Canada announces preliminary roster for Gold Cup

[Yohan]

The same Shaun Saiko who sucks against MLS opposition?

and in comparison to Cebara and Jonke who plays in some backwoods basically?

[Lord Bob]

Saiko is 23 year old playing in NASL. That isn't good enough anymore! He should be playing in MLS or somewhere in Europe if he wants to play for national team. It's time to set standards here.

Also, we got plenty of quality midfielders, but however we lack strikers (that is why Cebara and Haber were called up).

"Plenty of quality midfielders"? We have one quality midfielder.

This whole "it's better to be failing in any other league that to be succeeding in the NASL" argument weirds me out.

[Yohan]

"Plenty of quality midfielders"? We have one quality midfielder.

This whole "it's better to be failing in any other league that to be succeeding in the NASL" argument weirds me out.

No love for Will Johnson? He's been one of best CMs in MLS so far this year

[Lord Bob]

You're right, actually, that was a bit too dismissive. Will is a good player.

[Addona]

So, in reading Hume's Twitter page, it's pretty clear that he was hoping to be part of the GC squad. Unless something came up very recently, could they have just left him off?! That would be very peculiar given the make-up of the rest of the team. Does someone want to tweet him about this (I'm not on twitter)?

[TFC07]

"Plenty of quality midfielders"? We have one quality midfielder.

This whole "it's better to be failing in any other league that to be succeeding in the NASL" argument weirds me out.

Who's failing exactly? Sure JDG and DeRo are past their prime, but they still play in better leagues than NASL and still got something to offer. Younger kids in the mid like Aleman just have more upside and they're playing in better leagues than Saiko. They're all playing well for their clubs!

Bekker is probably only failed midfielder here, but he has been decent for national team though.

[Scottie]

Does Occean's 6 match ban apply to the Gold Cup? We've had what, 2 friendlies on FIFA dates since?

At any rate excited for Aleman, intrigued by Aird. Hopefully Simeon and Atiba have resolved their club situations by the time the roster is paired down, I wonder if they might get cold feet otherwise.

Excellent name. Welcome to the forum!

[ThiKu]

Bekker is "failed"!??!?! He's had a cup of coffee in the MLS so far. How about we give him more than a 1/3 of a season on a terrible team before we cast him off as a failure! wow. And I thought this web page had some interesting posts: http://arcturi.com/index.html

[shermanator]

What is the likelihood of Aird and Aleman being capped against Martinique?

Also, who would Saiko replace? Haber is the only option I see available, go with the higher upside.

[Joe Keeper]

I was really disappointed with the result on Tuesday, but seeing this prelim roster cheers me up quite a bit. Its a decent player pool on paper. If only we can get the lads to get some good results in the GC. I think we stand a good chance if we pick the best squad and can finally play multiple games together.

For me, there is a lot of promising youth in the wings, we just need more games (as always). Kudos to the CSA for getting a 10 day camp together before hand. I hope we can arrange a warm up or two. I would gladly take a game against a minnow right now. Get the lads playing some attacking football early... A few goals would go a mile for our programs confidence right now. I would love to see us play Belize.

Even though Im a strong proponent of the youth movement, I don't mind certain vets getting the final call. This GC is probably last chance saloon for glory for some of these guys. A deep run in the GC is badly deserved by the team and badly needed by us fans.

After the GC though I hope its mostly all youth.

My 23:

GK:

Milan Borjan

Lars Hirschfeld

Haidar Al-Shaïbani

DF:

Nana Attakora

Doneil Henry

Ashtone Morgan

Marcel de Jong

David Edgar

Nik Ledgerwood

MF:

Fraser Aird

Keven Aleman

Julian de Guzman

Atiba Hutchinson

Will Johnson

Jonathan Osorio

Pedro Pacheco

Samuel Piette

Russell Teibert

FW:

Dwayne De Rosario

Lucas Cavallini

Randy Edwini-Bonsu

Simeon Jackson

Tosaint Ricketts

My Starting 11: 4-2-3-1

----------------------Borjan----------------------

Edgar-------Henry---------Attakora-------DeJong

-------------Pacheco----------Johnson------------

---Edwini-Bonsu----Hutchinson-----De Rosario---

----------------------Cavallini----------------------

I would gladly drop someone for Hume though.

[Addona]

What is the likelihood of Aird and Aleman being capped against Martinique?

Also, who would Saiko replace? Haber is the only option I see available, go with the higher upside.

If we are being cynical, I'm not sure if playing Aleman and Aird vs. Martinique is useful since it will not cap-tie them as Martinique is not yet a FIFA member ... We can, however, throw them to the wolves vs. Mexico.

[matthew]

Jakovic is on the roster that CONCACAF released, so I'm assuming it was a CSA error? I was a little surprised that Bernier wasn't on the preliminary roster, but I didn't expect him to make the squad. Then again what I think should be done with this group for the Gold Cup and what might happen are two separate things I'm sure. Good to see Fraser Aird there.

We have to get down from 35 to 23 and we're moaning about Shaun Saiko? I'm trying to figure out how to get Piette, Aleman or Pacheco into the midfield for the squad.

My 23:

Keepers: Borjan, Chencinski, Hirschfeld.

Defenders: de Jong, Edgar, Hainault, Jakovic, Ledgerwood, Morgan.

Midfielders: Aird, Aleman, De Guzman, Hutchinson, Johnson, Osorio, Piette, Teibert.

Forwards: Cavallini, De Rosario, Edwini-Bonsu, M Haber, Jackson, Porter.

cheers,

matthew

[SchteveTown]

Bekker is probably only failed midfielder here, but he has been decent for national team though.

I echo ThiKu - in what possible way can you characterize a guy who has been a professional for 3 months a failed midfielder?

[squizz1402635577]

Didn't wade through all of the pages, so apologies if that has already been addressed...

Occean still has five games left to serve of the six-game suspension he, ahem, "earned" in the World Cup qualifier against Cuba.

Only "official" matches (i.e. WCQ, Gold Cup) count in terms of his suspension being served.

[Grizzly]

FWIW, I've read on many websites that Aird was open to play for Canada. I don't know if he was Milan Borjan open or (insert who you want here) open about it. We shall see.

Aird has usually given the standard keeping my options open response we get from so many players who don't want to play for us but has been also pretty non-committal about playing for Scotland. I think his mother wants him to play for Canada but father wants him to play for Scotland. The following interview with Anthony Totera deals with the topic and Totera (love this guy) takes him to task a bit for not automatically selecting Canada.

[jonovision]

Bekker is "failed"!??!?! He's had a cup of coffee in the MLS so far. How about we give him more than a 1/3 of a season on a terrible team before we cast him off as a failure! wow. And I thought this web page had some interesting posts: http://arcturi.com/index.html

Bekker is certainly not failed, but also hasn't had anywhere near the success that should get him invited to the senior national team, even a 35-man preliminary roster.

[madmonte]

Bekker is certainly not failed, but also hasn't had anywhere near the success that should get him invited to the senior national team, even a 35-man preliminary roster.

But then, wasn't that the supposed purpose of inviting a bunch of those guys to that friendly? So that the Canada staff (as it is) could take a look at these guys, and see who they wanted to come back to future camps and events?

As I said in my analysis of that friendly itself...it is hard to write Bekker off. His accuracy and placement on free kick set pieces, tossing balls into the box for people to get their head on...I don't think he has a peer on the Canada roster right now. Particularly in-swinging balls (insert pun). Watching him amazes me. If someone like DeRo or REB can teach him ways to beat guys off the dribble a little so he could deliver those in open play...we'd have a winger with deliver the likes of which Canada has not seen before. But that dribbling thing is a bit of a monumental task. For now, in terms of set piece delivery though, he's the closest thing we have to a Beckham, at the age of 22. (Yes...he's already 22...for those big proponents of NCAA development, welcome to the downside)

Not to drink his Kook-Aid, but seriously, watch the whole game again, his deliveries are fantastic. And they were good at TFC too. If he learns some of the other things, like defensive toughness...a little quickness on the dribble...ball shielding ability...toughness on the ball...

But at camp, at the friendly, I guess he impressed enough that they want to see more.

[youllneverwalkalone]

Aird seems like a leader. It looks like he was still 16 in that interview and spoke very well. Much different take on the auld firm school boy chores than Lensky.

I hope he comes in to the Gold Cup camp and wins a couple caps. Frankly, none of our wide "threats" are doing well these days so he could be playing more than just a few minutes to be tied.

[youllneverwalkalone]

I'd start these guys against Martinique:

1. Chencinski

2. Straith

3. Dejakovic

4. Henry

5. Morgan

6. Pacheco

7. Osorio

8. M.Haber

9. Jackson

10. Bekker

11. D. Haber

For Mexico:

1. Borjan

2. Ledgerwood

3. Hainault

4. Edgar

5. DeJong

6. Johnson

7. Hutchinson

8. Aird

9. Teibert

10. Aleman

11. Cavallini

Thomas as 3rd keeper.

[ThiKu]

Bernier: Confirmed he has NOT retired from #CanMNT

[jonovision]

But then, wasn't that the supposed purpose of inviting a bunch of those guys to that friendly? So that the Canada staff (as it is) could take a look at these guys, and see who they wanted to come back to future camps and events?

As I said in my analysis of that friendly itself...it is hard to write Bekker off. His accuracy and placement on free kick set pieces, tossing balls into the box for people to get their head on...I don't think he has a peer on the Canada roster right now. Particularly in-swinging balls (insert pun). Watching him amazes me. If someone like DeRo or REB can teach him ways to beat guys off the dribble a little so he could deliver those in open play...we'd have a winger with deliver the likes of which Canada has not seen before. But that dribbling thing is a bit of a monumental task. For now, in terms of set piece delivery though, he's the closest thing we have to a Beckham, at the age of 22. (Yes...he's already 22...for those big proponents of NCAA development, welcome to the downside)

Not to drink his Kook-Aid, but seriously, watch the whole game again, his deliveries are fantastic. And they were good at TFC too. If he learns some of the other things, like defensive toughness...a little quickness on the dribble...ball shielding ability...toughness on the ball...

But at camp, at the friendly, I guess he impressed enough that they want to see more.

All this may be true, but we can't bring in a "designated hitter" for set pieces. The four things that you mentioned that he still needs to learn are also probably the 4 most important skills for a midfielder.

[ThiKu]

So I guess your point is then that if Bekker shouldn't be part of the prelim roster than Aird, Aleman, Osorio, D Haber, Piette and maybe Cebara should not be anywhere close to our roster either - and then in turn what you are saying is our "first choice" players (in your opinion) are all sufficient and doing just fine. Here's a free tip for ya: They weren't, and aren't now.

All of those lads I listed absolutely should be around our national team - which naming them on the prelim roster does.

Other lads not listed (youngsters) who should be near our national team are: Alderson, Fisk, Petrasso, and Carreiro - and there more.

[jonovision]

Bekker, when compared to the others youngsters you list, is several years older, and as inexperienced or more inexperienced as a professional. I just don't have a lot of hope for him. Like Lord Bob, I think Shaun Saiko, at a similar age, would be a better option at the same position.

By no means do I think our "first choice" players have done fine but I do also want to see a competitive team out there. In the three matches I have watched Bekker (vs Denmark, and vs Montreal twice in Voyageurs Cup) he has looked lost. I wouldn't say the same of Osorio, or what I've seen of Piette for Canada.

[Lord Bob]

I echo ThiKu - in what possible way can you characterize a guy who has been a professional for 3 months a failed midfielder?

I never said failed. I said failing. He's playing like garbage, or rather sitting on the bench like garbage; at the same age Saiko had already been NASL Best XI. Remember, Bekker's only ten months younger than Saiko.

[madmonte]

All this may be true, but we can't bring in a "designated hitter" for set pieces. The four things that you mentioned that he still needs to learn are also probably the 4 most important skills for a midfielder.

Definitely and that's why he isn't getting playing time in TFC. But I mean...he's obviously working on it...he already looked a TOUCH stronger in the time we saw him on the pitch in the friendly, so I'm guessing he's improving. Point is, we don't know what the guys are seeing during the training and the camps from a coaching perspective. But obviously...they saw enough to say hey, this guy could definitely be something to look at for the future, so let's familiarize him with the system, and get him involved.

And I agree, Saiko should have gotten more consideration. If they can call 2nd tier Sweden and 3rd Tier Germany then they can call 2nd Tier US. Just sayin.