ANALYSIS – The March CanMNT roster reveal was revealed yesterday, and there are some big surprises and omissions seen with the roster, for the big game on March 23 against Trinidad and Tobago.
March CanMNT Roster: Jonathan Osorio the Only 30+ Player Years Old
A decisive match against 🇹🇹 awaits!
Here are the 23 players who will wear the crest in our upcoming Copa América Play-In match.#CANMNT pic.twitter.com/5gW1pN29HQ
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) March 12, 2024
READ MORE: Mauro Biello: From Montreal To The CanMNT’s Interim Head Coach
There were of course players that were expected to make the national team. This includes Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, Cyle Larin, and Stephen Eustáquio. The player to note though is Jonathan Osorio. He is the only 30+ year old player on the team. This is what Mauro Biello said about Osorio playing with the national team:
“Osorio has done really well for this country in the past and I think, you know, he moved into the leadership role there with TFC,” Biello said. “You know, that helps me also from a tactical perspective of having a player like that, who understands the tactics and is very intelligent and is able to adjust and adapt to different situations.”
Osorio will be a midfielder and a player to watch out for in terms of who could be Canada’s next captain.
READ MORE: Jonathan Osorio Looks To Make More History On Sunday At BMO Field
Other Notable Players
READ MORE: Luc De Fougerolles: CanMNT’s Newest Starlet?
There are a few teenagers on the CanMNT team. This includes Luc de Fougerolles, who is 18-years-old, who is right now with the Fulham U21 team. The player can play many different positions including as a full-back, centre-back, or as a midfielder. This is what Biello said of De Fougerolles (source: Neil Davidson of The Canadian Press):
“He’s done really well,” Biello said Thursday from Japan. “A young kid, he’s blended in. He’s brave on the ball, really confident. He’s fearless defensively. It’s really good to get him into the environment. He fit right in.”
There is also Jonathan Sirois, a goalkeeper for CF Montréal, who previously played for Valour FC. Sirois has never played a national team game before and is unlikely to do so on March 23 as he would be behind both Maxime Crépeau and Dayne St. Clair. However, Sirois earned 11 clean sheets last year and is a player to watch out for.
Him and fellow CF Montréal teammate, Mathieu Choinière, are also on the national team. This is what Vice-President and Chief Sporting Officer of CF Montréal, Olivier Renard, said about these two players, with the club awards being handed out (source: CF Montréal)
“I am not surprised by the votes in Mathieu’s favour. He was exemplary from start to finish. He wholly deserves the title of Most Valuable Player as recognized by the fans, as well as the choice of his teammates, because it shows what he means to them in the dressing room,” said CF Montréal Vice-President and Chief Sporting Officer Olivier Renard. “No surprise either for Jonathan, who could also have been named MVP. After two years on loan, he has achieved great things with us this season, notably setting a record in clean sheets. He is a fine example of a player who has progressed within the organization, remained focused on his role and objectives, and became a first-team regular with his hometown club.”
Choinière made the 2023 MLS All-Star Game. He led the team with five goals and also had five assists. As determined by the fans, Choinière won the Most Valuable Player of CF Montréal while Sirois won Defensive Player of the Year.
Sirois also is one of two former CPL players on the team, as CF Montréal and former Cavalry FC defender, Joel Waterman, is also with the national team.
Jacob Shaffelburg Is on the Team
Shaffelbrace, Shaffelbanger 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/qmXJnp1Hfk
— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) March 8, 2024
Jacob Shaffelburg is really making an impression for Nashville SC. This is especially true this year as he scored two goals in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup competition.
Nashville SC head coach, Gary Smith, had a lot of positive to say about Shaffelburg (source: Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic of OneSoccer):
“Well, he’s a terrific lad, first of all, and I mean that part of it,” Smith said. “You really don’t know when you sign a player, but he’s been very genuine, and very, very hard working. And I think you can see even from his small amount of minutes the impact that he can have in attacking areas. He has been an absolutely wonderful addition, on and off the field, and it gives us a completely different dynamic in the attack.”
The Nashville SC winger has only made seven appearances for the national team and has scored one goal. However, now hopefully, he can make a name for himself and earn a long career with the national team.
Omissions and Injuries
Midfielder, Mark-Anthony Kaye, who made the November roster, was not able to make this roster. However, more notably, captain and CanMNT goalkeeper, Milan Borjan, left winger, Junior Hoilett, and CanMNT defender, Steven Vitória, was also not on the list. As a result, Sirois, who was mentioned earlier, made the roster at the expense of Borjan. For Biello, it was because he wanted a shift to the younger players as he said this and about Borjan not making the team (source: OneSoccer YouTube Page):
“I think going forward, it’s about giving these opportunities to young players.”
Biello also had this to say about Ali Ahmed of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC not being 100 percent fit (source: OneSoccer YouTube Account):
Who Is Going To Be The Next Captain and Game Against Trinidad and Tobago
This could also potentially mean 100 Days until Argentina faces Canada to open Copa America @TSNSoccer https://t.co/JTInuSf3CO
— Matthew Scianitti (@TSNScianitti) March 12, 2024
READ MORE: An Emphasis On “Brotherhood”: Latest CanMNT Roster Reaction
With Borjan not on the roster, the discussion of who will be the next captain has begun.
This is all speculation, but Jonathan Osorio and Samuel Piette, both captains of their respective club teams with Toronto FC and CF Montreal, could be seen as favourites to captain the CanMNT. Even though for Piette, the question remains how much playing time will he get with the national team. There is also Eustáquio of Porto and Crépeau of the Portland Timbers to consider as well as a few others.
This is what Biello said of the mindset of his national team (source: Neil Davidson of The Canadian Press):
“That’s something that I’ll decide in camp,” he said. “And obviously for me it’ll be a reset, a cultural reset with the group.”
READ MORE: Jamaica Stuns the CanMNT and Qualifies for Copa America
The Canadian national team will face Trinidad and Tobago on March 23 at 4:00 PM ET. The game will be shown live on OneSoccer and Telus. It is only one game this month, however, it is also a very critical one. A spot in the 2024 Copa América competition is on the line and a win of any form against Trinidad and Tobago will help Canada advance to the competition at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The winner of this game will face Argentina to start the competition and be part of Group A of the Copa América. The other teams in the group are Peru and Chile.
Men’s National Team Training Session
21 March 2023 – Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
Photo Credit: Canada Soccer
Jonathan Osorio
