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Posted by
Steve Bottjer,
January 18, 2013 |
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Email Steve Bottjer
Twitter @BottjerRNO |
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Canada’s Men’s National Team has named its 22-man roster for the upcoming camp in United States to take place from January 19th to January 30th in Arizona and Texas. As part of the camp, Canada will feature in two Men’s International Friendlies against Denmark and the United States.
Interim Head Coach Colin Miller met with the media via conference call on Friday to discuss his roster and his approach to the training camp and the two matches.
“For the most part, the squad was picked for me, prior to my announcement (as Interim Head Coach). So I partly inherited the group and there were one or two additions that came after players dropped out of the group for various reasons. I’m excited about this group of players. It is a young squad and I am very much looking for forward to the next ten days with them,” said Miller.
With an average age of just under 25, this is the youngest Canadian team to be assembled since May 2006. Ten players have earned their first call-up to the Men’s National Team and eight players featured in Canada’s Men’s U-23 team at the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament. Dwayne De Rosario, Nik Ledgerwood, Lars Hirschfeld and Tosaint Ricketts are the only players on the roster to have taken part in matches during 2012’s CONCACAF third round of FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 Qualifiers.
Given the fact that these two matches are not on FIFA dates and fall at a sometimes precarious and sensitive time for both clubs and players, Miller admitted that it was somewhat difficult to pull together a roster for the two games.
“The players in some cases were in difficult circumstances, because they were in between clubs or out of contract. I’ve been there myself and I know that it is not an easy situation when you have bills to pay and mortgages and so on and so forth. I think we have to have some sympathy with some of the players who were desperate to come in or, for obvious reasons, others had to focus on trying to get themselves sorted out at the club level. I am focusing on the guys that are in and I am really excited to be working with this group.”
Much heralded young players Samuel Piette and Lucas Cavallini were highlighted as two players who the Canadian staff decided were better left at their clubs at the current time.
“Their names were certainly mentioned in a number of conversations. So there is no problem with either player, it was just the fact that they have gone to new clubs or were on the fringes of first team involvement. We were once again being somewhat politically collect with some of the clubs and did not want to put too much pressure on the players at this stage. You want to work with the clubs and build relationships with them.”
Five of the players called up - Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault, Simon Thomas, Evan James, Mason Trafford and Kyle Porter – are currently unattached at the club level and Miller highlighted the camp and the two friendlies against Denmark and the United States as a great opportunity for these players to highlight themselves to prospective clubs and scouts.
“I think that for the guys who are out of contract at the moment, this is a fantastic opportunity to put themselves back in the shop window. First of all, they have been called into a national squad, which is a great advertisement for them. Secondly, if they earn a spot on the field on the games, it will be a bonus for them, as they will have gone from being out of contract to playing in an International friendly.”
Interestingly, Kyle Porter is a player who is currently mulling over a contract offer from FC Edmonton, the team that Miller manages at the club level. A former Canadian International himself, Miller was quick to state that the player’s contract situation with Edmonton would have no influence on his situation with the national team.
“In fact, I was the one who initiated Kyle Porter’s name into the group, because, first of all, he is a good player. He was the last player cut from the Olympic team. The feedback from the national team staff was that he was definitely a player they would be interested in bringing into the group. Kyle deserves a chance and I know he is desperate to play for Canada. So I have kept those two scenarios entirely separate. We spoke about him long before the contractual side of things (with FC Edmonton occurred). He deserves to be in the squad. Whether he is with FC Edmonton or not, he won’t be treated any differently.”
The training camp will also represent something of a reunion for Miller and midfielder Russell Teibert, who played for the Interim Head Coach when he was a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC organization.
“I have always had a bit of a soft spot for Russell because he is a kid who has showed a phenomenal attitude throughout his youth. I worked very closely with him when I was with the Residency Program and I took the team down to the Dallas Cup. Unfortunately, Russell went through a horrendous time with injuries and seemed to go from one injury to another. Thankfully he now has himself fit and I’m looking forward to seeing the young lad take on the season with Whitecaps. Hopefully he does very well with Canada in these two Internationals. I think it is time for a number of our young players to establish themselves with their clubs and make names for themselves at the International level. Russell is one player I have no fears about whenever he puts on the Canadian jersey. I know how much it means to him.”
With so many young players on the squad, Miller was quick to highlight the importance of the three older veteran players on the roster, highlighting Dwayne De Rosario, Lars Hirschfeld and Terry Dunfield as key members of the team.
“With Dwayne, I think it will be great for the young players to see the movement he has on the field and the quality that he has on set pieces and with how dangerous he has been throughout his career. He has been a match winner at every club that he has been at. He plays with flair and quality and I want our young guys to learn from him,” said Miller.
“The three senior guys – Dwayne, Lars and Terry Dunfield – they all have roles to play in terms of leading by example and showing how to train in the proper way.”
Miller was also asked specifically about the absence of midfielder Will Johnson from the roster.
“Will is someone that I would have loved to have come in to the group, but, like some other players, he has just arrived at a new club and wants to get off to a good start with Portland. There are no problems with Will in any shape or form. We just thought it would be best to give him a chance to get off to a good start with Portland. Will is definitely a player who is entrenched in our national team program and he has not been left out for any other reason than the fact that he has just gone to a new club.”
The Interim Head Coach was also asked about the inclusion on the roster of one player who will likely be something of a mystery man for most Canadian national team supporters - Emmanuel Gomez, who plays professionally in Argentina with Club Atletico Griffa.
“We have had some good feedback about Emmanuel. He is playing out in Argentina and is apparently doing well. I think he worked with Stephen Hart several years ago as part of the youth team. He has been playing and training at a very good level, so we’re excited to see him. Anyone who is playing in those types of countries should be worth a look for sure. I’m excited to see him, but I would be telling lies if I said I knew a whole lot about him. I am excited to see how he does.”
Overall, Miller was candid in stating that the camp and matches represents a fresh start for the Canadian National Team following its most previous match, an 8-1 loss to Honduras that eliminated the team from World Cup qualifying last October.
“I will bring that match up in my first team talk with the players and will say that the 8-1 was a disastrous result for Canada, but that it was also a freak result. And that this is entirely different squad with a view towards looking to the future. We want to be as positive as we can. There is an opportunity for these young guys to go and establish themselves as the future of the national team program.”
Miller was also open in stating that the training camp and matches against Denmark and the United States will be something of an audition for many of the young players and newcomers to the squad with respect to further call-ups and their possible participation for Canada at the 2013 Gold Cup tournament in the summer.
“I think a lot will depend on how the players do. To be honest, it is something of an audition for the Gold Cup. If they are coming in with a view towards having an okay camp, that’s never going to be enough to displace someone who is an established International on the team. I expect them to be coming in with an eye to the Gold Cup.”
CANADA
1- GK- Lars Hirschfeld | NOR / Vålerenga Fotball
2- M- Nik Ledgerwood | SWE / Hammarby Fotboll
3- FB- Ashtone Morgan | CAN / Toronto FC
4- CB- Nana Attakora | FIN / FC Haka
5- CB- Dejan Jaković | USA / D.C. United
6- M- Philippe Davies | USA / Richmond Kickers
7- M - Terry Dunfield | CAN / Toronto FC
8- CM- Kyle Bekker | CAN / Toronto FC
9- F- Tosaint Ricketts | NOR / Sandnes Ulf
10- F- Frank Jonke | FIN / FF Jaro
11- M - Russell Teibert | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
12- M- Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault |
13- CB- Doneil Henry | CAN / Toronto FC
14- M/F- Dwayne De Rosario | USA / D.C. United
15- M- Emmanuel Gomez | ARG / Club Atletico Griffa
16- M - Matt Stinson | CAN / Toronto FC
17- F- Kyle Porter | CAN / FC Edmonton
18- GK- Roberto Stillo | ITA / Genoa CFC
19- M- Evan James |
20- D- Mason Trafford | FIN / IFK Mariehamn
21- FB- Andrés Fresenga | URU / Racing Club de Montevideo
22- GK- Simon Thomas |
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