Seven CPL Players Crack Preliminary Gold Cup Rosters

With the 2023 Gold Cup just around the corner, the provisional rosters for the participating countries are now out – and they feature several faces familiar to Canadian Premier League fans.

Here’s a look at all seven current Canadian Premier League talents who are close to featuring in the summertime tournament:

Guyana – Jonathan Grant (York United)

York United’s Jonathan Grant looks likely to return to Guyana after making his debut against Bermuda just a couple months ago, having subsequently featured in a scoreless draw against Montserrat.

Having shaken off an injury at York United, the 29-year-old has now featured in all three of his new club’s consecutive wins, coming up big in their recent derby win over his former side.

If that form carries over into international duty, Guyana will have quite a boost in their must-win preliminary qualifier against Grenada.

Guyana – Marcus Simmons (Vancouver FC)

We scooped that Vancouver FC left-back Marcus Simmons was set to test himself at Guyana’s Jamaica-based camp, with the 22-year-old Albertan potentially etching himself into international cap territory.

While he’s only featured once for Afshin Ghotbi’s side, Simmons made 24 appearances for FC Edmonton last year after impressing at the U SPORTS level with both York University Lions and MacEwan University.

Haiti – Andrew Jean-Baptiste (Valour FC)

The sidelined Valour FC centre-back has once again been called up to Haiti, an express letter of intent after the country gave him a ring last year. He appeared in two Concacaf Nations League wins over Guyana in 2022, but has yet to return to the pitch this calendar year.

The talent is clearly there, but the road to recovery continues to be a long one for Jean-Baptiste.

Haiti – Garven Metusala (Forge FC)

After making his international debut last year in a friendly match against Guatemala, Metusala could earn his first competitive minutes for Haiti at the Gold Cup. He was called upon for Concacaf League action after that, but missed the nod to help Forge in their belated Canadian Championship Final.

The new year sees Metusala as a regular feature for Bobby Smyriotis, who has used him as both a centre-back and a right-back in seven of eleven possible matches. At just 23, the future is looking bright for Metusala.

Trinidad and Tobago – Andre Rampersad (Halifax Wanderers)

The Halifax Wanderers Captain is back to international debut after kickstarting his international career with two straight starts earlier this year, recording a win and a draw against the Bahamas and Nicaragua.

The stalwart Halifax midfielder has had some mixed results under Gheisar’s new system, but he’s expected to be a key focal point for The Soca Warriors as they face Guadeloupe in a play-in match.

Trinidad and Tobago – Luke Singh (Atletico Ottawa)

Luke Singh’s international career could be locked in with the Soca Warriors this window.

The big centre-back attended camps with both Canada and T&T back in 2021, but hasn’t made an international appearance for either. Now getting almost every possible minute with Atletico Ottawa, the former Toronto FC and FC Edmonton defender is an intruiging addition that The Soca Warriors have long pursued.

Trinidad and Tobago – Malcolm Shaw (Atletico Ottawa)

It’s a first-time call-up for Atletico Ottawa original Malcolm Shaw, who’s found the back of the net 18 times for Ottawa since 2020 (albeit with just one of them coming this season).

The 27-year-old offers a physical, sturdy presence up top for The Soca Warriors, where he’ll resume a familiar connection with former Ottawa striker Ryan Telfer.

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There’s also one League1 Ontario player in the midst, with former Forge striker Emery Welshman on the preliminary list for Guyana. The preliminary Canadian roster also sees some former CPL talent, with the likes of Lukas MacNaughton, Joel Waterman, Sean Rea, Jonathan Sirois, Victor Loturi, and Dominick Zator.

The 2023 Gold Cup will kick off on June 24, with both Canada and the United States hosting the continental competition. The preliminary stage will take place between June 16-20.