Canada coach John Herdman reacts during the World Cup group F soccer match between Canada and Morocco at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Natacha Pisarenko
Canada has been drawn in Group D with Cuba, Guatemala and a qualifier for this summer’s Gold Cup.
It should be a safe landing spot for the 47th-ranked Canadian men given Guatemala is ranked No. 116 and Cuba is No. 165.
The 17th edition of the Gold Cup is scheduled for June 24 through July 16, with 15 stadiums in 14 cities including Toronto. It will be preceded by a 12-team qualifying competition June 16-20 that will fill the final three berths in the 16-country tournament.
Friday’s draw was held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., which will host the final.
Canada was one of four seeded teams in the draw, meaning it was kept away from the 13th-ranked U.S., No. 15 Mexico and No. 39 Costa Rica.
The U.S. is in Group A along with Jamaica, Nicaragua and a qualifier. Group B consists of Mexico, Haiti, Honduras and invitational side Qatar while Group C is made up of Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador and a qualifier.
Toronto’s BMO Field has been named one of 15 host stadiums for the tournament, with the other 14 all south of the border.
The Gold Cup is the flagship men’s competition in CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Mexico has won the Gold Cup eight times, compared to seven for the defending champion U.S.
Canada won in 2000, defeating Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago in the knockout rounds before dispatching Colombia 2-0 in the final at Los Angeles’ Memorial Coliseum.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2023
