Another Canada men's national soccer team game has been cancelled.
The men were scheduled to play Panama at BC Place in Vancouver on Sunday evening, but an ongoing contract dispute between the team and Canada Soccer has scuppered those plans and the game was officially called off less than two hours prior to kick-off.
At issue is the players' cut of bonuses stemming from the upcoming World Cup, as well as compensation for both the men's and women's teams. According to TSN's Rick Westhead, the players are asking "for a review of Canada Soccer's broadcast & sponsorship contracts, 40% of World Cup qualification money, and a joint contract with the women's team with equal compensation for match fees."
Westhead reported earlier in the week that the players had refused to train on the Friday prior to the match due to the dispute. The team then also missed Saturday's final training session, with late meetings between the players and Canada Soccer representatives held that evening in Vancouver.
According to Westhead's report, the players claimed they were offered 10 percent of Canada Soccer's payment for qualifying for Qatar. The organization claimed it had offered 60 percent, to be split equally between the men's and women's teams.
Negotiations reportedly continued through early Sunday, but ultimately no agreement could be reached in time to salvage the match.
An open letter from the players shared Sunday on social media stated their concerns, including a "strained" relationship with Canada Soccer and the lack of player representation on the organization's board of directors. The letter also called for "transparency and a review of the Canadian Soccer Business Agreement" and "40% of prize money" from Qatar 2022.
"We want to apologize to our fans," the letter read. "Playing at home with your support, is everything to us. We hope Canada Soccer will take decisive steps to work with our team so we can be back on the field for our match on June 9."
Canada was originally scheduled to face Iran at BC Place on Sunday, but that match was cancelled late last month amid ongoing public criticism. Panama was brought in as a replacement on just four days' notice.
The next match on Canada's calendar is a CONCACAF Nations League match at BC Place on Thursday against Curacao.