Louisville City FC's Mark-Anthony Kaye makes debut for Canadian National Team

Daniel Karell | Louisville Courier Journal

Louisville City FC midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye achieved a personal and club milestone Tuesday evening in Montreal.

In the 79th minute of Canada's 2-1 victory over Curacao in a friendly match at Stade Saputo, Kaye made his debut for the Canadian National Team, coming off the bench to replace team captain Patrice Bernier.

“In the training leading up to the game I was doing well," Kaye said. "I figured I had a shot, but I didn’t know if it was going to happen.”

By entering the match, Kaye became the first person to make his international debut while playing for Louisville City. Fellow midfielder Devon "Speedy" Williams received a cap in 2010 for his native Jamaica in a friendly match with Trinidad and Tobago.

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When Kaye came on the score was tied at 1-1 but Canadian forward Anthony Jackson-Hamel fired a shot into the low corner in the 87th minute to give Canada the 2-1 lead, which it would eventually hold on to. A minute before the goal, Junior Hoilett missed a penalty kick, firing it off the left post.

“It was great," Kaye said. "It happened so fast — a ricochet and then we shoot and score. I just remember running into a big group of players celebrating.”

When Kaye entered, he was deployed in central midfield, a position he shined in during the Canada Under-23s trip to Qatar. Kaye's performances impressed Canadian National Team manager Octavio Zambrano and helped earn the Louisville City player a call-up to the senior national team.

“He just reassured me that I’m confident enough to play in that position," Kaye said of Zambrano. "I did well in Qatar in that exact same position, so he said to just go out there, keep the ball and move it quickly. So that’s what I did.”

Having made his international debut, Kaye is set to return to Louisville on Wednesday to rejoin Louisville City ahead of its next game at home Saturday against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Zambrano is expected to name his 23-man Gold Cup squad some time this week, and it remains to be seen whether Kaye will make the final cut. Kaye was included on the 40-man preliminary squad submitted to CONCACAF.

"I feel like I’ve done enough — all I could do — to stake my claim and hopefully put my name in that group for the Gold Cup," Kaye said. "If not, there are always other opportunities, and I’m just grateful for the one that came tonight.”