Canada head coach Benito Floro called in an MLS-heavy group for upcoming friendlies against Guatemala and Puerto Rico, with nine of the 23-man roster currently playing in the league.
The Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC both had two players called into the camp, with the ‘Caps sending midfielder Russell Teibert and defender Sam Adekugbe and TFC providing reserve midfielder Christopher Mannella and backup goalkeeper Quillan Roberts.
Montreal Impact defender/midfielder Maxim Tissot was also named to the roster, with the other four MLS call-ups – Red Bulls defender Karl W. Ouimette, Sporting KC’s Marcel de Jong, FC Dallas’ Kyle Bekker and Orlando City’s Cyle Larin – coming from American clubs.
Former Toronto FC and FC Dallas midfielder Julian de Guzman was also called into the camp. The 33-year-old de Guzman, who has been without a club for nearly a year, is currently training with Columbus Crew SC. Ex-MLS defenders Andre Hainault and Dejan Jakovic were also named to the roster.
Canada will convene in Orlando on Sunday for the start of camp. The team will remain in Central Florida for three days before heading south to Ft. Lauderdale for their March 27 friendly against Guatemala at Lockhart Stadium.
After a day of recovery in South Florida, Canada will travel to the Caribbean for their March 30 friendly against Puerto Rico in Bayamon.
The camp will serve as a final primer for a big summer of competitive matches for Les Rouges, who will start their World Cup qualifying campaign against Dominica or the British Virgin Islands in June before playing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July.
Full Canada roster:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Milan Borjan (FK Radnicki Nis), Quillan Roberts (Toronto FC), Kenny Stamatopoulos (AIK)
DEFENDERS (8): Sam Adekugbe (Vancouver Whitecaps), Andre Hainault (VfR Aalen), Luca Gasparotto (Rangers FC, on loan at Airdrionians), Dejan Jakovic (Shimizu S-Pulse), Manjrekar James (Pecsi MFC), Karl W. Ouimette (New York Red Bulls), Marcel de Jong (Sporting Kansas City), David Edgar (Birmingham City FC, on loan at Huddersfield Town)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Nik Ledgerwood (Energie Cottbus), Maxim Tissot (Montreal Impact), Kyle Bekker (FC Dallas), Julian de Guzman (unattached), Randy Edwini-Bonsu (Stuttgarter Kickers), Simeon Jackson (Coventry City), Christopher Mannellla (Toronto FC), Samuel Piette (Deportivo la Coruña), Russell Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps)
FORWARDS (3): Tosaint Ricketts (Hapoel Haifa), Marcus Haber (Crewe Alexandra), Cyle Larin (Orlando City SC)
