Looking at potential outside shots to be included in the March CanMNT roster
With the latest CanMNT roster drop set to hit the masses this week, I look at some surprise names who could find their way into that squad, helping Canada in their last push towards the World Cup.
Less than 10 days out from Costa Rica, things are starting to come together nicely here for the CanMNT.
After a tough few weeks in terms of news for this Canadian side, at least in terms of the form of several key players and some untimely injuries, the news has gotten a lot better for them as of late. And heading into the final round of the ‘Octagonal’, the final round of World Cup qualifying, which kicks off on March 24th, that’s huge, as Canada looks to keep their spot atop the Octo.
Just points away from securing their spot at the 2022 World Cup, which would snap a 36-year drought in the process, Canada is going to want to come out strong here, continuing the hard work that they’ve done so far through the first 11 games of this final round.
With 3 games to go, Canada is the lone team still undefeated at this stage, sitting with 7 wins and 4 draws, and are currently riding a 6-game winning streak. Because of that, they lead the way atop the Octo with 25 points, 4 points ahead of the 2nd and 3rd placed US and Mexico, 8 points ahead of 4th-placed Panama, and 9 points ahead of 5th-placed Costa Rica, the lone teams remaining in the race for the 3.5 spots CONCACAF has to send to the World Cup.
As a result, you can see why things have been pretty rosy for Les Rouges, who have steadied the ship in a huge way after a middling start to the Octo, picking up statement wins against the likes of Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico and the US as part of this winning streak.
But at the same time, while World Cup qualification is all but assured, with Canada’s magic number to qualify sitting below 3, Canada still has a lot of work to do in this window. Beyond actually securing qualification, they also want to win the Octo and give themselves as good of a chance at being a pot 3 team for the World Cup draw as possible, theoretically giving them a better chance at an ‘easier’ draw for the big dance (on paper).
So even though it feels like the hard work is all but done here, there’s still a fair bit to do, leaving an important task for John Herdman’s side to undergo over the next few weeks.
And speaking of Herdman’s side, it’s going to be very interesting to see who he calls in for this window. Typically, he’s liked to bring in a squad of around 23 players whenever possible, sometimes bringing in extra players if a window is extra challenging, or if he’s dealing with injuries.
Seeing that, it all of a sudden is quite interesting to note that Canada could be missing a couple of key players for this window, in which they’ll have to play two grinding away games, coupled with some tough travel.
Because of that, it could open up the door for some new faces. There probably won’t be many, as Herdman has favoured the guys that have got him here so far (and for good reason), but that also hasn’t meant that he is opposed to guys with inexperience, provided that they can fit into the team, while shoring up the depth and providing competition.
And in this, I’ll dive into some of the newer names that we could potentially see doing those things in this next squad, at least based on what they’ve shown as of late.
Looking position by position, that’ll also give us an idea of not only why they’re knocking on the door in terms of their play, but why the door could be open for them, helping potentially preview their presence in a squad when it does come out (expected to be later this week).
So without further ado, here are some of those names.
(For context, I recently posted my updated depth chart on Twitter, so to get a better idea of where I see guys in this piece, here’s a look at my 44-player Canadian pool right now. Given that none of the players that I’ll list here were in Canada’s squad in January, it makes this relevant to the piece).
GK: Sebastian Breza, Thomas Hasal
And to start, what better place to go than in goal, where there has been a lot of movement on the Canadian front as of late.
Once a graveyard for Canada, that has changed in a big way as of late, as a bunch of goalkeepers have emerged as regular contributors to their clubs in Europe and North America.
So while the goalkeeper situation is pretty settled between Milan Borjan at the #1 and Maxime Crépeau at the #2, with national teams typically carrying 3 goalkeepers, the door remains open for that third spot.
Plus, before, that spot would often be filled by whichever veteran Canada could find that was healthy playing at any level, but now, Canada can rely on some young talent who are excelling at a very good level to fill that hole.
And heading into this camp, the two frontrunners to claim that #3 spot looks to be Sebastian Breza and Thomas Hasal, of CF Montreal and the Vancouver Whitecaps, respectively.
Firstly, there’s Breza, who has come out strong this season for CFMTL, where he’s on loan from Bologna, starting all 6 of their matches so far this year. And he’s done excellently in those minutes, putting up some strong performances despite Montreal’s defensive struggles, which is reflected in the fact that they’ve conceded 10 goals in 6 games, as it feels like if it wasn’t for Breza, that total could be more.
So because of that, it’s put the 24-year-old Norwegian dual-national in the conversation for this role, as he’s already ahead of usual #3 Canadian goalkeeper, James Pantemis, at Montreal (where they both play), suggesting that the same could come soon for Canada.
But while that place seemed all but locked up for him a few weeks ago, Hasal has done his best to make things interesting over with the Whitecaps, where in his first full season as a starter, he has looked very good. After a slow start in his first game, where his side conceded 4 goals off the back of some very questionable defending, he has conceded just 2 goals in the next 2 games, making some huge saves.
Because of that, it’s also put the 22-year-old right into the Canada discussion. Breza probably just edges him based on his bigger sample size, but if Hasal keeps up his form going forward, the discussion could be interesting.
Either way, though, it’d be surprising not to see either of these two in the Canada squad for this camp, reflecting the growth that we’re seeing from Canadians at this position.
CB: Lukas MacNaughton, Joel Waterman
And speaking of growth at certain positions, it’s fitting that we then have the centre backs, as it’s a spot where Canada has continued to see new options emerge over the last few years.
Once a glaring weakness on this team, it no longer feels like the case, as reflected by the fact that Canada has conceded just 5 goals this Octo, keeping 6 clean sheets and never conceding more than 1 goal in a game.
A big part of that? Canada’s ability to find depth at centre back, making up for a supposed lack of talent with a good pool of players, who seem to push each other quite nicely.
So seeing that, it’s exciting to see the continued emergence of more and more Canadian centre back options as of late, just further increasing that pool, and Lukas MacNaughton and Joel Waterman are two of the most recent examples of that.
To start, there’s MacNaughton, who after 3 standout seasons with Pacific FC in the Canadian Premier League, has made the jump up to MLS this year, joining Toronto FC. And there, while his minutes have been limited so far, he’s so far looked very much up to the quality of the league in 1.5 games, showing why he was among the best players in the CPL while he was there.
With his solid physical tools, smart defensive awareness and ability to play on the ball, he’s proven to be a solid fit on a TFC team looking to embrace the modern ideas of their new head coach, Bob Bradley, of which he’s looking to get more minutes under. As a result, he also seems to be a great fit for Canada, who also plays a pretty modern system, making them a fit for the 27-year-old, who is uncapped at all levels for Les Rouges.
But he’s not the only former CPL export who could get a look from Canada, however, and that’s where comes the 26-year-old Waterman, who continues to grab a bigger and bigger role with Montreal in his 3rd season with the club, after a 2020 transfer from Cavalry FC. As a result, he’s played in 5 out of 6 games for CFMTL so far this year, and has looked very solid in each of them, picking up where he left off after a strong end to last season.
A strong passer of the ball, he sometimes lacks footspeed, but makes up for it with good positioning, and looks to be a very good fit in Montreal’s back 3, which considering that Canada also uses a back 3, also plays in his favour. Plus, considering that he’s already been called into the Canadian fold before under Herdman (he remains uncapped), there’s also some familiarity there, making some wonder if he’ll get a nod this time around.
Either way, with Canada looking to keep competition high at this position, we could see one of these two called in, with Waterman the favourite to do so, and MacNaughton not far behind him. A little short on right-footed centre back depth, the fact that they’re both right-footed also helps, among the other skills they bring, putting them in the conversation for this window.
RWB: Mathieu Choiniere, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, Kadin Chung
Continuing through the defenders, then there is arguably the position where there are the most question marks with Canada, and that’s at right back, which is reflected in the fact that I’ve got 3 names here in Mathieu Choiniere, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty and Kadin Chung.
It’s a very solid position for Canada, no doubt, as Richie Laryea and Alistair Johnston are about as good as it gets in CONCACAF at right back, but considering that Johnston mostly plays at centre back for Canada, it does leave the depth a bit thin behind Laryea, which is a worry given how little club minutes he’s gotten as of late.
Because of that, it’s opened up the door for some new names to slot in here, as you’d feel that it’d be in Canada’s best interests to ensure that they’ve got some cover at this position.
Plus, with the usual right wing back depth option, Zachary Brault-Guillard, struggling for club minutes with Montreal so far this year, that’s only opened that door even further, making this one of the likeliest positions where we could see some fresh blood in this camp.
Leading that charge? We’ve first got Brault-Guillard’s Montreal teammate, Choiniere, who after emerging as a breakout player for his side at left wing back last year, has shifted over to the right for Montreal, which is supposedly closer to his natural position of right wing.
And he’s so far looked very strong there through the 4 games that he’s played, earning that spot over Brault-Guillard, providing a good balance of offence and defence down that right side for Montreal, making it a spot of strength for them. Because of that, it’s opened up calls for the 23-year-old to get a Canada call, of which were already starting to get strong after last season, and just continue to grow.
But while Choiniere is a good shout to earn a nod, he also has good competition in the form of Marshall-Rutty and Chung, the pair of Toronto FC players.
First, there’s Marshall-Rutty, who at 17, has been thrust into a starting role for TFC so far at right back this year, and has looked very solid in 2 and a bit games there, not looking out of place despite being more of a winger. He did have a bit of a head start there, to be fair, playing a handful of dead rubber games at the position last year for them, but to be thrown in as he has this year, he’s done very well with the opportunity, looking like a dangerous offensive option, while remaining solid enough defensively at the other end.
And his play has garnered the attention of several big European clubs, who seem eager to snap up the prized youngster as soon as he turns 18 later this year, freeing him to go to Europe. Plus, that’s also put him on the National Team radar, with many seeing him as a key part of the next generation of Canadian talent.
Yet, as mentioned, he’s not the only option on his TFC team at this position, as there’s also the 23-year-old Chung, who is adjusting very nicely to life with his new club after following MacNaughton on the Pacific to TFC pipeline. There, after being one of the standout right backs in the CPL the last 3 years, he’s also looked up to the MLS level, faring well in a couple of appearances for Bradley’s side, showing good two-way ability.
Because of that, it’s thrust him onto the Canadian radar, especially given how wide-open the right wing back position is for Canada.
So ultimately, there’s a lot to like at this position, which shows why it’s probably the likeliest one to see a new face in this camp. There are a lot of players emerging here, and with a potential opening in the Canadian roster, it wouldn’t be that surprising to see one of these names picked, with fit likely being the biggest differentiator for Herdman here given how close it is between the 3.
LWB: Raheem Edwards
Over at left wing back, though, things are a little less intense, and that’s good news for Raheem Edwards, who after a strong start to the MLS season, is in the minds of a lot of Canadians these days.
And because of that, it’s made many wonder if the 26-year-old could get a chance to add to his 4 caps with Canada here.
It’s going to be tough, as Canada’s left wing back depth is quite solid, but with Alphonso Davies unlikely to feature this window as he recovers from myocarditis (and is often deployed as a forward for Canada, anyways), the depth is a tad thin behind the next man, the ever-reliable Sam Adekugbe, with Cristian Gutierrez being the next man up after that, and not having much competition behind him.
Because of that, there’s no reason why Edwards can’t claw his way into the Canada squad, especially after picking up 2 assists in 3 games at left back for the LA Galaxy so far this year. Considering that he’s also shown some solid defensive chops while doing so, it’s certainly put him in the conversation to earn a spot along with Gutierrez, and considering that he can play multiple positions, the door is open for him to push right into the conversation, much as he has done so far.
CM: Stefan Mitrovic, Harry Paton, Ismael Kone
Shifting up the pitch here, there’s then the midfield position, where much like at right wing back, the competition for spots is fierce, and has been for a while now.
The only difference, however, is that midfield has been such a strength for this CanMNT team for a while now, so a lot of those solid names have struggled to claw their way into the fold in recent windows. Now, though, with David Wotherspoon’s long-term injury, and Samuel Piette’s continued ankle struggles, there is room for one or two new faces, which is where those names can potentially shine.
And that’s where Stefan Mitrovic, Harry Paton and Ismael Kone come in, as they are strong candidates to fill that potential hole, should Herdman feel that he needs some depth there.
First, there’s Mitrovic, who I’ll start with by prefacing that, yes, I’m aware that he got called up to another Serbian youth camp this window, therefore making it nearly impossible that he’ll join Canada this month, but given his interest to play for Canada, I’ll leave him here.
Seeing how strong his form has been recently, as the 19-year-old now has 7 goals in 25 games in the top Serbian flight this season with Radnicki Nis, which has opened the eyes of several solid European clubs. Because of that, for a team that has a lack of attacking midfielders, is intriguing to see for Canada, who could certainly use a player of Mitrovic’s skill.
But the good news is that while he’ll be unlikely to don the red this window, he isn’t the only skilled midfielder who Canada has in their player pool, as there’s then the always-reliable Paton, as well as the breakout youngster, Kone.
Starting with Paton, he’s continued to be in strong form with Ross County, where he’s remained a regular, featuring in their last 9 league games, helping them push up to 6th in the Scottish league (out of 12 teams), after previously looking like a relegation threat. And with 3 assists in 25 games this season, it has been an overall solid individual campaign for the 23-year-old, too, who continues to be among the more solid creative midfielders in Scottish football.
So seeing that, it makes him a good shout for this window, especially considering that Herdman has called him up before, just yet actually giving him a cap. And while we don’t know if that’d change this window, he’s done enough to be on the cusp of the squad, which would give him a chance to get that first appearance.
Yet, Paton faces stiff competition in the form of the 19-year-old Kone, who has burst onto the scene for Montreal this year, making 5 appearances, picking up 1 goal and 1 assist so far. Considering that those came in his first pro minutes, that’s doubly as impressive, but those contributions were deserved, as Kone has looked like a seasoned professional right from his first minutes with CFMTL.
As a result, it’s led to many calls for Kone to get a shout to join Canada, be it later this year, or as soon as this camp. And seeing that he’s an Ivory Coast dual-national, you could hardly blame people for thinking that, as he looks to be a player that could do damage in the midfield for Canada for years to come, joining the likes of Marshall-Rutty in that next generation, provided that he sticks with Canada.
So between Paton and Kone, those are some solid options for Herdman to have if he chooses to shore up this position this camp, showing why Canada’s midfield depth is seen as a strength, especially when you remember that there are many other players who could enter this conversation soon, such as the likes of Ralph Priso, Noble Okello, Rida Zouhir and Michael Baldisimo, among others.
Attackers: Theo Corbeanu, Richie Ennin, Charles Andreas Brym
Lastly, we’ve then got the forwards, where much like in midfield, there are also some solid options for Canada to lean on.
Originally, I was going to break down this position by LW, RW and ST, but given that Canada sometimes uses 1, 2, 3 or even 4 up front, I decided to just lump the forwards together as one.
And when doing that, it does make it unlikely that we’ll see any of the names here, as forward is probably the most stable and healthy position on this Canadian roster right now, but at the same time, there is always room for 1 or 2 extra players here, should Herdman choose to shore up his depth a tad.
So if he chooses to do that, that’s where Theo Corbeanu, Richie Ennin and Charles Andreas Brym come in, as their strong performances as of late have certainly put them in the Canadian conversation for this camp.
First, there’s the 19-year-old Corbeanu, who has continued to be a key piece for MK Dons since joining the EFL League 1 side on loan in January, playing in 10 out of 15 games for them as they’ve continued a strong promotion push, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist along the way. The output might seem a bit quiet, yes, but he always seems a threat down the wing for MK Dons, who have been very pleased with his acquisition.
As a result, it’s put him back on the Canadian radar, and for good reason, as the dangerous forward, who can play all 3 attacking spots and is a threat on both feet, can add punch to this offence. Plus, considering that he was actually called into the January camp, but he and his club decided to have him stay in England to stake out his place, this has been coming for a while now, as he looks to earn his first call to Canada since last year’s Gold Cup.
But if not Corbeanu, Ennin remains a shout here too, as the 23-year-old has continued to plug away for Nizhny Novgorod, where he’s played all 4 of their games since returning from the winter break. Considering the level of the Russian League, that plays into his favour, especially when you see that he has 3 assists in 12 games this season, which is decent output for someone often deployed out wide or as a second striker.
One thing that does hurt him is that he’s in Russia right now, which given the political situation there, might make it hard to get him out of (and then back in) the country for national team duty, but other than that, he is certainly on the cusp of the Canadian fold, making him a shout to potentially earn his first senior call-up here.
Lastly, though, if Herdman wants a bit more familiarity, he’s got the 23-year-old, Brym, who is actually the only name in this piece to make an Octo squad (and see the field), after getting a shout back in the October window. And considering that, as well as the fact that he’s arguably been one of the most in-form Canadian players as of late, that makes him a strong shout to return into the fold once again here.
He might be a bit forgotten over in the Dutch second division, but seeing that he’s got 5 goals in his last 8 games for FC Eindhoven, pushing them right into the thick of the promotion race, he certainly has a shout to be picked here. Plus, considering his versatility, as he can play on the wing and up front, that only adds to his case for a selection, making him an outside shout here.
Overall, though, those are 3 very solid options to pick from here if Herdman chooses, and this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Canadian attack options to pick from, highlighting their strong depth up front.
Looking Forward:
But there we have it - that’s the list of players I feel could potentially sneak their way into the Canadian squad.
Of course, this article could be rendered moot if Herdman goes for a smaller squad or some of his players recover from their injuries, but if he chooses to expand his squad or bring in some new names, he has no shortage of players to select from, as seen here.
And that’s exciting, but it’s just the latest example of what we’ve seen as of late in the CanMNT pool, where new names seem to emerge out of the woodwork every week.
Because of that, while Canada’s usual 23-player roster is pretty set, it’s as hard as ever to know how things shake up beyond them, as more and more players are starting to knock on the door, bolstering depth and creating more competition in this team.
As seen over the last few years, that’s huge, and has played a big role in Canada’s success right now, which is why they’re closer than ever to the promised land - the World Cup.
Corbeanu in his debut for Canada back in March of 2021 (Canada Soccer/Jeremy Reper)