Canada receives reinforcements for its World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Mexico in Edmonton.
Captain Atiba Hutchinson, Cyle Larin, Milan Borjan and Lucas Cavallini are back in the squad after missing the October matches. Hutchinson, Larin and Cavallini suffered injuries as Borjan, Canada’s No. 1 goalie, recovered from COVID-19.
And coach John Herdman was able to add depth to the striker with former England junior international Ike Ugbo joining the fold after changing international allegiance to Canada.
“Ike is an exciting prospect,” Herdman said. “I think we make him join us with his best years ahead of him. He was in wonderful form for the Cercle de Bruges last year and he was transferred to Genk (Belgian KRC team-mate)… I think his star will continue to build. ”
“For Canada, it’s just more depth,” he added.
Herdman describes Ugbo as a “peerless No.9” who enjoys leading the line and playing between the two center-backs.
Returning veterans and Ugbo only add to the competition for squad spots, he added.
The Canadians, ranked 48th in the world, will face No.45 Costa Rica on November 12 and No.9 Mexico on November 16, both at Commonwealth Stadium. With points at home at a premium, the November games are crucial with only two more at home following.
Canada (2-0-4, 10 points) currently sits third in the octagonal standings behind Mexico (4-0-2, 14 points) and the United States, 13th (3-1-2, 11 points) , Panama (2- 2-2, eight points is fourth) and Costa Rica (1-3-2, five points) fifth.
Ugbo, 23, a former young Chelsea player, joins an attack that already includes Larin, Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies, Tajon Buchanan and Cavallini.
Ugbo, whose first name is EE-kay, is one of seven players from the Canadian squad currently involved in UEFA club competitions, having already appeared in three UEFA Europa League matches. The others are Borjan, David, Davies, Hutchinson, Larin and Liam Millar.
“He plays in one of the best clubs in Belgium and he has a plan in mind for the direction of his career. And Canada is part of that plan, ”Herdman said.
Born in London to Nigerian parents, Ugbo played youth football at Brampton East SC and the Woodbridge Strikers before returning to England and joining Chelsea academy at the Under-10 level. Herdman said a contact at Woodbridge informed them in 2018 that Ugbo could play for Canada.
At the time, Chelsea said the youngster was focused on England and had no interest in Canada.
“It’s just a process of patience over a three-year period,” Herdman said. “The program has come a long way and I think the results of the last few days have made a difference. Some players also kept in touch with Ike. So from all angles, we encouraged him to keep thinking about being a part of this journey with us. It’s a special trip.
He said he had had a conversation with Ugbo recently and that “it was for the betterment of this country”.
Junior Hoilett, Scott Kennedy and Charles-Andreas Brym are out due to injury for the November window. Hoilett and Kennedy were also not available in October.
With 88 caps, Hutchinson, 38, is set to surpass Julian de Guzman’s men’s national record of 89.
The spotlight will also be on Davies as he plays his first matches as a pro in his hometown. He left at 14 to join the Vancouver Whitecaps and, having turned 21 this week, is now a world star with Bayern Munich.
Herdman says that while Davies has matured, he remains the same in many ways.
“He had wonderful experiences that I’m sure shaped him. But I really feel like he just kept his identity. He’s that kid at heart. When he’s in the environment (of the Canadian team), he’s a player, he’s fun. When he’s on the pitch I don’t think he’s changed either.
“What he’s really been able to bring is a winning mentality and speaking with a level of confidence that anything is possible with this team. I haven’t seen a massive change – because you don’t want Phonzie to change. You want him to continue to be him and all that is good about him. But he is shaping the mentality of this new Canada (team) and rightly so. He has been there and has done it at the highest level.
Canada has a 5-8-9 record against Costa Rica since 1985, including a 1-3-2 record in World Cup qualifying games. The Canadians shut out Costa Rica 2-0 in the Gold Cup quarter-finals in July when they last met.
Canada then lost 2-1 to Mexico in the semifinals, but kept CONCACAF’s power tied 1-1 in Mexico City on October 7, improving their record against the Mexicans to 4-20-9 (1- 12-8 at the World Cup qualifying).
The two teams have drawn in the previous two meetings at Commonwealth Stadium by the same score of 2-2, in October 1997 and October 2008.
Canada is 11-4-2 this year with eight clean sheets and a record 52 goals scored.
The Canadians reached the CONCACAF qualifying final round for the first time since France ’98 preparations after winning a first-round group that included Aruba, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Suriname. Herdman’s team then eliminated Haiti in a two-man second-round series.
After the two games in November, Canada will play three more games in January / February and three more in March. The top three teams will represent North America, Central America and the Caribbean at Qatar 2022, with fourth place taking part in an intercontinental playoff to see who will join them.
Proving once again that he leaves nothing to chance, Herdman revealed that he had already spent an hour chatting with the Commonwealth Stadium goalkeeper about the preparation of the playing surface, although he did not have not detailed what could or could be done with the artificial turf.
“I loved it because he’s going to do whatever he can to make sure the turf is good for Canada,” said Herdman.
The coach of Canada says the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL are also opening the doors to some of their facilities. Canada Soccer says nearly 40,000 tickets were sold for each game.
“When you go to Edmonton you feel like the whole city is behind you,” Herdman said.
Goalkeepers: Milan Borjan, Red Star Belgrade (Serbia); Maxime Crepeau, Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); James Pantemis, CF Montreal.
Defenders: Samuel Adekugbe, Hatayspor FC (Turkey); Derek Cornelius, Panetolikos FC (Greece); Doneil Henry, Suwon Samsung Bluewings (South Korea); Alistair Johnston, Nashville SC (MLS); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Kamal Miller, CF Montreal (MLS); Steven Vitoria, Moreirense FC (Portugal).
Midfielder: Stephen Eustaquio, FC Pacos de Ferreira (Portugal); Atiba Hutchinson, Besiktas JK (Turkey); Mark-Anthony Kaye, Colorado Rapids (MLS); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Samuel Piette, CF Montreal (MLS); David Wotherspoon, St. Johnstone FC (Scotland).
Before: Tajon Buchanan, New England Revolution (MLS); Lucas Cavallini, Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Jonathan David, OSC Lille (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Cyle Larin, Besiktas JK (Turkey); Liam Millar, FC Basel (Switzerland); Ike Ugbo, KRC Genk (Belgium).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on November 5, 2021
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