The 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar was a watershed moment for the Canadian men’s team.
Canada was back at the World Cup for the first time in 36 years and marked the occasion by scoring its first goal in the competition and doing itself proud by pushing European powerhouse Belgium and eventual semifinalists Morocco to the brink during the group stage.
But Qatar is now in the rear-view mirror as the Canadian men return to action for the first time since the World Cup when they play an important pair of Concacaf Nations League qualifiers this month.
John Herdman has put together a 23-man roster that is mostly made up of European-based players, including Bayern Munich fullback Alphonso Davies and Lille forward Jonathan David, for Saturday’s road game against Curaçao and a home match against Honduras on March 28 at BMO Field in Toronto.
Honduras leads Group C with six points from three games. Canada and Curaçao are tied on three points, but Herdman’s side has only played twice, so it sits second in the table. The winner of this group and the three other groups qualify for the Concacaf Nations League finals in June. The top eight nations from the four groups also qualify for this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup, while the bottom four nations will be forced to play an extra set of qualifiers.
“We have to pick up from where we left off [at the World Cup],” Herdman said. “We created a good foundation, I think, in the last quadrennial to give us a lot to build on moving forward. So [team] selection was more about winning matches. It was more about who’s fit and not injured and who’s playing at the levels required to compete against tough opponents like Curaçao and Honduras.”
Canada will be looking towards these two games as a way to build momentum going forward.
“[It’s] a great time to reconnect with all those guys that we created history with [in Qatar] and to continue our development on where we want to bring this program. This year is important for us to win trophies, to establish [ourselves] as a top Concacaf team, if not the best,” Canadian midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye said.
This pair of games comes at a time when both the men’s and women’s teams are embroiled in a bitter labour dispute with Canada Soccer over a new collective-bargaining agreement.
Earlier this month, women’s team captain Christine Sinclair and teammates Janine Beckie, Sophie Schmidt, and Quinn brought their case before members of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in Ottawa. Sinclair ruthlessly took Canada Soccer to task for fostering a “culture of secrecy and obstruction” in its labour negotiations with the women’s team over the years.
“As the popularity, interest and growth of the women’s game has swept the globe, our most painstaking battle has been with our own federation and trying to obtain fair and equitable treatment in the way we are supported and the way we are paid,” Sinclair testified before the members of Parliament.
The men’s team has lent its support to the women’s team in its fight for pay equity and has also called for more transparency from Canada Soccer when it comes to sharing details of how it handles its finances. Both teams have said their relationship with Canada Soccer has long been fractured, and that their trust needs to be regained.
“The relationship between the players and federation has never even tried to be mended throughout the years. Because of that, this is where we’re at now. There’s a big distance between the two sides that shouldn’t be,” midfielder Jonathan Osorio said.
Fullback Richie Laryea added: “I think both from the men’s and women’s sides, we just want it to be done. People want to get back to playing football and worrying about football, and the Nations League and the Gold Cup. … When you have these things looming over your head it’s difficult to focus on football.”
Herdman admitted everything that’s taken place between all of the parties involved “has taken an emotional toll.”
“It should be a really celebratory time in our football history,” Herdman said. “But ultimately it’s becoming a time of provocation and change. And that’s important, too. As a leader, I don’t think you can just ignore these things. I think you have to ensure you fully understand what’s happening in that environment and how people feel and what they’re really trying to say with their actions.
“But at the same time, we’re here to inspire through our performances as much as what’s happening off the pitch. That’s what I have to focus on now and try to bring this group of players and the organization’s attention to winning two very important matches which give us a chance to maybe go off and push for our first trophy in a long time.”
Included in Herdman’s squad for these Concacaf qualifiers is centre back Dominick Zator, who plays for Korona Kielce in Poland’s first division. Zator, 28, has been previously summoned to the national team but he remains uncapped.
Midfielder Victor Loturi (Ross County in Scotland) has received his first call-up for Canada. Loturi, 21, also qualifies to play for South Sudan, so Herdman no doubt felt including him in this roster could tip things in Canada’s favour when it comes to Loturi’s international future. Other players receiving their first call-ups are 25-year-old centre back Kyle Hiebert (St. Louis SC of MLS) and Tom McGill, a goalkeeper with Brighton & Hove Albion. McGill, who turns 23 on Saturday, has previously represented England at the under-17 level.
Celtic defender Alistair Johnston is included in Herdman’s team, but he has to serve a one-game suspension and will be unavailable for the Curaçao match. Atiba Hutchinson, the team’s 40-year-old captain, has been named to the side even though he’s only played seven times for Turkish club Beşiktaş in all competitions this season, with his last appearance coming on Jan. 27.
The Canadian men’s team opened its Concacaf Nations League qualifying campaign with a 4-0 win over Curaçao in Vancouver on June 9, 2022. It followed that up with a 2-1 loss in Honduras four days later.
Canada is 53rd in the latest FIFA world rankings. Honduras is 81st, while Curaçao comes in at No. 86.
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic can be found here.