Canadian captain shoots down idea of team being Gold Cup favourites

Globe and Mail

5 hours ago

One of Canada's brightest soccer stars doesn't believe the country should be favourites heading into the Gold Cup.
Yes, Canada is a solid squad, striker Jonathan David said, but it has only won the tournament once before — and that was 25 years ago.
'I think to be favourites in a tournament, you have to be the one that maybe has won it the most times,' David told reporters on Monday.
'Of course, I know we have a strong team and we can challenge, for sure, to win it. To be favourites isn't something I would say, personally. But I know we can achieve it.'
The 30th-ranked Canadians will kick off their Gold Cup quest on Tuesday when they host No. 75 Honduras at Vancouver's BC Place.
The two sides last met during CONCACAF Nations League play in March, where Canada recorded a 4-1 victory.
That doesn't mean much, though, said Canada head coach Jesse Marsch.
'We have to make sure that in no way we take anything for granted or assume we are better than anyone. We have to fight for everything on the pitch,' Marsch said.
'That has to be the first thing in our mentality for what this is going to take. And to earn the right to play the football that we think we can play, we have to be up for the challenge, up for the fight, and make sure that we are first when it comes to duels, when it comes to foot races, when it comes to physically being in the match.'
Following Tuesday's game, the Canadians will shift to Houston to face No. 90 Curaçao on June 21 before wrapping Group B play against No. 81 El Salvador on June 24.
The winner and runner-up from each of the four groups advance to the knockout stage in the 16-team tournament.
Canada is coming off a trophy-winning performance at the inaugural Canadian Shield last week, and is confident heading into the Gold Cup.
'I think we're the best team in the tournament,' said veteran forward Cyle Larin. 'Each game, we have to take it step by step. You never know in football what could happen. The first game against Honduras will be a good test to go out there and win.'
The Canadian Shield ended with Canada falling to Ivory Coast in a penalty shootout after neither side scored in regulation.
The team can't be as passive against Honduras if they want to have 'big ambition, big goals,' David said.
'It's just not sitting back, not letting the other team set the tempo for us, that we have to be on the front foot, we have to be the aggressors,' said the striker.
Marsch has named David captain for the tournament — a move the 25-year-old didn't initially agree with.
'We got on a call and (Marsch) told me 'I'm thinking of putting you captain.' At first, it was my maybe humble answer that I think there's maybe a couple of guys ahead of me,' David explained.
'But then, we kept talking a little bit more and I was like, 'OK.' This is also a challenge for me to also put myself a little bit more out there and help the team in different ways. So I see it as a challenge. And I'm ready for it.'
For David, part of that challenge is finding his voice.
'I'm often more a chill, laid back guy that loves to play, loves to work hard on the pitch so I think people can feed off that,' he said. 'So the challenge for me is to be more vocal about saying more to the team and not be shy to speak my mind, even if it's wrong. And also to be open to have those conversations with teammates and not to be afraid.'
This year's Gold Cup is taking place at several of the venues that will host the 2026 World Cup games — including BC Place.
While the tournament is an opportunity to work toward next summer's ambitions, the Canadians are keeping their focus locked on what's directly ahead.
That focus is what has helped the team achieve success in the past, Marsch said.
'We can talk about grander visions, but right now, we're solely focused on this match against Honduras and making sure that we know what they're going to challenge us with and that we're up for understanding the match,' he said.
Canada has faced Honduras 28 times across all competitions, and Honduras holds a 12-9-7 record in those meetings.
Heading into Tuesday's game, Marsch said he's expecting to come up against an aggressive opponent who will be defensively stingy and dangerous on set pieces.
'We think that this is the most important game of the tournament,' the coach said. 'Honduras is a very good team, and we know that if we can manage the first game in the right way, that we can set ourselves up for success.'