Stanley Cup Playoff Buzz: Tight races top to bottom in Western Conference

After finishing fourth in a deep Copa America run, coach Jesse Marsch and the 40th-ranked Canadian men now get to test themselves against the three top-ranked teams in CONCACAF.

The run of friendlies starts Saturday against the 16th-ranked U.S. in Kansas City, a matchup the Canadians go into with a “bit of swagger,” according to Marsch.

“You see that they’ve grown. There’s more self-confidence,” Marsch said in a virtual availability Friday. “That they believe in themselves. They believe in the process that’s been created. They’re all committed, all the way.

“It’s a great team to work with, in terms of the mentality, the work ethic, the commitment to play for the national team. It’s a real special group. And it gives us the opportunity and optimism that we can continue to get better.”

After the Americans, Canada faces No. 17 Mexico on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas, before hosting No. 35 Panama on Oct. 15 at Toronto’s BMO Field.

And while all three games are friendlies, it’s a chance to make a mark.

“The U.S. has established itself as the best team in the region,” said Marsch, a former U.S. international. “Even though Canada won the (CONCACAF) qualifying group for (the 2022) World Cup, I still think that everyone knows that with the resources, with the size of the country, with the establishment of what the sport has been in the United States, that this is a big measuring stick for us.”

Saturday marks Canada’s first action since a penalty shootout loss to No. 11 Uruguay in the July 13 third-place game at Copa America.

Canada is 1-3-4 — albeit against elite opposition, including a pair of 2-0 losses to top-ranked Argentina — since Marsch took the reins, with one of those ties turning into the shootout loss to Uruguay and another into a shootout win over No. 37 Venezuela in the Copa quarterfinal.

The two North American rivals last met in July 2023 when the U.S., under former coach Gregg Berhalter, defeated Canada in a penalty shootout in Cincinnati after the Gold Cup quarterfinal finished knotted at 2-2. The previous month, the U.S. blanked Canada and then-coach John Herdman 2-0 in the CONCACAF Nations League final in Las Vegas.

The U.S. are currently led by assistant coach Mikey Varas with former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino reportedly the favourite to become the permanent replacement for Berhalter, who was fired July 10 after the Americans failed to survive the Copa America group stage.

“I think Canada had a good run in Copa America and we had a disappointing run,” Varas said Friday. “And that’s pretty much where it’s left for me.

“We know that we’re showing up here with the objective of showing who we are. We want to show ourselves who we are but show everybody else who we are. And that’s all we’ve really been focused on.”

The U.S. goes into Saturday’s game with a 17-10-13 record against Canada.

The Canadian men’s last win over the U.S. was in January 2022, a 2-0 decision in World Cup qualifying play in Hamilton. Their last victory over the Americans on U.S. soil was in July 1957, a 3-2 World Cup qualifying victory in St. Louis.

“I don’t think it’s really important,” Canada captain Alphonso Davies said of that history. “Every single game that we play, we want to win. Obviously playing the U.S. in the U.S. is a big game. Every time Canada plays the U.S., a lot of people tune in.”

Watching the U.S. lift the Nations League trophy after beating Canada last year in Las Vegas is motivation enough “to go out there and try and do something that hasn’t been done in a long time,” he added.

“I think we’re ready for it. And we’re prepared for the occasion.”

The Americans go into Saturday’s contest with an 8-0-2 record at Children’s Mercy Park, where they have outscored their opposition 20-2.

Marsch’s squad includes uncapped midfielders Niko Sigur (Hadjuk Split, Croatia) and Nathan Saliba (CF Montreal) and forward Stephen Afrifa(Sporting Kansas City).

Sigur, born in Burnaby, B.C., with parents of Croatian descent, represented Croatia at youth level but has switched international allegiance to Canada. The Toronto-born Afrifa was also eligible for Ghana.

The 20-year-old Salibaand 21-year-old Columbus forward Jacen Russell-Rowe have come in for the injured Sam Adekugbe and Theo Bair. York United assistant coach Mauro Eustaquio, the older bother of vice-captain Stephen Eustaquio, has been added to Marsch’s coaching staff for the September window.

The U.S. brought in Chivas Guadalajara midfielder Cade Cowell to replace the injured Gio Reyna. The American roster includes uncapped defender Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege, Belgium) and goalkeeper Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona B).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024

Veteran forward Tyson Beukeboom, who won a record 68th cap for Canada in May, leads coach Kevin Rouet’s 35-player training squad ahead of the WXV women’s rugby tournament that kicks off later this month.

Rouet has also called in seven members of Canada’s silver medal-winning sevens squad from the Paris Olympics: Olivia Apps, Caroline Crossley, Alysha Corrigan, Chloe Daniels, Fancy Bermudez, Florence Symonds and Taylor Perry.

Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 10 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the seventh-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.

WXV 1 features the top three teams from both the Pacific Four Series and Women’s Six Nations. Canada finished runner-up to England in last year’s inaugural WXV 1 in New Zealand.

The Canadians are coming off a historic win over New Zealand in May in Christchurch, dispatching the reigning World Cup champion 22-19 to win the Pacific Four Series. The Canadian women had lost all 17 previous meetings with the Black Ferns, with 10 of those defeats by 27 points or more.

Beukeboom won her 68th cap in the New Zealand victory, surpassing Gillian Florence on Canada’s all-time caps list.

The Canadian players open camp Saturday in Langford, B.C., and are scheduled to leave for Vancouver on Sept. 21 ahead of their Sept. 29 tournament opener against France at B.C. Place Stadium.

“The players and staff are all excited to be back together again after a very exciting spring and summer for women’s rugby in Canada,” Rouet, who will name his final squad prior to the tournament, said in a statement. “We have a strong group of players coming into camp to prepare for WXV 1.

“We have seen significant growth and development in the squad through our recent success at the Pacific Four Series and the Olympics in Paris with many of the players also continuing to play at a high level both internationally and in Canada. WXV 1 represents the next step in our journey as we look forward to the 2025 Rugby World Cup.”

Twenty-five of the players invited to camp were part of Pacific Four Series squad that also registered wins over No 5 Australia and the seventh-ranked U.S.

Gabrielle Senft, Fabiola Forteza and Justine Pelletier join the Canada squad after helping Stade Bordelais to the French club title in June.

Veterans Karen Paquin and Brianna Miller return for the first time since the 2021 World Cup after playing in this summer’s Quebec Ontario Rugby Championship.

But star forward Sophie de Goede, Canada’s captain, remains sidelined as she recovers from knee surgery,

The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.

WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.

The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by virtue of reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.

Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.

WXV 1 SCHEDULE(All times ET)

Sept. 29, at B.C. Place Stadium, Vancouver

U.S. vs. England, 3:30 p.m.

Canada vs. France, 6:45 p.m.,

New Zealand vs. Ireland, 10 p.m.

Oct. 5, at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, Langley, B.C.

U.S. vs. France, 3:30 p.m.

Canada vs. Ireland, 6:35 p.m.

Oct. 6, at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, Langley, B.C.

New Zealand vs. England, 4 p.m. ET

Oct. 11, at B.C. Place Stadium, Vancouver

U.S. vs. Ireland, 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 12, at B.C. Place Stadium, Vancouver

New Zealand vs. France, 6:45 p.m.

Canada vs. England, 10 p.m.

Canada’s Women’s Rugby WXV Camp Squad

Forwards

Abby Duguid, Edmonton, Loughborough Lightning (England); Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Francais (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph RFC; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Stade Bordelais (France); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Capilano RFC; Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Quebec East; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); Maya Montiel, Dieppe, N.B., Saracens (England); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Mikiela Nelson, North Vancouver, Exeter Chiefs (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., BC Blue; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Western Force (Australia); Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England).

Backs

Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Brianna Miller, Pointe-Claire, Que., Quebec West; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Chloe Daniels, Sutton, Ont., Queen’s University; Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Westshore RFC; Florence Symonds, Vancouver, UBC; Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Riviere-du-Loup, Que., Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., UBC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Chiefs Manawa (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024

PARIS – Canadian discus thrower Jesse Zesseu has won a silver medal at the Paralympic Games.

The 25-year-old from Toronto reached the podium in his Paralympic debut with a throw of 53.24 metres.

He was just over four metres shy of the winner from Uzbekistan.

Zesseu competes in the men’s F37 classification.

Mild cerebral palsy caused by a stroke at birth limits function on the right side of his body.

Zesseu came to para sport as an adult. He says he was working for Cerebral Palsy Ontario when he was told he should investigate his eligibility to pursue Paralympic sport.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.

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