Nuke Soccer

Sportsnet to broadcast Canada’s Gold Cup Matches
The Canadian Soccer Association announced today that Rogers Sportsnet will broadcast all of Canada ’s matches from the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Sportsnet’s coverage will open this Friday, July 3 as Canada faces Jamaica in the opening match of the 2009 tournament. The match kicks off at 8:00 pm ET from the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles and can be seen live on Sportsnet Ontario and West. Canada has been drawn into Group A at the 12-team competition along with Costa Rica , El Salvador and the aforementioned Jamaica.

“We are pleased to announce that the Canadian Soccer Association will be making Canada ’s games from the Gold Cup available on Sportsnet for Canadian Supporters,” said CSA General Secretary Peter Montopoli. “The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup is an important tournament as it is our confederation championship. We are looking forward to a strong Canadian performance at the 2009 tournament.”

After opening against Jamaica the team then travels to Columbus where Canada will face El Salvador at Crew Stadium on July 7, 7:00 pm kickoff. Canada’s final Group A match goes three days later on July 10 against Costa Rica at the Florida International University Stadium in Miami, kickoff is at 7:00 pm. Sportsnet will continue to carry Canada’s games beyond the group stage as they progress in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Gerry Dobson will handle the play-by-play for all Canada games, while former Canadian soccer keeper Craig Forrest provides the analysis. Sportsnet carried Canada ’s last confederation championship Gold Cup victory when Canada defeated Colombia 2:0 in the final at the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Canada took the championship on the heels of a stellar performance from Forrest, who was named tournament MVP and Most Valuable Goalkeeper for allowing just three goals and stopping two penalties in his side’s five games.

Interim head coach Stephen Hart will lead Canada into battle at the CONCACAF Gold Cup for a second time in his career. Hart will reprise his role as interim head coach as he looks to improve on Canada ’s strong showing at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup. In 2007 Canada was knocked out at the semi-final stage losing 1:2 to USA.

This year, Group B features USA , Honduras , Haiti and Grenada while Group C features Mexico , Panama , Guadeloupe and Nicaragua .

Eight of the 12 teams will advance to the quarter-final stage scheduled for July 18-19 in Philadelphia, PA and Dallas, TX . The Group A winner faces the Group B runner-up (July 18 in Philadelphia ) while the Group A runner-up faces the Group C runner-up (July 19 in Dallas ). Depending on the overall standings from the group stage, the Group A third-place team may advance to play either the Group B or Group C winner (either July 18 or 19).

The four quarter-final winners advance to the semi-final stage on July 23 in Chicago, IL. The two winners then advance to the final on July 26 in New York, NY.