Dwayne De Rosario once described Stephan Hart as a coach who wants to win. But if he doesn't, he will at least look good in losing.
So now, after a horrendous(ly boring) World Cup qualification run under Dale Mitchell, the Canadian men's national team takes the spotlight again at the biennial championship.
Hart, who will actually bookend the Mitchell era by serving as interim coach at a Gold Cup, took supporters on a fantastic voyage back in '06 when he removed the shackles from midfielders De Rosario and Julian de Guzman to get within a (insert expletive) offside call of making the final.
On Monday the coach unveiled the list of 23 players saddled with the responsibility of re-building a damaged reputation.
So, with the list out for all to see and dissect, here are a few good, bad & ugly points on Hart's selection.
The Good
Julian de Guzman. Paul Stalteri may be the captain and elder statesman, but de Guzman is the engine of the team. With De Rosario deciding to make club soccer his game of choice this summer, de Guzman has equal flair and enough big games in Spain and Europe to make him one of the top three players in the whole tournament.
Kevin Harmse
Harmse will never knock you over with his speed or skill, but the Toronto FC player showed what a regular game can do by earning a call-up under Hart. Ex-TFC coach John Carver and Chris Cummins both deploy(ed) Harmse with regularity in the starting 11, and while many bemoan those very decisions, it reveals a fair bit about the player.
Harmse is a handful when he makes life difficult for his assignment; and can annoy to the height of distraction.
Simeon Jackson
When Canada won the Gold Cup in 2000 it was also the first time casual followers of the national team heard the name Dwayne De Rosario. Well, soccer moms, Gillingham striker Simeon Jackson might be the DeRo of 2009. The 22-year old has 21 goals in 59 appearances for the newly-promoted League One club and boasts a 2009 tryout with Manchester United to his resume.
The Guardian has more on Jackson.
The Bad
The bad is actually the good for supporters of Toronto FC. I did not get to see much of Adrian Serioux while he was playing in FC Dallas, but from what I have seen of the fullback in Toronto I have been impressed. I only remember one poor decision by Serioux at home this year, and goalkeeper Stefan Frei bailed him out for it.
(Which will be addressed in the ugly.)
I imagine like DeRo, Serioux made a commitment to TFC team and its endeavour to make the post-season.
The ugly
In the wake of Toronto FC beating Montreal Impact by one goal to nil in the curtain-raiser of the Nutrilte Canadian Championship, a colleague said to me, "Too bad Matt Jordan is not Canadian."
In the defeat Jordan stopped 16 shots, several of the spectacular fashion.
For Canada, Hart invited Greg Sutton, Kenny Stamatopoulos and Joshua Wagenaar. Sutton is currently without a club while Stamatopoulos and Wagenaar plays in places that would be difficult to locate on a map.
Veteran Lars Hirschfeld declined on the opportunity.
One has to wonder why Portsmouth No. 2 goalkeeper Asmir Begovic was not invited?
Regardless, very few expect much -- if anything -- from the Canadian squad at the Gold Cup. I imagine the same was said about the Class of '00.
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