Dobson on Canada: Anxious times ahead of Gold Cup

TFC defender Doneil Henry is one of many youngsters in Canada's roster. (CP)

EDMONTON — The Canadian roster may not be ideal for Tuesday’s international friendly against Costa Rica. But the weather sure is.

Monday marked a spectacular day for team training at Commonwealth Stadium. It was attended in full force by the local media, as well. Having a few local players on the roster certainly helps; there are four Alberta players on the squad including two from Edmonton. Only Tossaint Ricketts was still to arrive as the team trained under mild temperatures and brilliant sunshine at Commonwealth Stadium.

Tuesday programming alert: Watch Canada vs. Costa Rica in an international friendly from Edmonton live on all four main Sportsnet channels. Coverage begins at 8pm ET/6pm MT/5pm PT.

Canada’s largest stadium is undergoing a facelift, by the way. All the seats are being replaced as part of an overhaul connected to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Canada’s roster has been overhauled, too. This is a young side guided by a manager who has no idea if and when he’ll coach the national team again. It’s been that way for Colin Miller since he took charge on an interim basis back in January. But even the interim tag is a bit misleading. That implies someone is in charge until a replacement is found.

But Miller is brought in only occasionally, and not necessarily for every match the team plays. He does have a full time position. Since that job is coaching NASL side FC Edmonton, it made it an easy decision to have him hold the reins for this match.

Not that he wouldn’t love the full time gig. He takes every opportunity to tell anyone who will listen that he will always answer the call when asked by his country. He’s not likely in the running, however. Technical Director Tony Fonseca reiterated today what all the CSA brass have been saying since the departure of Stephen Hart. And that is, if the right guy came knocking tomorrow, they would hire him. But if it doesn’t happen until sometime this fall, so be it. They say they will not be rushed into making the wrong decision.

Looking at the team in training this morning, it’s clear they are strongest at the back, and weakest at the front. Goalkeeper Milan Borjan is always in a fight for the number one spot. In front of him, Miller has the likes of Nik Ledgerwood, Andre Hainault, Ashtone Morgan, Doneil Henry and Adam Straith from which to choose. Options get thinner and experience gets less and less as you move forward from there.

But it really doesn’t matter I suppose. It’s all about pushing the pebble down the road and getting playing time for some of these players because many of them are not getting minutes with their clubs. As Fonseca pointed out during a lengthy conversation about player development, we’ve got it all backwards right now. Instead of players coming into camp and simply preparing for an opponent, they’re here to get playing time and try to get better as players.

Will many of these players be on the Gold Cup roster? It’s hard to say. Take Andre Hainault, for example. Not a certainty for the Gold Cup, but definitely in the running. But he’s out of contract this summer. Does he risk injury by playing for Canada if he doesn’t have a pro team?

And if he does sign somewhere, that club will have started pre-season training. Does he want to miss the first few important weeks with a new club?

Serious questions for more than one player. These are interesting and also anxious times for the men’s national team program.

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