When Canada coach Stephen Hart called in three Toronto FC players for a pair of international friendlies, the timing could not have been worse for the MLS club.
TFC was also involved in two critical league matches over the course of the same week, but i'ts not Hart's fault. It's also not the CSA's fault. In fact, it's not even FIFA's fault, although we would love to blame them.
It is in fact the fault of the MLS for not adhering to the international calendar, but that's a story for another time. At the end of the day, these things are all about compromise of course. So Hart agreed to send the three back after the Peru match so they could hook up with the club for the Chicago league match Wednesday.
Fair enough, but here's where it gets weird. The plan was to play Julian DeGuzman, Dwayne DeRosario and you would think, Nana Attakora against Peru. Not playing them of course would certainly strike Hart off TFC coach Preki's Christmas card list. There's nothing a club coach hates more than losing a player to international duty, only to see that player sit on the bench. Understandably so, and here's where the problem starts. Hart did not play Attakora against Peru.
There was plenty of confusion as to why not. Was it a lineup mistake? Was he supposed to start but was left out in error? Was he not supposed to start but was put on the team sheet by mistake? And at the last minute was the switch made with Adam Straith inserted into the starting 11 after Peru's approval? Which is it? The latter apparently.
I'm told his name was on the team sheet in error and that it was simply a coach's decision not to start Attakora. Hart told me Attakora wasn't feeling his best. Not a physical thing apparently, but more a mental thing, whatever that means.
At any rate, the three of them are hooking up with TFC in Chicago. And now Attakora, through no fault of his own, could find himself in a tough spot. Ty Harden filled in for him during his one game suspension for the RSL match a week ago, and he did so again against Dallas Saturday night. Harden played very well, especially against Dallas. How does Preki take him out of the lineup now? Unless the coach can find a way to get both players in the lineup, he has a big decision to make for the Chicago game. Can one of them play as a full back? It's certainly not the favoured position for either. And there's no chance Preki will be taking the other centre back, Adrian Cann out of the lineup. So what should he do? No easy answer is there?
Stay tuned on this one.
