Canada looks for second win at Qatar U-23 series

Canada Soccer – Fresh from a 1:0 win over Uzbekistan, the Men’s National U-23 Team will face host Qatar in their second match at a U-23 series in Doha on 28 March 2017. Octavio Zambrano, newly-appointed Head Coach of the Men’s National Team Program, will look to build on the team’s success and confidence throughout this eight-day camp in Asia.
 
The Qatar-Canada match kicks off at 19.00 local on Tuesday night (12.00 ET / 09.00 PT). With the series moving to Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Canada Soccer will again work to stream the match live to our YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/canadasoccertv) pending the availability of the required infrastructure. Additional in-match coverage will be provided via Canada Soccer’s digital channels including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Flickr.
 
“Our attitude has to be that of a winner,” said Zambrano. “When we step on the field, our players have to go all out to win. We came to get two victories with very little to lose and a lot to gain.”
 
Qatar lost the first match 1:3 to Uzbekistan, so they will be looking for a rebound performance in front of their home fans. Canada won the second match 1:0 over Uzbekistan, with Caniggia Elva the goalscorer.
 
“They are going to come out hard against us, so we need to be ready, but like I said we have come here to win,” said Zambrano.
 
All three squads feature players born 1994 or later. Canada’s U-23 squad features a mix of players with national youth international experience alongside five program debutants. The tournament provides Canada Soccer with an opportunity to develop and transition younger players on their path to the Men’s National Team.
 
“We can see that there are certainly some players here that are Men’s National Team caliber players, so hopefully they continue to evolve both individually and collectively,” said Zambrano. “These are players with a lot of football ahead of them.”
 
The U-23 series provides coach Zambrano with his first matches in charge of the Canadian Men’s National Team Program. He will oversee 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.
 
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.