Ever since Stephen Hart took over as full-time head coach of the senior men's national team in December 2009, he has been candid in stating that one of his main goals was to build more depth at each position in Canada’s player pool. Approaching two years into his reign, Hart has indeed increased the depth at most positions on his squad, with obvious examples being the addition of keeper Milan Borjan as a vital addition at a crucial position, Ashtone Morgan bringing some much needed youth to the left back spot, Tosaint Ricketts looking very dangerous up top and talented defenders Adam Straith and David Edgar injecting new blood into the back line.
However, there is one position at which Hart has not just struggled to build depth, but also laboured in such a fashion that there is currently no clear cut starter as the team heads towards the third round of World Cup qualifying matches next summer: right fullback.
At their final training session ahead of their final second round World Cup qualifying match against St. Kitts and Nevis, Hart admitted that right back is the one position where he still does not have the type of depth that he would like to have.
“There is still one position of concern (right back) and we don't have much depth there. If something happens, we are a bit thin. But I'm happy with the back line and what potentially could be the back line and the depth that goes with that. And it is the same in the midfield. Up front you just need somebody to hit a rich vein of form,” said Hart at BMO Field on Monday.
Ultimately, Canada’s conundrum at right back stems from the fact that the country simply does not have many players who are playing regularly week in, week out at a high level as a right back. This has created a situation in which Hart has had to audition a number of players who do not play as a fullback as their primary position.
When Hart first took over as Head Coach, it appeared that right back was not going to be a major concern for him. He had team captain Paul Stalteri, who is one of the most experienced players in the history of the Canadian program, as the incumbent starter and the uber-talented Jaime Peters as the heir apparent. Unfortunately, Captain Canada – as 34 year old Stalteri has often been dubbed – has since struggled with injuries and is currently still in the process of working himself back to full fitness.
As for Peters, who is probably one of the most athletically gifted players in the Canadian pool, he succumbed to a club situation with English Championship side Ipswich Town in which could not crack the lineup and had to be loaned out to Bournemouth of the English third tier, where he is now working himself back to match fitness and working to improve his game to a level acceptable for further International call-ups.
Canadian defender Adam Straith talks with RedNation about playing right back and his performance against St. Kitts and Nevis:
Hart has since auditioned midfielders Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault and Nik Ledgerwood in the right back spot in recent months and, while both have delivered satisfactory performances in matches in which they weren’t always severely tested, the general consensus has been that playing either of these two midfielders out of position could be a problem when Canada faces off against some of the strong attacking teams in the CONCACAF region.
The Trinidad and Tobago born Hart also endeavoured to call up Toronto FC midfielder Matt Stinson for his team’s November training camp and matches. Stinson had delivered some impressive performances at right back for Toronto FC in his rookie season in the MLS, but he had to pull out of the November camp at the last minute due to injury. While Stinson has shown defensive quality and maturity beyond his years as a teenager playing in his first year as a professional, the fact that his natural position is also as a defensive midfielder highlights the lack of quality right backs that Hart has at his disposal.
Over Canada’s initial round of World Cup qualifying, Hart has experimented with playing a pair of natural centre backs wide right on the back line. David Edgar looked genuinely impressive in the one match that he played at right back, but it also appears that Hart still prefers to play the Kitchener, Ontario born defender in his natural position as a central defender. Furthermore, Edgar has been playing regularly in central defence for English side Burnley and has lately looked very much like he is going to fulfil his promise as the heir apparent to Kevin McKenna on the back line.
In Canada’s most recent match away against St. Kitts, the team delivered a lacklustre performance overall, but 21 year old defender Adam Straith got the start at right back and left most observers genuinely impressed with the manner in which he both defended and pushed forward to support the attack. One game against St. Kitts does not make an International career, but the Victoria-born Energie Cottbus defender certainly showed enough to warrant further opportunities to start at Canada’s main problem position. Certainly, Stephen Hart’s comments following the match suggested that Straith could be back out at right back for the second game in a row when Canada takes on St. Kitts at BMO Field on Tuesday.
“He did quite well in a difficult situation for him, because he hasn't played there all year (with Canada). And the thing is with players is that they need to be playing and they need to playing even more. Even if a chance is not created, if it's something you're not doing often, you are always a little bit rusty. But I thought he handled the game well,” said Hart.
While their could be genuine concerns about Straith’s ability to play out wide against some of the smaller and quicker attacking threats on teams such as Honduras and Panama, there are a number of variables which suggest that the British Columbia native could be Canada’s right back solution. Straith is physically strong, quicker than you would expect for a player of his size and is both a solid character and a young player who is hungry for more experience and opportunity. Furthermore, he is training and playing regularly at a high level with Bundesliga 2 two side Energie Cottbus. Lastly, due to some injuries that Cottbus are having with their regular right fullbacks, the 6’2 Straith is actually that rare Canadian who is playing regularly as a right back at a high level.
Another option that Hart is likely considering is another natural centre back, Andre Hainault. The Quebec native has been one of the top Canadian players in the MLS this season and he has been a key player for a Houston Dynamo side that has made it to the MLS Cup final to be played on Sunday, November 20th. Hainault has been playing regularly at right back for Dynamo during an inspiring run by the team and during his team’s playoff stretch drive and in the MLS Playoffs he has shown a remarkable propensity to not only defend ably, but also score goals in high pressure matches. Much like the aforementioned Edgar and Straith, the 6’2 Hainault probably isn’t the ideal right back to go toe to toe with smaller, quicker CONCACAF wingers, but he has shown in recent years that he is one of Canada’s most dependable and pedigreed defenders.
Ultimately, none of the aforementioned players have done enough to separate themselves from the pack thus far. Whether or not one of them grabs the bull by horns and makes the starting right back spot his own could be a key factor in whether or not Canada will be successful in qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1986. After all, as the saying goes, you are only as strong as your weakest link.
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