collaboration with our provincial and territorial partners as well as the professional clubs and academies. For Canada’s elite players, the program emphasizes player development on the pathway to representing Canada’s Men’s National Team in international soccer.
CANADA IN MONTRÉAL
Already on the calendar for the next international window, Canada’s upcoming home match is Tuesday 13 June at Stade Saputo in Montréal. The match will feature Canada against Curaçao, two nations preparing for this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Tickets for the Canada v Curaçao match will go on sale on Wednesday 29 March at 10.00 local time via canadasoccer.com (10.00 ET / 07.00 PT). The launch of ticket sales will be preceded by a pre-sale for Canada Soccer Insiders, and past purchasers of Canadian National Team matches. Fans interested in receiving access to the presale offer for these matches are encouraged to subscribe to the #CanadaRED newsletter via canadasoccer.com. Tickets start at just $20 and have been priced to ensure that the match is accessible for all members of the Canadian soccer community. Groups of 10 or more are eligible to receive up to 30% off regularly priced tickets. For complete ticket information visit canadasoccer.com/tickets.
Brad Fougere
Corporate Communications | Gestionnaire, Communications corporatives
bfougere@canadasoccer.com
m. +1 613.299.1587
Richard Scott
Men’s National Teams Program | Programme de l’équipe nationale masculine
rscott@canadasoccer.com
m. +1 613.818.0305
Carrie Croft
Women’s National Teams Program | Programme de l’équipe nationale féminine
ccroft@canadasoccer.com
m. +1 613.406.4986