Canadian national team head coach Benito Floro has unveiled his roster for the team’s two upcoming friendlies against Iceland – and while the Canucks have a massive year ahead in 2015, it’s clear Floro has one eye toward the program’s future as well.
The 24-player roster, released on Friday morning, is predominantly comprised of young domestic-based players, including some earning their first chance with the senior national team.
“We always do things in order to win the game. However, it is true in a friendly game the aim is to play well in addition to gaining a result,” Floro said in a news release. “We need to develop a good defensive structure. But it’s true to that winning games is always a happy time, so our intention is to play well and to win the games.”
Floro had some constraints on his roster selection, as the games don’t fall in the FIFA international window and many of the country’s most promising youngsters are currently involved in the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship. Still, with 12 of the 24 players currently part of an MLS first team or academy, the squad has plenty of familiar faces, including the likes of young stars Russell Teibert, Maxim Tissot and Jonathan Osorio.
Whitecaps striker Caleb Clarke, 21, will also be getting a look after a successful loan spell in Germany during 2013 and 2014. Clarke earned several call-ups to the national team in 2014, but he was unable to attend due to injuries and club commitments.
Veteran striker Iain Hume makes his return to the program after winning Player of the Year honors in the Indian Super League. All-time leading Canadian scorer Dwayne De Rosario is also in the squad, looking to earn his 80th and 81st caps in pursuit of Paul Stalteri’s all-time record of 84 appearances for the senior national team.
On the other end of the experience spectrum, goalkeeper Sean Melvin (Vancouver Whitecaps Residency), Kevon Black (Toronto FC Academy), Christopher Mannella (Toronto FC) and Jonathan Grant (Sigma FC) have earned their first calls to the senior national team.
The team meets for training camp on Monday in Florida ahead of the two games on Jan. 16 and Jan. 19 at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
Here is the full roster:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Sean Melvin (Vancouver Whitecaps Residency); Quillan Roberts (Toronto FC); Kenny Stamatopoulos (AIK/Sweden)
DEFENDERS (9): Nana Attakora (unattached); Kevon Black (Toronto FC Academy); Jonathan Grant (Sigma FC); Dejan Jakovic (Shimizu S-Pulse/Japan); Manjrekar James (PMFC/Hungary); Ashtone Morgan (Toronto FC); Karl Ouimette (Montreal Impact); Maxim Tissot (Montreal Impact); Adam Straith (unattached)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Patrice Bernier (Montreal Impact); Christopher Mannella (Toronto FC); Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC); Julian de Guzman (unattached); Issey Nakajima-Farran (Montreal Impact); Samuel Piette (Deportivo la Coruna/Spain); Daniel Stanese (FC Augsburg II); Russell Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps)
FORWARDS (4): Caleb Clarke (Vancouver Whitecaps); Iain Hume (Kerala Blasters/India); Dwayne De Rosario (unattached); Kyle Porter (unattached)
