Veteran forward Cyle Larin to captain Canada against Ivory Coast at Canadian Shield

Neil Davidson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 09, 2025 1:13 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

Veteran striker Cyle Larin volition skipper Canada successful its last outing astatine the Canadian Shield tourney against the Ivory Coast connected Tuesday.

With regular skipper Alphonso Davies retired injured, vice-captain Stephen Eustaquio led the squad retired Saturday successful the tournament-opening 4-2 triumph implicit No. 25 Ukraine. Forward Jonathan David, who scored doubly Saturday, volition skipper the broadside astatine the CONCACAF Gold Cup aboriginal this period portion Eustaquio is with his nine Porto astatine the FIFA Club World Cup.

Canada caput manager Jesse Marsch has said helium volition apt tract an wholly antithetic lineup against the 41st-ranked Africans, who mislaid their tourney opener 1-0 to No. 86 New Zealand, with Lain starring the squad out.

The 30-year-old from Brampton, Ont., has scored 30 goals successful 81 appearances for 30th-ranked Canada.

Canada has not played an African broadside since a 2-1 nonaccomplishment to No. 12 Morocco astatine the World Cup successful Qatar successful December 2022.

Meanwhile, Gabe Biancheri has options erstwhile it comes to playing planetary soccer.

Born successful Wales to a Canadian parent and Italian father, the 18-year-old Manchester United academy guardant has already represented Wales astatine the younker level and attended a Welsh elder camp. Now helium is getting a sensation of Canada arsenic a grooming subordinate with Marsch's squad astatine the Canadian Shield Tournament.

Having already represented Wales astatine the 2023 UEFA U-17 Championship and successful UEFA U-19 qualifying, Biancheri would person to marque a one-time power with FIFA to alteration planetary allegiance.

"I don't cognize what is going to hap next," Biancheri said of his planetary future. "I've got immoderate time."

Biancheri settling into camp

But for the clip being, helium is weighing his options and checking retired Canada.

"All the players and each the unit person made maine consciousness precise invited to easiness maine in," Biancheri said.

Biancheri's parent was calved successful Calgary but moved to Florida erstwhile she was six. University brought her to Wales wherever she met Biancheri's father, a autochthonal of Sicily who came to Wales for work.

Biancheri is besides eligible for England fixed his grandma connected his mother's broadside was calved successful Birmingham.

While England has not yet contacted him, Italy reached retired past year. Biancheri has been letting his cause grip such.

Biancheri's parent helped him hole for his archetypal sojourn to Canada.

"She was conscionable telling maine astir Canada, however bully the radical are," helium said. "She besides sang maine the nationalist anthem and sent maine the lyrics. She was excited for me."

Biancheri has been capable to play tourer here, having already gone up the CN Tower.

In attending the Canada campy successful Halifax and Toronto, Biancheri missed retired connected the Welsh under-21 side's 4-0 nonaccomplishment to Norway connected Friday successful its last affable earlier opening 2027 UEFA U-21 qualifying against Denmark successful September.

Welcomed caller challenge

Biancheri spent 9 years astatine Cardiff City FC earlier joining Manchester United astatine 16. United reportedly paid Cardiff a six-figure interest for the teenager, who signed his archetypal pro declaration upon turning 17 successful September 2023.

While comfy astatine Cardiff, the nine helium grew up supporting, Biancheri decided it was clip for a move.

"I wanted to trial myself and enactment myself successful the heavy end. I needed that challenge," helium said.

"There were teams looking astatine me. But erstwhile United comes, it's precise hard to accidental no," helium added. "It's 1 of the biggest clubs successful the world."

Last play helium started with United under-18 squad earlier moving up to the under-21 broadside that plays young endowment from different apical teams successful Premier League 2.

'I'm enjoying it. Obviously being astatine specified a large nine has its benefits — travelling around. playing the champion teams successful the U.K. and Europe," helium said.

Biancheri, who stands five-foot-10, says his favourite relation is playing up beforehand arsenic a No. 9.

"I'm not the biggest oregon the fastest oregon the strongest, but I cognize wherever to be," helium said. "And that volition ever get maine goals. And I've got an oculus for a extremity arsenic well.

'My archetypal connection was ball'

"But I tin besides play retired wide oregon conscionable down oregon disconnected the striker."

Football has ever been his game. "My archetypal connection was ball," helium said with a smile.

Biancheri, who has 2 much years positive an enactment connected his United contract, knew Canadian defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, having played against him successful England. And helium talked to Fulham defender Luc de Fougerolles successful beforehand of the Canada campy to get the laic of the land, with Marsch putting the 2 successful contact.

Biancheri says the strength of Canadian grooming sessions amazed him.

Marsch intelligibly likes what helium sees successful Biancheri.

"He's a dynamic player. He's precise bully astir the goal," said Marsch. "He's technically gifted. You tin spot he's an intelligent player.

"He's a mentation of Jonathan David. He's not precisely the aforesaid subordinate but he's a striker that tin play up connected the backline but besides is bully astatine coming underneath and connecting plays and being portion of the buildup phase."

In Manchester, Biancheri inactive lives with a big household and 1 of his young United teammates.

He has already had a mates of grooming sessions with the United archetypal team.

"A bully experience," helium said. "Watching them connected TV erstwhile I was increasing up and watching them connected TV present and past getting a accidental with them is ever nice. It's bully acquisition and it's besides challenges maine and develops me. And it's what I need."