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There is impassioned soccer joy and heartbreak this week during games in the next-to-last qualifying window for the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia.
That ship, however, has long left port for sa国际传媒, which failed to make it to the current final round of CONCACAF qualifying.
sa国际传媒 will still take advantage of the international window by playing El Salvador, also eliminated in CONCACAF, in a friendly in Houston, Texas, today.
Bays United and Lower Island Metro graduates Adam Straith, a defender, and goalkeeper Simon Thomas are on the Canadian roster for the game.
鈥淲e just got down to Houston [Friday] night after a good, sharp few days of training in Toronto,鈥� Straith said from Texas.
鈥淭he intensity in the sessions has been high, which is something we are going to want to translate to [today鈥檚] game.
鈥淲e also had an intra-squad game the day before we left, which gave a lot of our new faces a chance to show themselves in a game situation in front of the coaching staff.鈥�
It won鈥檛 be from Russia with love, however. It鈥檚 now all about Qatar 2022 for sa国际传媒.
鈥淲e definitely have some talent in this squad,鈥� Straith said.
鈥淚t will be a good experience for some of these younger players, who have never been around before, to be around the environment down here in Houston, which is never an easy place to play.鈥�
Straith has been a regular on the Canadian back line through the last two World Cup qualifying campaigns and has 43 caps. The Islander began the 2017 season with FC Edmonton of the NASL before signing this fall with Sportfreunde Lotte of the German third division. It was thought best he get settled in with his German club, so he missed the recent 2-0 Canadian victory over Jamaica before 21,724 fans at BMO Field in Toronto.
Straith and Thomas, both 27, grew up near each other in Oak听Bay. Six-foot-three Thomas has been capped seven times and plays for Bodo/Glimt, recently promoted back to the Norwegian Premiership.
Thomas is one of the two Canadian goalkeepers selected for the El Salvador fixture along with Jayson Leutwiler from Blackburn Rovers.
Other notable players named to the Canadian roster include Straith, Cyle Larin from Orlando City, Scott Arfield from Burnley, Samuel Piette of Montreal Impact and Fraser Aird of Dunfermline.
sa国际传媒 is a hopeful 2-2-1 under new head coach Octavio Zambrano and his more forward-attacking approach.
鈥淚n a relatively short period of time, our guys have shown they want to play in our new style and that they know it can be rewarding,鈥� Zambrano said in a statement.
鈥淲e鈥檝e won some games and played some good soccer. I think we are on the right track, and this game will be an opportunity to continue that progress.鈥�
sa国际传媒 is 8-4-4 all-time against El Salvador. The teams last met in September of 2016 in a 3-1 Canadian victory at sa国际传媒 Place in CONCACAF 2018 World Cup qualifying.
