A truth is being exposed in Canadian men’s soccer heading into today’s must-win final game of group play against Cuba at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas, in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The deflating draws against Guadeloupe and Guatemala, nations that sa国际传媒 should beat, shows that Canadian depth needs to be augmented.
The European-based marquee players such as Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan are sitting out the Gold Cup after leading sa国际传媒 into the 2022 World Cup to end a 36-year drought and to the CONCACAF Nations League final last month. Nobody else has stepped up yet to distinguish themselves in the Gold Cup. That certainly needs to be addressed in the years ahead because national sides will typically use up to 40 players in the quadrennial qualifiers leading to the next World Cup.
sa国际传媒 doesn’t need to qualify for the 2026 World Cup as co-host but the issue of depth must be dealt with looking ahead. That’s where the nascent Canadian Premier League, in just its fifth season and including Island club Pacific FC, can play a part.
“The growth of the CPL has been incredible in five years and you see young Canadian players getting the kind of opportunities that had never existed before. Those players could have fallen out of the game but now they are pushing and are the future of our game,” said PFC head coach James Merriman.
“The CPL is the best opportunity this country has had to be a true footballing nation and has helped the success of the national team and of players getting bigger moves and created more interest and awareness of the game across the country.”
Nobody is making grandiose claims that players are going to jump directly from the CPL to make an impact on the national team. But it can be the foundational starting point, that crucial first opportunity to step into the pro game, and take it from there to MLS or Europe.
“You don’t develop players to their maximum without a domestic league. End, stop. That’s the reality of it,” said Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis, who has guided the Hammers to three CPL championships.
“Rewind and go back to 2018 and there’s not eight professional teams,” added Smyrniotis, in a statement.
“I worked in the development game for 15 years before this and we were always looking for a landing spot for Cyle Larin, for Richie Laryea, for Kwame Awuah, Emery Welshman, Kyle Bekker. You you were constantly searching somewhere else. You were having to ask people outside of this country to look at Canadians. Now, Canadians have an ability to start their process here in their own backyard, in their own cities, in their own province. That allows the game to grow.”
According to the CPL, over its five seasons: “322 Canadian soccer players have had the chance to play professionally in their own domestic league, and more than 100,000 minutes of professional playing time have been given to Under-21 [age] Canadians across more than 400 regular-season matches, not to mention high-pressure playoff and Canadian Championship contests.”
Nine CPL players have earned national team call-ups. Two CPL alumni are with sa国际传媒 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, ex-Cavalry FC player Victor Loturi, now with Ross County in Scotland, and Dominick Zator out of Cavalry FC and York United, now with Korona Kielce in Poland. Six CPL alumni, including former PFC defender Lukas MacNaughton of Nashville SC in MLS, were on the 53-player sa国际传媒 selection long list.
A rising tide also lifts all boats. Six players from the CPL are currently away with their national teams during the international window. Malcolm Shaw and Andre Rampersad of HFX Wanderers are with Trinidad and Tobago, Jonathan Grant of York United and Marcus Simmons of Vancouver FC with Guyana and Garven Metusala of Forge FC with Haiti, all at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, while Pacifique Niyongabire of Valour FC is with Burundi at the Africa Cup of Nations.
“International caps are so important and shows the CPL is growing,” said Atlético Ottawa head coach and Spaniard Carlos González.
“In the future, we hope for more, say something like 19 players called up, and having to stop the league [for the international window].”
CORNER KICKS: CPL-leading PFC (7-1-4 in wins-losses-draws), five points clear of second-place York United, meets fourth-place Cavalry FC of Calgary (4-2-6) on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. at Starlight Stadium in Langford.
