Iceland and Tunisia were not exactly the marquee opponents Canada fans had hoped to be seeing in action at BMO Field next week, but given the current weather in Ontario, you can understand why the who’s who of international soccer would rather commit to either home games or warmer climates as they build up to the World Cup.
Regardless, both opponents will pose a challenge to coach Jesse Marsch’s hopefuls, and a handful of players will be keen to impress. Injuries have softened the quality of this squad, although several of the hobbled masses will at least be in attendance next week, but it means that there is opportunity for certain players to make a real case for consideration.
Owen Goodman
Three goalkeepers have been called up to the squad, with Goodman very much in the shadow of Dayne St. Clair and Max Crepeau. How long he remains in their shadow is something to watch closely. On loan at Barnsley in England’s League One, Goodman is in fine form having once again saved his side from certain defeat on Tuesday in a 1-1 draw with an excellent performance that fit in nicely with recent games. Goodman has clearly been labelled as Canada’s third-string goalkeeper, which means that barring some sort of injury cataclysm, he will be expected to be a great teammate, and play the role of cannon fodder at training. That’s OK, at 22 his best days are still ahead of him, but is there a scenario where he actually gets World Cup minutes, even if the aforementioned cataclysm doesn’t happen? Neither St. Clair nor Crepeau have exactly started the season in their best form, although they have certainly not been terrible. There is plenty of football before the final squad selection, but Goodman has a huge opportunity to cement his place in the 26.
Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty
The current injury malaise within the squad has focused itself very much on the defence. And while the centre-back depth in particular has been tested, it is at full-back where there are real concerns. With Alphonso Davies, Alistair Johnston, Sam Adekugbe, Zorhan Bassong all out of commission, wide defenders are scarce, to say the least. Richie Laryea and Niko Sigur likely patrol both sides next week, but the recall of Marshall-Rutty is of interest. Since breaking through with Toronto FC in 2024, the right back was sent to Montreal in an unpopular move for fans, before struggling with consistency and then spending a loan spell last season in Charlotte, before being traded to Michael Bradley’s youth movement at Red Bull New York in January. He seems to have found his feet, starting all four matches, and turning heads on more than one occasion as the Toronto FC faithful will attest to this past weekend. It is unlikely a fully fit Canada squad will have room for Marshall-Rutty, but given the ongoing injury situation, an injection of depth is needed, and the Brampton, Ont., product may well find himself in contention if he continues his form with a strong camp.
Marcelo Flores
The poster boy for January’s expanded North American camp, Flores was unable to earn a debut due to frustrating international requirements that seemed to confuse even the Canada brass. Back with the squad and having officially made his one-time switch from Mexico to Canada, all eyes will once again be on him. Flores is a different player to anyone else available to Marsch: the Tigres man is a left-sided attacking midfielder who is happy to make late runs into the box. How Marsch uses him will be fascinating, and with Canada not exactly rife with goal scoring threats, he could play an important role. Off the bench? Possibly, but could a switch in formation mean starting minutes down the road? Lots to consider, but as Canada’s latest shiny new thing, there is plenty of pressure on Flores to have a breakout camp.
Aribim Pepple
Pepple is the latest new, shiny thing for Canada. Unless you make it a choice in life to follow every Canadian footballer playing anywhere in the world, you probably don’t know much about the former Cavalry man. At just 22, and already a bit of a journeyman, Pepple has exploded in League One with Plymouth Argyle, and that is to put it mildly. Twelve goals in his last 18 matches. He was stapled to the bench for much of the early part of the season, but since the year turned, he has been close to unplayable. With Promise David likely out of the World Cup through injury and no one else scoring goals on a regular basis, Pepple has a legitimate opportunity to force his way into the squad. This is the England-born striker's first call up, so there will be lots to learn about Marsch’s system. If he is able to adapt, expect to see Pepple earn minutes against Iceland or Tunisia.
Jonathan David
It really doesn’t matter if David scores another goal for Juventus between now and the World Cup, the fact is, if David is healthy, he starts, and is the team's most important player. That is not to suggest that this camp is still not extremely important for him. His goalless streak for Juve is eight matches, so he needs to find his way again, and there is no better platform than to do it with his country. David may also have several different partners up top next week, although Cyle Larin will feel like a comfy couch. No one has started more games alongside David than Larin, and with his move to Southampton going swimmingly, it is no surprise that Marsch recalled him, and likely sees a reuniting of the two for at least one of the upcoming matches. Coming out of November’s Canada camp, David looked better in Turin, and certainly the club will be hoping the same happens this time.
If for no other reason, this needs to be a successful camp simply to take the edge off the fan base. The injuries have added to World Cup anxiety. The very fact that Canada is dealing with such anxiety is a wonderful thing. Four years ago, it felt all so new, the tournament itself was gravy, and although fans were dragged through the wringer throughout those three matches, there was still an element of imposter syndrome. Now, there are genuine expectations being placed on a good and confident set-up. The grind of continued injury news has been a challenge, so a successful camp with two solid performances both collectively and individually will kick start the “run-in” beautifully.
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