Since taking over as Head Coach of Canada’s Men’s National Soccer Team, Benito Floro has worked to create a stable and steadily improving program. By any measure, the squad has remained fairly consistent. It has also become consistent in terms of competitiveness under Floro. After failing to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil in disastrous fashion (being dumped out in an 8 – 1 blowout to Honduras), Canada went back to the drawing board. Though personnel has not changed dramatically, tactics have and results under Floro have improved. Thus far in 2014, the CanMNT has managed to tie Bulgaria and Moldova, and most recently capture its first win in sixteen games with a 3 – 1 win over Jamaica in September. These results may not appear significant, but for a country ranked 120th by FIFA, they are certainly a step in the right direction.
Floro has opted for a mix of experience and youth since taking over in July of 2013. To be honest, he really has had very little choice, given that Canada has a limited amount of depth in terms of professional players at an elite world level. Player selection and depth in general may have Floro looking far and wide once the team faces Colombia in a friendly on October 14th at Red Bull Arena in Harrison New Jersey. Colombia is coming off an incredibly successful World Cup campaign, reaching the quarterfinals, and is currently ranked 3rd in the world. The quality of such an opponent is not lost on Floro and in addition to a mixed squad, Floro decided to assemble the team early in October for 5 days of training in Mexico followed by even more preparation as the team moves on to New Jersey.
Courtesy of mlssoccer.com, Canada’s squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers:
Lars Hirschfeld (Valerenga/Norway)
Milan Borjan (Ludugorets Razgrad/Bulgaria)
Quillan Roberts (Toronto FC)
Defenders:
Nik Ledgerwood (Energie Cottbus/Germany)
Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare (Montreal Impact)
Andre Hainault (VfR Aalen/Germany)
Doneil Henry (Toronto FC)
Adam Straith (unattached)
Karl Ouimette (Montreal Impact)
Luca Gasparotto (Airdrieonians/Scotland)
Daniel Stanese (FC Augsburg II)
Midfielders:
David Edgar (Birmingham City/England)
Julian de Guzman (unattached)
Pedro Pacheco (CD Santa Clara)
Manuel Aparicio (Toronto FC)
Issey Nakajima-Farran (Montreal Impact)
Daniel Stanese (Augsberg/Germany)
Marcel de Jong (Augsberg/Germany)
Dylan Carreiro (Arbroath/Scotland)
Hanson Boakai (FC Edmonton)
Forwards:
Tosaint Ricketts (Hapoel Haifa/Israel)
Cyle Larin (University of Connecticut)
Marcus Haber (Crewe Alexandra/England)
Jordan Hamilton (CD Trofense/Portugal)
For anyone who has followed the team of late, and certainly over the last World Cup campaign, this is a youth-focused group. Hirschfeld, Straith, Hainault, Edgar, Ledgerwood, de Jong, de Guzman, and Ricketts carry the most experience but only Hainault, Straith, Pacheco, and Ledgerwood have had experience against elite world class competition, at least in national representation. That was a 5 – 0 loss to Argentina in 2010. Even those remaining experienced players among the group have been limited to CONCACAF. Colombia, with the challenge they present, will be something quite different. With the exception of Borjan, Pacheco, Issey, and Haber, the remainder are virtually inexperienced and have only a handful of caps between them. They will no doubt complement the core and will most likely come off the bench.
Colombia has decided to play an elite squad featuring Falcao and Rodriguez. From that perspective, enough said; Canada’s test will be immense and one can only conclude that Floro is simply looking for the experience. For a team undefeated thus far in 2014, the challenge will be something quite different than encountered of late. Truly, this is not Jamaica, not even Honduras.
Granted the presence of Dwayne De Rosario, Randy Edwini – Bonsu, Atiba Hutchinson, and Simeon Jackson would have added to Canada’s depth, but against Colombia, the challenge would be no less.
Floro may very well gain a great deal going forward regardless of the outcome. This year will end with a trip to Panama City, but heading into 2015, the Gold Cup looms ahead, a campaign to qualify for the Copa America Centenario in 2016, and even the possibility of World Cup 2018 qualification beginning in 2015 as well. Floro may do very well in assessing the youth he has available. The experienced core that he will field on Tuesday is one that has not delivered for Canada throughout a number of campaigns. It has had trouble scoring and for the most part, played a conservative style that could not weather the storms of most attacking teams it has faced. Canadian soccer fans have been anticipating a rebuild for some time. Floro cannot be expected to do anything other than seek youthful components in looking at a newly generated squad that he can build on going forward. That said, the team will no doubt rely on de Guzman and Edgar for stability from the back and through the middle. Julian de Guzman is a holding midfielder with a wealth of international and elite league experience. He may be overwhelmed with the onslaught, but has a mature leadership style and at times, a flair for brilliance. If at all possible, he will anchor this group. Concerning though, will be the teams ability to threaten at all. Ricketts and Nakajima-Farran have offensive flair but may find themselves isolated or a part of a hunkered down defensive posture at best.
Perhaps most interesting will be Floro’s approach at integrating the supply of youth. Carreiro and Gasparotto are both only 19 years old and currently play in Scottish lower divisions. They are actually on loan and have had some decent experience. Carreiro will rejoin Dundee FC in December and Gasparotto belongs to Glasgow Rangers. Both have professed their enthusiasm and while the challenge of the day is not lost on them, they will bring a fresh new outlook. Hanson Boakai is a 17 year old midfielder from FC Edmonton of the NASL and is described by many as a teenage phenom. He has actually caught the attention of Floro and by all accounts is honoured at the opportunity to impress in an international setting. Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, Jordan Hamilton, and Manuel Aparicio are homegrown products of the MLS academies in Montreal and Toronto. They are really representative of a new wave of talent in Canadian soccer and in many ways are indicative of the talent pool that has grown with the arrival of professional soccer. Tuesday’s result aside, they are the future and are effectively the product of a developmental system Canada has never had. If anything, as youth prospects go, Canada could Floro may have done even better here. Ashtone Morgan and Jonathan Osorio from Toronto FC and 21 year old Lucas Cavalini who plays in Uruguay’s Primera Division, may have shown a youth movement even stronger than Floro has assembled.
In all fairness, Floro has done an impressive amount of work in his assessment of youth. His commitment to the future through such a focus is indicative that he is intent on building a new program, ultimately in his own way. Patience will be a key factor in allowing him time to see his plan through. The result against Colombia may very well be predictable, and if anything, this will be an outclassed team. If Floro’s newly imprinted style holds however, this team will bring some energy and an attractive style, in what may very well be a new presence on the international stage.
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