Watch LIVE: Canada opens Classic vs. Great Britain, FS1

PHOENIX – The nature of a five-team pool means that one club will get the day off over each of the five days of action. Off-day duties on the first day of play at Chase Field fell to Canada, who entered Sunday’s contest vs. Great Britain with its pitching lined up and its bats raring to go, hungry to leave a three-run performance in the 2017 World Baseball Classic in the past.

Conversely, elements such as playing a day game after a night game will be reality for the Brits. But when you take the route to Arizona that the isle has – getting on the diamond in a major international baseball tournament for the time since 2009 – it’s all desserts.

“I think in tournaments like this, [having played already] can be an advantage,” Britain manager Drew Spencer said. “All of our guys have shaken the cobwebs off and they played at game speed and they’ve played a full nine with full intensity, which isn’t something that you see in spring. So you got to count that a little bit in our [favor].”

When and where: Right now at Chase Field in Phoenix.

How you can watch: The contest between Great Britain and Canada is live on FS1. Games are available on FOX, FS1, FS2, Tubi or FOX Deportes, and every game can be streamed online in the FOX Sports App. For international viewing options, click here.

How you can listen: Live audio coverage of all games is being carried on Sirius XM, TuneIn, MLB.com and in the MLB App.

What’s at stake: Canada is looking to right the wrongs of an 0-3 showing in the 2017 Classic. They’re returning to the site of arguably the biggest upset in program history, when they defeated the U.S. during pool play in 2006. Britain made its mark by giving a loaded U.S. squad a battle in their opener Saturday. They face an uphill battle to make it out of the group stage, but a win Sunday would go a long way toward accomplishing that.

Matchup history: This showdown is a first-time affair. Baseball’s popularity in Britain has steadily been on the rise over the past two decades, but the 2023 Classic marks its first global tournament of this magnitude since the 2009 World Cup.

Freddie Freeman, 1B, Canada: After a sputtering offense sent Canada home after just three games in 2017, its bats will be integral to advancing beyond the group stage. Since that tournament, Freeman has become a four-time All-Star and won the 2020 National League MVP. The Dodgers’ star enters Classic play with the motivation of playing for his parents, both of whom were born in Canada.