With Dwayne De Rosario out with a long-term knee injury, Canada must find a way to earn results in its next two CONCACAF World Cup qualifying games without the services of its all-time leading scorer.
Effectively managing injuries and making adjustments are all part of the job for managers and, to his credit, Canadian coach Stephen Hart has handled it with aplomb. Prior to the loss of De Rosario, Hart already had to contend with the loss of key wide man Josh Simpson, as well as fitness concerns with arguably his most vital player, Atiba Hutchinson.
Hart dealt with the unfortunate loss of Simpson to a long-term injury by moving De Ro into a left-sided role and Canada basically did not miss a step. The D.C. United captain linked up well down the flank with fullback Ante Jazic in two Canadian wins and the draw in the current round of qualifying that has the Reds in the mix to move on to the Hex.
While the presence, charisma and experience that De Rosario brings to the lineup will undoubtedly be missed, his absence is not a worst case scenario for Canada. At this point, it’s clear that the three players that are basically irreplaceable for Hart are Hutchinson, Kevin McKenna and Olivier Occean, with a special mention to midfielders Julian de Guzman and Will Johnson. (With that in mind, the fact that Occean had to leave Eintracht Frankfurt’s 2-1 win over FC Nurnberg last week with a muscle injury just twenty minutes into the match has to be a major concern for Hart).
Realistically, the loss of De Rosario presents Hart with an opportunity to get an in form Marcel de Jong into the starting eleven without disrupting the chemistry and continuity between an impressive back four of McKenna, Andre Hainault, David Edgar and Jazic.
It also provides Hart with an opportunity to give Canada a bit of a different look. While it is hard to find too many faults with the positive team play that Canada has demonstrated to date, in the recent 2-0 loss in Panama City, the Reds did look like a side that was predictable and completely figured out by the Panamanians.
As a natural left footed wide player with a very positive pedigree, de Jong (who plays for German club FC Augsburg) is the odds on favourite to replace De Rosario at left wing. His likely insertion into the starting 11 will give the Canadian team a different look at a point in the qualifying process in which it probably needs it. Through four games in the current round, Canada has essentially been playing without natural wide crossers of the ball in both the left and right side forward positions.
Thus, de Jong could be the player that Canada has been crying out for offensively in terms of his ability to send dangerous balls into the opposition’s box. He delivered a couple of scoring opportunities after coming on in what was overall a very lacklustre display in Panama City. The Canadian side will now be able to use their training sessions prior to their next match against Cuba on Oct. 12 to fully integrate de Jong into the attack.
Of course, moving de Jong, who plays his club football as a left fullback, into a starting role further up the pitch does set off a domino effect in terms of the team’s defensive depth. He and Dejan Jakovic were the two players most likely to step in on the back line in the case of an injury or suspension to McKenna, Hainault, Edgar or Jazic. With this in mind, the form and match fitness of a player such as Adam Straith could now be very important for Canada’s chances of moving on to the Hex.
Furthermore, with the topic of depth in mind, it will also be interesting to see which player Hart calls in next month to take De Rosario’s place on the roster. Iain Hume, Issey Nakajima-Farran, Lucas Cavallini and Russell Teibert look like the most likely options to come in to add another offensive option to Canada’s bench.
Ultimately, the next two World Cup qualifying fixtures are going to be a major test for Canada on so many levels. Can the squad bounce back after the poor performance against Panama? Will the players step up their games in what will undoubtedly be two of the biggest matches of their careers? Can Canada earn a result in the oppressively hostile environment in Honduras on Oct. 16?
Lastly, the upcoming fixtures will once again provide a major test of Canada’s overall depth as a team. On paper, it certainly looks like the Canadian team should be able to overcome the loss of De Rosario. Canada now needs to prove that they can get the job done on the pitch without their all-time leading scorer.
Steve Bottjer is a Toronto-based writer, podcaster and editor for RedNation Online, on online magazine covering all aspects of Canadian soccer. Follow RedNation Online on Twitter.