Eleven MLS players were named to the 23-man Canada national team roster for their February 5 friendly against the US (10:15 pm ET; FS1, UniMas, UDN in US, TSN in Canada), Canada Soccer announced Friday.
The camp, which kicks off Monday and runs through February 6, will continue Canada’s preparations for their upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Mexico (March 25 and 29).
The squad led by veterans Will Johnson of Toronto FC (38 caps) and Ottawa Fury’s Julian de Guzman (85 caps) features a mix of experience and youth, with most players drawn from clubs based in Canada and USA whose 2016 seasons have yet to begin.
"We need to continue to put forth our best defense, our best attack, and our best set pieces in 2016," head coach Benito Floro said in a release. "Last year, we scored 18 goals and conceded only six, but we could have scored more through the chances we created. We need to improve our last pass and our shots on target."
The roster features four debutants – goalkeepers Tyson Farago of FC Edmonton and Callum Irving, former Philadelphia Union center back Steven Vitória, and FF Jaro midfielder Jamar Dixon.
Montreal Impact goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, a member of Canada’s U-23 Olympic qualifying squad, will also be looking to make his senior-team debut.
FC Dallas’ Tesho Akindele and Orlando City SC’s Cyle Larin will both be looking to build on their breakout 2015 seasons. Akindele made his first seven first-team appearances last year, while Larin scored four goals in 11 appearances in 2015 to finish runner-up for the Canadian Player of the Year award.
The match against the US will be played at StubHub Center in Carson, California.
Here is the complete roster:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Maxime Crepeau (Montreal Impact); Tyson Farago (FC Edmonton); Callum Irving (University of Kentucky)
DEFENDERS (8): Nik Ledgerwood (FC Edmonton); Samuel Adekugbe (Vancouver Whitecaps FC); Doneil Henry (West Ham United); Adam Straith (Fredrikstad FK); Wandrille Lefevre (Montreal Impact); Steven Vitória (Benfica); Karl Ouimette (New York Red Bulls); Mallan Roberts (FC Edmonton)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Julian de Guzman (Ottawa Fury FC); Iain Hume (Unattached); Will Johnson (Toronto FC); Kyle Bekker (Impact Montréal); Issey Nakajima-Farran (Terengganu FA); Jamar Dixon (FF Jaro); Marco Bustos (Vancouver Whitecaps FC); Kianz Froese (Vancouver Whitecaps FC); Marcel De Jong (Sporting Kansas City);
FORWARDS (3): Cyle Larin (Orlando City SC); Caleb Clarke (Unattached); Tesho Akindele (FC Dallas)
