Orlando City Striker Cyle Larin Called Up to Canada for Gold Cup Knockout Stage

Orlando City striker and leading goal scorer Cyle Larin has been called up by Canadian Men’s National Team Manager Octavio Zambrano for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup knockout stage. Larin will report to camp, leaving the Lions prior to the club’s first ever meeting with Atlanta United on Friday. Canada did not call up midfielder Will Johnson, who was also on the team’s preliminary 40-man Gold Cup roster. Larin replaces Toronto’s Raheem Edwards on the Canada roster.

Larin, who has five goals in more than 20 international caps with Canada, is Orlando City’s leading scorer since the club joined MLS in 2015, and leads the Lions in goals once again in 2017 with eight through 17 appearances this season. For his career, the third-year forward has registered 39 goals and four assists in 76 appearances (70 starts) for Orlando.

The Canadian international was left off Canada’s group stage 23-man roster in the wake of his DUI arrest in mid-June. It was widely expected that Larin would be called up after the group stage, per comments by Zambrano, despite the June 15 arrest.

Larin missed three games during his league-imposed suspension while he went through Major League Soccer’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program (SABH). He has appeared in two games since coming back from suspension, registering four shots in 180 minutes.

Without Larin, look for Jason Kreis to utilize Giles Barnes up top in the Lions’ 4-4-2 attack, along with Carlos Rivas. Hadji Barry, who has played the last couple of matches with OCB, will likely be in the 18 to back up Barnes and Rivas.