In the lead-up to the men's national team's upcoming World Cup qualifiers, we'll be taking a look at who should be getting the start for Canada in each area of the field. Agree? Disagree? Join the conversation in the comments section below. We've already pondered who Canada's #1 goalkeeper is and attempted to establish our best backline. Today, we get into the middle of everything -- specifically, the field.
Four years ago, the Canadian quartet of Dwayne DeRosario, Julian de Guzman, Atiba Hutchinson and Patrice Bernier was (quite justifiably) lauded as "the best midfield in CONCACAF". But while some of the faces are the same this time around, the expectations aren't at that same lofty level. Still, there's plenty of talent to be seen.
So, when it's all on the line, who gets the call?
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
(Now, right off the bat, a clarification: Depending on what sort of formation and tactics head coach Stephen Hart decides to employ, the line between a "midfielder" and a "forward" could get a bit blurry. And given the recent injury to Josh Simpson, you'd have to imagine the lineup is in for a bit of a shakeup. Still, we'll go through this exercise using the CSA's official roster release to determine who's a mid and who's a striker, and then we'll see how it actually breaks down on matchday, yeah?)
Julian de Guzman: If you read yesterday's post and guessed that the second player named by Hart in that possibly-apocryphal tale was JDG, you've won a cookie. (Note: Offer not valid.) Of course, most followers are aware of the troubles that have followed the elder de Guzman since he signed that designated player contract with Toronto FC. Still, those obsessed with his salary figure may have failed to notice the positive impact de Guzman can still have on the run of play -- including during a recent resurgence with his club.
Will Johnson: WiJo (nah, not really gonna work, but I needed to try) has become an integral part of the midfield for Real Salt Lake -- a squad that has been one of the most consistently dangerous in MLS for several years. The 25-year-old has plenty of experience playing for his country, and brings a not-so-secret weapon to the table: the ability to snap off 30-yarders that seriously test (and sometimes beat) the keeper.
Atiba Hutchinson: Though absent from most of the World Cup qualifying campaign last year with a knee injury (and subsequent surgery), Hutch will play a massive role for Canada this time around. The 29-year-old PSV Eindhoven man will keep things under control in the middle of the Canadian midfield, and he has accomplished something few of his compatriots have: He's scored against Honduras, in Honduras. Let's hope history repeats itself in 2012.
Dwayne DeRosario: You know who DeRo is.
Pedro Pacheco: You probably don't know who Pedro Pacheco is. But he's the captain of C.D. Santa Clara in Portugal, and one of the Canadians (he lived here as a kid, Wikipedia tells me) unearthed by Hart in the past few years. He's made five appearances for Canada since 2010, impressing a number of national-team supporters along the way.
Samuel Piette: Like the little brother who gets to tag along with the big kids on some weekend adventure, the 17-year-old Piette is almost certainly here to soak up the experience and gird him for multiple World Cup qualifying cycles to come.
Issey Nakajima-Farran: Despite playing on the other side of the world, Issey was not forgotten! A member of the Brisbane Roar during their two A-League championship wins in the past two years, the 28-year-old brings years of Canadian experience (24 caps, to be exact) and some proper footballer hair to the table.
What will Hart do?
Goodness gracious, who knows. Simpson's injury has thrown everything for a loop. Hart has preferred to play with a couple of wingers (usually Simpson and Simeon Jackson) as of late -- but the question becomes, does he toss someone else into Simpson's spot in that formation, or make a wholesale change? This one can't be predicted with any reasonable level of certainty.
Squizz says:
Shake it up. Might as well. It's not as though the formation, as it was constructed, was producing a whole lot in terms of offence anyway (except against St. Lucia, I guess). There's not really anyone you can plop onto the field as a like-for-like replacement for Simpson on the left side. And we know that DeRo, Hutchinson and de Guzman (yes, it's true, haters) are automatic starters on this team. Add Johnson to the mix (as part of the midfield, not a straight-up winger like Simpson was), and we may be onto something.
What do you think? Have I gotten it totally wrong? Let me know. Tomorrow, we head up top.