Canada

What to expect

Canada on their day can be the most exciting football team in the region going forward. They will be anxious to put the disappointing Nations League final loss behind them as well as three losses at the Qatar 2022 World Cup – they gained prose for their performance in Qatar, but praise doesn’t win games. The key thing for the Canadians is not losing games that they should win, and not throwing games away from winning positions. Without their four match winning stars it is hard to know what to expect but they certainly won’t have that same explosive counter attack that Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David give them. They may even struggle to get out the group stage, which would be a major set back for this programme and a federation that is struggling to win the confidence and trust of its players following bitter wage disputes.

Star player

Alphonso Davies, Concacaf’s player of the year last season, is the shining light and talisman in this Canada team but has been withdrawn from the squad along with star strikers Jonathan David and Kyle Larin. Also withdrawn is the talented Tajon Buchanan. Defensively Canada are relying on veterans who are likely to be at their final major tournament. Milan Borjan, at 35 years old, has been a stalwart for Canada in Canada in goal. Steven Vitoria, at 36 years old, still provides the glue and experience that holds together the Canadian midfield. Overall it is a young looking squad and gives the opportunity for a number of players to make their mark going into three years of intense competition in the region before the 2026 home World Cup. Moisie Bombito in defence and Jane Russell-Rowe up front have exciting opportunity, though it will likely be the more seasoned players who Canada will rely on to get them through the group this tournament.

Head Coach: John Herdman

The Englishman from the north-east is perhaps one of the most liked managers on the Concacaf circuit but his star may be waning after a Nations League final where he was out-thought and out-fought. The question was always whether Herdman could turn his very good and easy to watch team into a wining one. Before the Nations League final he said it was time for this group to take that title winning step and win Canada’s first trophy since 2000. After the final he seemed to be pinning the loss on a federation who he said were not committed to putting a team together to win the World Cup. A dangerous way to talk about your bosses publicly. Herdman arrived in Canada in 2011 and until 2018 coached the highly successful women’s team before taking over the men’s programme in 2018. The progress has been remarkable and exciting, but it does still needs a trophy. Herdman picked 19 of the 23 players Canada took to the 2022 World Cup will be at the Nations League Finals.

Schedule

Group D: Canada, Guatemala, Cuba, and Guadeloupe

Tuesday, June 27, 2023: 7:00 PM (7:00 PM) Canada vs Guadeloupe  – BMO Field, Toronto, CAN

Saturday, July 1, 2023: 7:30 PM (6:30 PM) Cuba vs Guadeloupe  – Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX

Tuesday, July 4, 2023:  6:30 PM (5:30 PM) Canada vs Cuba – Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX

Canada squad