After a year’s absence, Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Russell Teibert is back with the Canadian national team.
Coach Benito Floro on Thursday announced his 23-player roster for a Nov. 18 friendly against Panama in Panama City, and included on the list was Teibert
A 21-year-old native of Niagara Falls, Teibert last played for Canada on Nov 15, 2013 in an exhibition game against the Czech Republic. He’s earned seven caps since making his debut for the Reds in 2012.
It’s believed that Floro has been freezing Teibert out of his Canada team over the midfielder’s perceived attitude issues. But if the Spanish coach’s roster selection for the Panama game is any selection, those issues appears to have been addressed.
“[Teibert] knows what he needs to do to come back to the national team. I have already told him and I’m waiting. Once he does what he needs to do, he will be considered again,” Floro said in a recent interview with RedNation Online.
Also recalled into the camp is Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio, who has missed recent games for Canada due to club commitments.
“The season’s done and I am available [for Canada],” Osorio told reporters last week.
Notably, Floro extended an invite to FC Dallas forward Tesho Akindele, a player he had been tracking and spoken to in recent months. Floro was considering calling up the youngster for a friendly against Jamaica in September. He even talked to Oscar Pareja, Akindele’s coach at FC Dallas, and they agreed that it would be better for the youngster’s development to stay with his MLS club and be available to play in its games during the Canadian camp.
The Canadian Soccer Association told Sportsnet that Akindele originally accepted the call for the Panama game, but then changed his mind and declined. Akindle, who was born in Calgary and mostly grew up in Colorado, is said to be interested in playing for the United States, instead. Akindele, 22, scored seven goals during the MLS regular season.
Panama is 56th in the current FIFA world rankings. Canada is 122nd. Canada is coming off a 1-0 loss to Colombia last month in New Jersey. Prior to that, the Reds ended a 16-game winless streak with a 3-1 win over Jamaica in Toronto.
Floro’s team will assemble this weekend and train in Orlando before heading to Panama on Nov. 16.
CANADA’S ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS: Milan Borjan (Ludogorets Razgrad/Bulgaria), Lars Hirschfeld (Valerenga/Norway) and Kenny Stamatopoulos (AIK/Sweden).
DEFENDERS: Nana Attakora (DC United), David Edgar (Birmingham City/England), Doneil Henry (Toronto FC), Nik Ledgerwood (Energie Cottbus/Germany),
Ashtone Morgan (Toronto FC), Karl W. Ouimette (Montreal Impact), and Maxim Tissot (Montreal Impact).
MIDFIELDERS: Bryce Alderson (Vancouver Whitecaps) Kyle Bekker (Toronto FC), Patrice Bernier (Montreal Impact), Julian de Guzman (unattached), Atiba Hutchinson (Besiktas/Turkey), Issey Nakajima-Farran (Montreal Impact), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Adam Straith (unattached), Daniel Stanese (FC Augsburg II/Germany) and Russell Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps).
FORWARDS: Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC), Marcus Haber (Crewe Alexandra/England) and Tosaint Ricketts Hapoel (Haifa/Israel).