Canada opened the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 4-2 win over French Guiana on Friday, and there was plenty of credit to go around. Here’s how manager Octavio Zambrano’s starting lineup, and three subs, stacked up:
Milan Borjan: 6. A few good aerial takes but not much else to report for Canada’s starting ’keeper, who was forced to exit with an eye injury partway through the second half.
Marcel de Jong: 6. Got into the right positions to disrupt French Guiana attacks all night long, though he made a few questionable decisions with the ball at his feet.
Steven Vitoria: 6. Showed his strength in the air (getting a yellow card in the process).
Dejan Jakovic: 6. If this is the veteran’s last Gold Cup, he’s making the most of it. He scored his first Canada goal—even if he didn’t realize it was bundling in off his ribcage.
Michael Petrasso: 6. Impressive runs from the converted winger in his first game as a fullback for Canada, but his defensive inexperience showed on a few occasions.
Patrice Bernier: 6. Wearing the captain’s armband, the 37-year-old veteran grew into the game, becoming more assertive as it went along, before being subbed out.
Samuel Piette: 6. French Guiana rarely posed serious threats, thanks to some good work from the young veteran (winning his 32nd cap, at age 22) in protection of the back line.
Junior Hoilett: 6. Some quality moments, but also seemed to have trouble weighting passes, and made a few ill-advised solo runs late in the game.
Alphonso Davies: 9. Two goals, as a 16-year-old, in his first start for the senior national team. What more could you possibly want? All aboard the hype train.
Scott Arfield: 7.5. An excellent outing in the attack, assisting on Canada’s first goal, scoring its second on a bull-headed end-of-half run, and being a general nuisance to the opponent all night.
Lucas Cavallini: 7. Brought lots of energy in his first start for Canada (five years after his senior-team debut), putting consistent pressure on French Guiana’s defenders and drawing numerous free kicks.
Subs:
Maxime Crepeau: 4.5. Coming in cold as a goalkeeper is tough. He was hung out to dry on French Guiana’s first goal but could have done better on their second.
Russell Teibert: 5.5. Came on for Bernier and played in a more restrained fashion than he did when coming on against Curacao in last month’s friendly.
Anthony Jackson-Hamel: 6. Had only about 10 minutes to make his mark but he did it, setting up Davies’ second goal with a very good pass.
