Over the past few days — and ahead of the league welcoming its second
Canadian franchise, the Vancouver Whitecaps, into the fold
— MLSsoccer.com has been exploring the state of Canadian soccer — where it's
been, where it's at and where it's going.
Today we scout the current national team pool, which offers a balanced mix of exciting young players and seasoned veterans sprinkled thoughout Europe and North America.
[inlinenode:325271]GK Lars Hirschfeld (32 caps/0 goals) — The 32-year-old Valerenga starter has never settled with a club for more than a couple of seasons. Now that Pat Onstad has hung up the boots, the spot is Hirschfeld’s.
GK Haidar Al-Shaibani (1 cap/0 goals) — The Algeria-born 26-year-old only has one international match under his belt. However, the backup role is familiar – he’s currently understudy at French Ligue 2 side Nimes Olympique.
GK Greg Sutton (16 caps/0 goals) — The 33-year-old veteran has played on four MLS teams and currently serves as a backup in New York. He enjoyed his longest and most successful club spell with the USL Montreal Impact.
DF Marcel de Jong (15 caps/1 goal) — The Augsburg defender has served the Canadian U-17 and U-20 squads despite being of Dutch descent. However, when it came time to choose a senior team, he remained loyal to Canada.
DF Dejan Jakovic (9 caps/0 goals) — Versatile is an understatement when talking about Jakovic. At college he led the team with six goals as an attacking midfielder. At D.C. United, he has become an integral part of the defense.
DF Adrian Serioux (19 caps/1 goal) — Some players have a magical foot when it comes to passing, but Serioux has magical hands. In 2004, he impressed Millwall fans by assisting a goal from a throw-in from 50 yards out.
[inlinenode:325275]DF/MF Paul Stalteri (84 caps/7 goals) — Michael Bradley's teammate at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Stalteri was the first Canadian to score in the Bundesliga. He also holds a record 84 caps and once appeared on the label of a Nutella jar in Canada.
DF Mike Klukowski (28 caps/0 goals) — Currently playing for Turkish club MKE Ankaragücü, the left back’s brightest years happened at Belgium's Club Brugge, with whom he won a league title and Belgian Cup.
DF Kevin McKenna (48 caps/10 goals) — The versatile FC Köln man excels in defense but can play anywhere in the outfield. The 30-year-old is also a veteran of German and Scottish top flights and a regular for Canada.
DF Jaime Peters (23 caps/1 goal) — Peters made his international debut at 17 years old. Now 23, Peters rejected offers from Manchester United and Chelsea to join Ipswich at the recommendation of Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop.
DF Adam Straith (5 caps/0 goals) — A former youth international, all five of Straith’s senior caps have come in 2010. The 20-year-old started out with the Vancouver Whitecaps and is currently with German club Energie Cottbus.
[inlinenode:325273]DF Andre Hainault (17 caps/1 goal) — The Houston Dynamo man has become an ever-present and vital component of his club's defense, and the right back has done the exact same for the Canadian national team.
MF Nikolas Ledgerwood (6 caps/0 goals) — Another veteran of Canada’s youth teams, the 25-year-old has played mostly in Germany, suiting up for 1860 Munich, Wacker Burghausen, FSV Frankfurt and now third-tier SV Wehen.
MF Issey Nakajima-Farran (23 caps/1 goal) — The Calgary-born 26-year-old is well traveled, having played in Japan, England and Singapore. He since settled in Denmark and currently dresses for Superliga side Horsens.
MF Atiba Hutchinson (50 caps/3 goals) — The 27-year-old became the first Canadian to win the Danish Superliga Player of the Year after a superb 2009-10 campaign at Copenhagen. He joined Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven this summer.
MF Josh Simpson (30 caps/1 goal) — After graduating from the University of Portland, the 27-year-old enjoyed stays at England's Millwall and Germany's Kaiserslautern before becoming a mainstay at Mainisapor in Turkey.
MF Patrice Bernier (45 caps/2 goals) — The 31-year-old has represented Canada at every level and his club career has taken him to Norway, Germany and most recently Denmark with domestic cup winners FC Nordsjælland.
MF Daniel Imhof (36 caps/0 goals) — The Swiss-born 33-year-old won a championship in 2000 with Switzerland's FC St. Gallen, to whom he returned this year after a four-year stay in the Bundesliga with VfL Bochum.
[inlinenode:325258]MF Julian de Guzman (44 caps/4 goals) — Before becoming Toronto's first-ever DP in 2009, the 29-year-old enjoyed a successful career at Spain's Deportivo La Coruña, for whom he was named Player of the Year in 2008.
MF Dwayne De Rosario (55 caps/15 goals) — With four MLS Cups and three national Player of the Year nods, De Rosario, the most decorated player in Canadian history, continues to be the the Canucks' best hope for success.
MF Will Johnson (13 caps/0 goals) — Canadian-born but British-bred, the 23-year-old moved to the US as a youth but returned to Europe to play in the Netherlands. In 2008 he joined RSL, with whom he won the 2009 MLS Cup.
MF Terry Dunfield (2 caps/0 goals) — Though Dunfield, 27, bloomed late as a senior international, the former Manchester City youth player could prove key in World Cup qualifying. He recently signed with the Whitecaps.
FW Simeon Jackson (13 caps, 2 goals) — The Jamaican-born 23-year-old, who plays for England's Norwich City, grew up in Ontario and obtained his Canadian passport in 2007 — a week before participating in the U-20 World Cup.
FW Olivier Occean (18 caps, 2 goals) — The 29-year-old tallied 22 goals for Norwegian club Odd Grenland, which earned him a big-money move to Lillestrom. However, a drought ended in a transfer to the German 3rd division.
[inline_node:325274]FW Ali Gerba (29 caps/15 goals) — The well-traveled 29-year-old boasts Canada's most prolific strike rate. The former Toronto striker joined the D-2 Montreal Impact after publicly criticizing then-TFC coach Preki.
FW Rob Friend (28 caps/2 goals) — After stints in Norway and Holland, the 29-year-old led German side Mönchengladbach in scoring during their 2008 promotion campaign. He now plays at second-division Hertha Berlin.
FW Iain Hume (28 caps, 2 goals) — The Scottish-born forward became Tranmere Rovers youngest-ever player when he debuted as a 16-year-old in 2000. Has since played for Leicester, Barnsley and Preston North End.
