Canada visit South Korea for an international friendly next week, and we now know who interim head coach Michael Findlay will bring to Cheonan. But as usual, a roster release brings as many questions as it does answers.
Here’s our attempt to snuff out the five mostly intensely burning quandaries as it relates to this squad.
Who is Jayson Leutwiler?
If you don’t keep an eagle eye on either the Voyageurs message board or England’s League One, you may have never heard of the 27-year-old goalkeeper, who is set to be part of his first national-team camp.
Born in Switzerland, he came up through the ranks of FC Basel and the Swiss national-team program, but never caught on with either first team. He’s now settled in with Shrewsbury Town, where he’s been a regular contributor for three seasons.
He qualifies for Canada through his Canadian-born mother, and his “one-time switch” paperwork was recently approved by FIFA. He’ll make an instant impact – he’s probably already in the top three on the team’s goalkeeping depth chart.
What’s the point of this camp?
Well, is there a point to anything, really? Nihilism aside, this is part of the ongoing player-evaluation process as the CSA continues (or possibly puts the finishing touches on?) its search for the next full-time national-team head coach.
This game also follows the road map laid down a few months ago by CSA president Victor Montagliani, who he wanted the team to play in every international window.
Of course, the hope was that in November, Canada would be competing in the Hexagonal round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying; in lieu of that, a trip to Asia will have to suffice.
Did anyone get left off the squad?
A handful were on the radar but left back due to injury: Sam Adekugbe, Brett Levis, Ben McKendry, Russell Teibert and Michael Petrasso.
The CSA didn’t want to perturb teams competing in the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs, which precluded the likes of Will Johnson, Jonathan Osorio, Tosaint Ricketts, Anthony Jackson-Hamel and Tesho Akindele.
And the federation also played the part of “polite Canadians” as it relates to some players on European clubs, which is the likely reason for the exclusion of players like Scott Arfield and Milan Borjan.
As for Atiba Hutchinson? He’s probably still making up his mind about his national-team future.
Who’s fighting for a roster spot?
Everyone, presumably. But for a few in particular, this camp could be a big break.
Fraser Aird might be part of Canada’s solution at fullback, but he’s listed at his natural midfield position for this camp. Hmmm.
Fellow Vancouver Whitecap Marco Bustos, just 20 years old, is looking to show how his playmaking ability could help the senior side.
Charlie Trafford made his only appearance last fall; the 24-year-old midfielder, who plays in Poland, will be aiming to stake a claim on Canada’s depth chart.
Jamar Dixon has earned two Canada caps, both this year; the versatile 27-year-old just might be a late bloomer with the national side.
What’s next for this team?
Canada’s next confirmed game isn’t until the Gold Cup in July, though with two international breaks between now and then (in March and June), they’ll likely add to that schedule. Continuing their recent trend of touring the world, maybe a trip to South America or Oceania is in store?
In that time, we’ll likely also see a new full-time head coach named. Though there’s no set timetable for that, you’d think that announcement will come before Montagliani steps aside from his role as CSA president (which he’s obligated to do within a year of winning the CONCACAF presidency this past May).
This camp might be the last chance to “set the table” for that new manager – and give them an idea of just what they’ve got to work with.
