Five things to watch in Canadian sports this weekend

Here are five things to watch in Canadian sports this weekend:

STRONG START: Canadian golfer Mackenzie Hughes looks to build off a big first round this weekend at the British Open in Sandwich, England. Hughes posted a score of 66 over his opening 18 holes, leaving him two strokes back of leader Louis Oosthuizen. Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners and Richard T. Lee are the other Canadians in the field.

FOOTBALL’S COMING HOME: Toronto FC and CF Montreal say they will play their Major League Soccer games at their home stadiums this weekend, and plan to have limited fans in the stands to boot. TFC has said a crowd of up to 7,000 is planned for its match against Orlando at BMO Field on Saturday, while Montreal plans for 5,000 to attend its game against Cincinnati at Saputo Stadium the same day. According to MLS, only fully vaccinated players and staff on the visiting teams will be excluded from Canadian quarantine requirements. TFC and CF Montreal are already training at their home facilities.

BACK TO THE NEST: The Toronto Blue Jays return from the all-star break Friday, when they open a three-game series with the Texas Rangers at their temporary home base in Buffalo, N.Y. Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., was named the MVP of Tuesday’s all-star game in Denver after hitting a towering solo homer and driving in another run.

TOUGH TEST: Canada’s men’s soccer team will be in tough against the host United States when the neighbours square off Sunday in Kansas City, Kansas at the Gold Cup. Canada has just one win in its last 19 matches against the Americans, though that came in 2019 when the Canadians stunned the U.S. with a 2-0 win in CONCACAF Nations League action in Toronto.

PARIS BOUND: The Tour de France wraps up Sunday, when cyclists will make their traditional run along the Champs-Élysées in Paris to the finish line at the Arc de Triomphe. Canadian riders Michael Woods, Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin will leave for Tokyo right after the race. Woods and Houle are slated to represent Canada in the Olympic road race event, with Boivin on board as the third rider.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2021.

The Canadian Press