Costa Rica vs. French Guiana 2017 live stream: Time, TV channel, and how to watch Gold Cup online

Congratulations to Costa Rica for getting three points from their match against French Guiana. That is, of course, if their opponents play Florent Malouda again, which seems likely given their defiant decision to play the veteran winger in their first CONCACAF Gold Cup match, despite him being completely ineligible to play for the South American nation.

It was a surprise to see French Guiana even make the Gold Cup, with the small French satellite country a serious underdog even in qualifying competition. They’re not a FIFA-recognized country given their close ties with France, which is part of why we so rarely see them in competitive matches, but CONCACAF still allows them to take part when they can. That allowance has set up an awkward situation, though, because French Guiana has decided to completely eschew FIFA regulations when it comes to player availability.

Malouda is a name you likely recognize, having helped Chelsea win the English Premier League and the Champions League earlier in his career — as well as helping guide France to the 2006 World Cup final. That’s where French Guiana’s problems come into play — Malouda is a native of the small country, but as a France-eligible player by his home’s ties to the European country, he’s earned 80 French caps during his career, leaving him ineligible to represent any other country.

French Guiana have already likely thrown away one match after playing Malouda in a 0-0 draw with Honduras in their tournament opener, with CONCACAF still making disciplinary considerations. Only one outcome is likely, though, and that will be true for any future games they play Malouda in as well.

It’s a shame that such a controversy will overshadow what could be quite a good game. Costa Rica can be a lot of fun when they have reason to play well, and French Guiana have actually assembled a decent team, even without Malouda. But it won’t matter a bit because if Malouda steps on the pitch, the match will almost certainly be recorded as a 3-0 win for Costa Rica, no matter what actually happens in the game.

To watch this match online in the United States, you can stream it on the Fox Soccer Match Pass subscription service, or on Fox Sports Go with some internet providers. The match isn’t being shown online in Costa Rica or French Guiana, but you can find viewing options for other countries by checking out the listings at LiveSoccerTV.

Match Date/Time: Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. local

Venue: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas

TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S. - English), UniMas, Univision Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Sky HD, Teletica En Vivo, Teletica Canal 7, SKY Planeta Fútbol (Costa Rica)