That being stated, because the rules are there, it's hard to sniff at any national-team program that takes advantage of them. And these rules gave Canadian national team head coach Octavio Zambrano a golden opportunity to deal with his Cyle Larin problem.

A second-place finish in Group A to go with a no-fear sort of performance against both Costa Rica and Honduras will continue to stoke the still small hope that Canada is, indeed, heading in the right direction under head coach Octavio Zambrano.

What we do need to have is our own “national” soccer team. I put “national” in quotes because, well, it would be only a sort-of national soccer team.

“I think we’re going to make something of this Gold Cup,” said goalkeeper Milan Borjan, who, like many other players around him turned in an excellent performance. “With a new, amazing coach that gives the guys the confidence, gives the spirit for the games. It’s really good.”

Canada has been waiting on Alphonso Davies to get that Canadian passport for a while and now that he has it, he’ll already be heralded as the future of the Canadian program looking for a talisman.

Canada’s team for the upcoming Gold Cup will have a very different feel than the squad that didn’t make it to CONCACAF's World Cup-qualifying hex.

Using my regular PVR-ing of games as a tested-over-time barometer, I can state that 30 minutes of stop time might actually see fans treated to more ball-in-play action than we have now.

To say that Alison Lemon has a diverse soccer résumé would be an understatement.

Junior Hoilett messed up his chance to be the hero — so Anthony Jackson-Hamel got the cape, instead.

On a day when Canada Soccer honoured five retiring veterans — Kaylyn Kyle, Lauren Sesselmann, Robyn Gayle, Josee Belanger and Jonelle Filigno — it was the kids who made themselves count.  Janine Beckie, age 22, had a hat trick, 16-year-old Jordyn Huitema had two and 18-year-old Deanne Rose opened the scoring.