The Canadian men's national team has announced its provisional roster for next month's CONCACAF Gold Cup, and the list includes the likes of Burnley midfield Scott Arfield and Peñarol striker Lucas Cavallini.
Each participating nation was required to submit a 40-man list last week ahead of the regional championship, with all countries paring down their squads to 23 players for the U.S.-hosted tournament. Only players included on the provisional lists will be eligible to play in the Gold Cup.
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Among the newcomers who could earn their first caps in an official tournament are 16-year-old Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Alphonso Davies, fullbacks Juan Cordova and Tyler Pasher, and Toronto FC wingback Raheem Edwards. Arfield and Cavallini could make their return to the side, with Arfield set to miss next week's Curacao friendly for his wedding and Cavallini having been absent from the Canadian program since 2015.
“There is a motivation that Canadian players must have - the pride and the passion - in wearing the Canadian shirt,” Canada head coach Octavio Zambrano said in a release. “It is not a shirt that can be given to just anyone, it is something that players need to earn and, once they put it on, they need to feel something different.”
Zambrano will name his final roster later this month, with a pre-tournament camp set to open in Ottawa on June 28.
Provisional Gold Cup roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Milan Borjan (MKS Korona Kielce), Maxime Crépeau (Montreal Impact), Jayson Leutwiler (Shrewsbury Town), Simon Thomas (FK Bodø/Glimt)
DEFENDERS: Samuel Adekugbe (Brighton Hove & Albion), Juan Córdova (CD Huachipato), Marcel de Jong (Vancouver Whitecaps), Andrés Fresenga (Cerro Largo), Dejan Jaković (New York Cosmos), Manjrekar James (Vasas Budapest), Milovan Kapor (unattached), Nik Ledgerwood (FC Edmonton), Wandrille Lefèvre (Montreal Impact), Tyler Pasher (Sporting Kansas City), Adam Straith (FC Edmonton), Steven Vitória (Lechia Gdańsk)
MIDFIELDERS: Fraser Aird (unattached), Tesho Akindele (FC Dallas), Scott Arfield (Burnley), Kwame Awuah (New York City FC), Patrice Bernier (Montreal Impact), Marco Bustos (Vancouver Whitecaps), David Choinière (Montreal Impact), Alphonso Davies (Vancouver Whitecaps), Raheem Edwards (Toronto FC), Kianz Froese (Fortuna Düsseldorf), Nicolas Galvis (unattached), David Junior Hoilett (Cardiff City), Will Johnson (Orlando City), Mark-Anthony Kaye (Louisville City), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Michael Petrasso (Queens Park Rangers), Samuel Piette (CD Izarra), Russell Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps)
FORWARDS: Lucas Cavallini (CA Peñarol), Marcus Haber (Dundee FC), Anthony Jackson-Hamel (Montreal Impact), Simeon Jackson (Walsall), Cyle Larin (Orlando City), Tosaint Ricketts (Toronto FC)