Louisville City FC’s Mark-Anthony Kaye will enjoy an extended stay in his first call up to Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team, as coach Octavio Zambrano on Friday named the midfielder to his 23-player roster for an upcoming international friendly.
The Toronto native will be available for selection Tuesday when Canada hosts Curaçao in Montreal. The teams will kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Kaye is one of six players selected by Zambrano hoping to make his senior team debut in a game that will also help determine Canada’s squad for this year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
“The new guys have adapted well while the veterans can see a path that, if we stay on it, we can get some results,” Zambrano said. “You can start to see what the young guys can bring to the National Team, but you can also see why the experienced players are still part of the team. It is a good combination and a well balanced team.”
An appearance would mark a first for LouCity. Goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh earned a call to train with his father’s home nation, Trinidad and Tobago, last fall for a pair of World Cup qualifiers. Ranjitsingh made the bench but did not play.
Kaye’s news follows a successful late March trip to Qatar with Canada’s U-23 team. He went the full 90 minutes in a pair of wins and earned Man of the Match honors in his second game.
CONCACAF GOLD CUP
Taking place every two years, the CONCACAF Gold Cup is the official national team championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Drawing large crowds and millions of television viewers from across the region, the Gold Cup is a celebration of soccer, sportsmanship, and culture.
Canada are two-time CONCACAF champions, having won the CONCACAF Championship in 1985 and the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2000. Since the first edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1991, Canada’s best finishes are first place in 2000 and semi-final finishes in 2002 and 2007. All time, Canada have posted a record of 15 wins, 11 draws, and 15 losses in 41 matches.
In 22 international matches since the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Canada’s record is eight wins, five draws, and six losses, including most recently a 1:1 draw with Scotland on 22 March 2017.
CANADA NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER
1- GK- Maxime Crépeau | CAN / Impact Montréal FC
2- FB- Fraser Aird | Unattached
3- CB- Manjrekar James | HUN / Vasas Budapest
4- CB- Dejan JakoviÄ | USA / New York Cosmos
5- M- Kianz Froese | GER / Fortuna Düsseldorf
6- M- Samuel Piette | ESP / CD Izarra
7- M- Russell Teibert | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
8- M- Will Johnson | USA / Orlando City SC
9- F- Cyle Larin | USA / Orlando City SC
10- M- David Junior Hoilett | WAL / Cardiff City FC
11- F- Marcus Haber | SCO / Dundee FC
12- M- Alphonso Davies | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
13- M- Jonathan Osorio | CAN / Toronto FC
14- M- Mark-Anthony Kaye | USA / Louisville City FC
15- M- Adam Straith | CAN / FC Edmonton
16- M/F- Anthony Jackson-Hamel | CAN / Impact Montréal FC
17- FB- Marcel de Jong | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
18- GK- Milan Borjan | POL / MKS Korona Kielce
19- M- Raheem Edwards | CAN / Toronto FC
20- M- Patrice Bernier | CAN / Impact Montréal FC
21- FB- Juan Córdova | CHI / CD Huachipato
23- FB- Andrés Fresenga | URU / Cerro Largo FC
24- FB- Tyler Pasher | USA / Sporting Kansas City
