Canada remains 'hopeful' to play friendly vs. Venezuela despite heightening geopolitical tensions

Jesse Marsch, the head coach of Canada’s men’s soccer team, is less than certain about next week’s friendly against Venezuela in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., given heightening tensions between Venezuela and the United States.

“I think we’re hopeful that with all the different political climate issues that the game will still go ahead,” Marsch said Wednesday at BMO Field in Toronto, where his side hosts Ecuador this week. “But we’ll see, you know? We want to play the match. Let’s hope that everything stays calm enough that it works out.”

Venezuela has announced a “massive mobilization” of military personnel in response to what its defence minister called the “imperialist threat” of American naval might in the Caribbean Sea. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest warship in the U.S. fleet, recently sailed from Europe to the Caribbean, purportedly to escalate attacks on alleged drug boats.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the Americans of being more interested in deposing him, either through clandestine or overt military operations. U.S. President Donald Trump has said that he’s considered making strikes inside Venezuela.

“We’re sensitive to global geopolitics just as people who are informed about the world, but as far as the game is concerned, it’s contracted, and we intend and I believe the opponent intends for it to proceed as scheduled,” Kevin Blue, Canada Soccer’s general secretary and CEO, said Wednesday.

Venezuela’s soccer team is first scheduled to play Australia in Houston on Friday.

Even though the Canada match is scheduled to take place in Florida, Venezuela is the host. Canada Soccer, which will receive an appearance fee as the visiting side, has “contractual recourse” if the game doesn’t occur, Blue said.