Rising MLS stars like Ashtone Morgan could be crucial to Canada's development
In the last seven days a Canadian midfielder has scored in the Champions League, while one of his compatriots netted his third goal of the season in the English Premier League.
A third is first-choice goalkeeper for a club top of their Europa League group, while the quartet is completed by a 2008 Champions League winner.
The problem? None of the four has played a single competitive minute for the Canadian national side.
While there remains hope that Junior Hoilett and Dutch under-21 international Jonathan de Guzman might be talked round, Asmir Begovic and Owen Hargreaves are long gone, defecting to Bosnia and England respectively years ago, and the country’s soccer authorities are concerned about more slipping through the net.
This is one convenient excuse, although by no means the only reason, for Canada not qualifying for a single World Cup since their debut appearance in 1986.
While soccer is by no means the primary or even the secondary sport in the country, a population of more than 34 million ought to produce sufficient players of the calibre required. However, in recent years they have missed out on a World Cup berth to the likes of Costa Rica (population 4.6m), Jamaica (2.8m) and Trinidad and Tobago (1.2m), on the last three occasions not even qualifying for the six-team final-round qualifying group in the CONCACAF region.
With two of the nation’s better players – Dwayne De Rosario and Julian de Guzman – getting on in years, and with a relatively conquerable third-round group of Honduras, Cuba and Panama, 2014 could be the best shot at qualification or at least an improved showing for some time.
Up until the start of the 2011 season both De Rosario and the elder de Guzman brother were plying their trade with Canada’s premier club side Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.
Optimists believed a strong showing under new coach Aron Winter (or before him under Preki) could act as a catalyst for the national side to flourish, but after five years in the league the Reds are still looking for their first taste of the playoffs.
They have now been joined in the competition by the Vancouver Whitecaps and 2012 expansion side Montreal Impact, and while the former may have finished bottom of the pack in their debut season there is still room for optimism on the national stage ahead of the crunch stages of qualification for Brazil 2014.
After something of a slow start, Winter began to draw better performances from a relatively inexperienced squad towards the end of the campaign, with striker Danny Koevermans’ goals-per-90 minutes ratio the best in the league.
While the Dutchman is (along with de Guzman and Torsten Frings) one of the big names likely to attract crowds after the April departure of De Rosario, from an international perspective the performances of Terry Dunfield are not to be sniffed at.
One of the 11 players protected from being snapped up by Montreal in last night’s Expansion Draft, Dunfield has recovered from failing to break through at Manchester City to force his way into a starting berth through hard work and guile. In short, his development is something for others to aspire to.
Meanwhile, more big foreign names could be making their way to Montreal once the Expansion Draft dust has settled, but if coach Jesse Marsch manages to build a strong local core to accompany the likes of Nelson Rivas then it could do wonders for the national game. That said, one of the more high-profile Canadian squad-members, Ali Gerba, was overlooked ahead of the club’s MLS debut.
As far as the third Canadian MLS side is concerned, Dunfield’s departure left young winger Russell Teibert as the only player from the country to feature in the first team for Tom Soehn’s Whitecaps. However he, along with Toronto youngsters Ashtone Morgan and Matt Stinson, is the kind of player that national team coach Stephen Hart will surely be considering for the future.
The continued development of Canada’s growing MLS contingent can only be a good thing when it comes to persuading the next batch of upstarts to give their home country a chance, and that in turn ought to encourage coaches in Major League Soccer to give promising Canadians the kind of opportunity afforded the likes of Real Salt Lake midfielder Will Johnson.
Johnson, along with De Rosario, de Guzman, Morgan, Nana Attakora and Ante Jazić, contributes to a strong MLS contingent in Hart’s team. When coupled with PSV’s Atiba Hutchinson and (hopefully) Hoilett and the younger de Guzman, things are beginning to look more positive.
The big names playing in Europe will help, but a solid infrastructure starts at home. With three Canadian clubs in Major League Soccer, now is the time to push on.
Tags: Ashtone Morgan, Canada, Junior Hoilett, MLS, Montreal Impact, Owen Hargreaves, Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps
Appreciate the comment Cristian. Maybe 2014 will come too soon for such a turnaround, but I feel a lot of the problem in the past has not been the select few Canadians playing in the top leagues, but rather the level at which the rest of the team is playing. MLS progressing and attracting higher calibre players is something that will clearly help on that front.
I see your point about Jonathan de Guzman, and while he’s a great talent I can see why fans would argue he’s made his choice and wouldn’t necessarily be welcomed back that openly. Think Hoilett’s a different situation though, considering it seems at least some of the hesitancy has stemmed from others influencing his decisions.
Of course many of the players are still young and what I’ve said about 2014 will still apply 4 years later, it’s just about who fills DeRo’s boots on an international level and it’s too early to rule out Hoilett for that.
Although I do appreciate the article and the foundation on which it was written I fail to see where you make the connection between MLS Growth and the CMNT.
Forget about Junior Hoilett and Jonathan De Guzman, they’re gone—if they happen to come crawling back because no one else will take them? Fine, its not like Canada can be choosy at this point—they have no loyalty and will only come along when the road is clear and easy. Is that the type Canadian soccer fans really want representing their country?
The truth of it is Canada will not be making the World Cup until the MLS becomes one of the top leagues in the world and more Canadian kids get to ply their trade against the best in the world, period.
Maybe 2018? The MLS will certainly help, just like the old NASL did for the 86 squad. But it will take a lot more time than just one half of a World Cup qualifying cycle.