CANADA VS. ICELAND
Friday, January 16, 4:30 p.m. ET
University of Central Florida – Orlando, Fla.
TV: beIN Sports
While most residents of both Canada and Iceland are shivering in the depths of winter, their men’s national soccer teams will be enjoying some sunshine in Florida – but this is no vacation.
Both teams have massive years ahead of them, and will be using a pair of friendlies in Orlando to kick off their 2015 schedules and hopefully build some momentum. Canada is getting ready for the CONCACAF Gold Cup while Iceland is thinking about the resumption of Euro 2016 qualifying – plus, both teams are likely to begin their qualification campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
But the January camp – Camp Poutine, to Canadian supporters – is always a tricky one, since it falls outside of the FIFA international window. As a result, both teams will be fielding largely young and experimental squads, with players looking to prove themselves worthy of being part of the big games later this year.
The FIFA rankings from October 2014 show a startling contrast between the two programs—that month, Iceland reached an all-time high of No. 28, while Canada sunk to its lowest-ever ranking of No. 122. Of course, the FIFA rankings are an imperfect measure of a team’s true capability, and based on recent results, both teams will be looking at 2015 with some cautious optimism.
HISTORY
In international men’s soccer, the two nations have met just once before – a friendly in Reykjavik on Aug. 22, 2007 in which Olivier Occean scored to help Canada to a 1-1 draw.
In fictional youth hockey, the two countries met at the 1994 Junior Goodwill Games, with Iceland notching the victory. (Iceland would go all the way to the tournament final, before losing to Team USA, also known as The Mighty Ducks).
CANADA OUTLOOK
In isolation, 2014 was pretty mediocre for Les Rouges – a win, a loss and three draws. But compared to the disaster that was 2013 – in which Canada scored just one goal in 13 matches – it was a breath of fresh air.
Indeed, Canada (currently ranked No. 112 by FIFA) seemed to gain a little bit of positive energy in the final third of 2014, which included a win over Jamaica, a spirited 1-0 loss to Colombia and a draw on the road in Central America (0-0 in Panama).
But head coach Benito Floro knows that, after 18 months of experimenting with roster and tactics, the time has come for not just moral victories, but actual victories. Canada is expected to begin its 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign in June, shortly before taking part in the Gold Cup with a berth in next summer’s Copa America Centenario on the line.
It’s unlikely that most players taking part in this camp will have massive roles to play in those competitive games; still, for a team that has had depth issues since time immemorial, these friendlies could prove important in the seemingly-perpetual rebuilding process.
ICELAND OUTLOOK
Iceland also had a 2013 filled with heartbreak, as the team fell just short of reaching Brazil 2014, losing out in a two-game playoff against Croatia. But just like Canada, the team received an injection of positivity in the second half of 2014.
After opening group-stage play in 2016 Euro qualifying with conclusive 3-0 wins over Turkey and Latvia, Iceland shocked the footballing world with a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands on Oct. 13. As it stands, Iceland sit second behind the Czech Republic in Group A, as they attempt to qualify for the European Championship for the first time in history.
Iceland, currently ranked No. 33 in the world, jump back into Euro qualifying on March 28, when they travel to Kazakhstan.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Canada – Iain Hume. Six years ago, Hume was nearly killed on the field while playing for Barnsley in England. Last month, he was named Player of the Year in the Indian Super League, the top league in a nation of 1.2 billion people. In between, he provided the “1” in the infamous 8-1 game that all Canadian fans would hope to forget.
Yes, Humey has had one remarkable career.
And though he hasn’t appeared regularly under Floro, the 31-year-old national-team veteran was impossible to ignore after he helped lead Kerala Blasters to the final in the ISL’s first season. For a team as goal-starved as Canada has been in the last two years, a player with Hume’s passion and skill set could be just what the doctor ordered.
Iceland – Rúrik Gíslason. The 26-year-old FC Copenhagen midfielder is the most experienced member of this Icelandic squad, with 33 caps since he joined the senior side in 2009. He’s the oldest midfielder on the team – in fact, he’s the only midfielder with more than two caps for the national team.
He’ll be heavily relied upon for Iceland, going up against a Canadian midfield and attack that – for all its shortcomings – has a lot more international experience. And while not a massive goal-scoring threat, Gíslason has scored recently for his country, notching the final tally in Iceland’s 3-0 win over Latvia in October.
ROSTERS
Canada
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)
Iceland
GOALKEEPERS (3): Hannes Þór Halldórsson (Sandnes Ulf/Norway); Ögmundur Kristinsson (Randers/Denmark); Ingvar Jónsson (Start/Norway)
DEFENDERS (8): Sölvi Ottesen (Ural Sverdlovsk Oblast/Russia); Theódór Elmar Bjarnason (Randers/Denmark); Hallgrímur Jónasson (OB/Denmark); Hjörtur Logi Valgarðsson (Sogndal/Norway); Jón Guðni Fjóluson (GIF Sundsvall/Sweden); Sverrir Ingi Ingason (Viking/Norway); Haukur Heiðar Hauksson (AIK/Sweden); Hörður Árnason (Stjarnan/Iceland)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Rúrik Gíslason (Copenhagen/Denmark); Björn Daníel Sverrisson (Viking/Norway); Guðlaugur Victor Pálsson (Helsingborg/Sweden); Þórarinn Ingi Valdimarsson (FH/Iceland); Guðmundur Þórarinsson (Sarspborg 08/Norway); Rúnar Már Sigurjónsson (GIF Sundsvall/Sweden); Kristinn Steindórsson (Columbus Crew SC); Ólafur Karl Finsen (Stjarnan/Iceland)
FORWARDS (4): Matthías Vilhjálmsson (Start/Norway); Jón Daði Böðvarsson (Viking/Norway); Hólmbert Aron Friðjónsson (Brondby/Denmark); Elías Már Ómarsson (Keflavik/Iceland)
