THE CANADIAN PRESS
The absence of some notable veterans means Canada will use a young lineup when play begins early next month in the Gold Cup tournament.
The 23-man roster announced Monday by interim coach Stephen Hart has nine players making their Gold Cup debut. The fresh faces include 22-year-old forward Simeon Jackson, 23-year-old defender Dejan Jakovic, and 24-year-old goalkeeper Joshua Wagenaar.
All three have one international cap to their credit. Jackson scored in his debut during Canada’s 1-0 victory in a friendly against Cyprus on May 30.
One of the challenges facing Hart will be building an attack using forwards like Jackson, Josh Simpson and Willi Johnson without the benefit of any games prior to the tournament.
"The lack of friendlies means you don’t really get to see the players and you don’t get to experience very much," Hart said during a telephone conference call.
"The situation is one where we have some young strikers. We’ll see how they adjust to what we are trying to do. We are just going to see who looks sharpest and who responds the best. I suspect all of them are going to get in and get a chance to show what they can do."
Among the veterans missing from the lineup are midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, defender Jim Brennan and keeper Lars Hirschfeld.
Hart said some players like Brennan were not asked to join the team. Others like De Rosario declined the invitation.
"I think people have genuine reasons as to why they didn’t want to be there," said Hart. "I’m disappointed in one way but at the end of the day I think it opens opportunities for other players to experience a tournament like this.
"Quite frankly, Canada will be looking at a new sort of squad going into the next three or four years. It’s sort of a unique opportunity and have to look at it that way."
Brennan and De Rosario, who play for Toronto FC in the MLS, were both critical of how the national team operated under former head coach Dale Mitchell.
Brennan, who has represented Canada in 49 international games, said he would not play for the national team again as long as Mitchell was coach.
Mitchell was fired March 27 and Hart, who doubles as the Canadian Soccer Association’s technical director, was given the job as interim coach.
Brennan spoke with Hart on Monday. The 32-year-old TFC captain said he understands why he wasn’t included on the Gold Cup roster.
"He said he wanted to bring in some younger guys, which is totally fine," Brennan said in an interview. "We’ve got to start building the national team and getting younger players in there and getting a look at them all."
Brennan still would like to earn his 50th cap.
"If the situation is right I would play for Canada," he said. "I have not closed the door entirely."
De Rosario declined an interview request.
The Gold Cup will be played July 3-26 in 13 different American cities.
Canada, ranked 83rd in the world, opens play July 3 against 75th-ranked Jamaica in Los Angeles. The Canadians then play against El Salvador July 7 in Columbus, Ohio, and Costa Rica July 10 in Miami.
One surprise on the roster is forward Charles Gbeke, 31, who plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the USL. Gbeke has been fined and suspended after a scuffle with a Vancouver teammate.
Gbeke, born in Ivory Coast but raised in Montreal, has three caps for Canada.
"It’s not like we’re blessed with depth up front," said Hart. "Charles would give us something different in terms of a striker.
"It’s unfortunate what happened. Those things happen in a game. He was selected based on what he can give us up front."
.Hart said Canada’s strength will be at midfield, which will be anchored by Julian de Guzman, the most valuable player in the 2007 Gold Cup, where Canada reached the semifinal.
"I would expect him to take up a leadership sort of role," said Hart. "He’s not the most vocal person on the field, but just by the way he carries himself in practice and games, I expect him to add to leadership along with some of the more veteran players."
Canada won the Gold Cup, which determines the championship for CONCACAF, the region representing North and Central American and the Caribbean, in 2000. They also reached the semifinals in 2002.
The roster for this year’s tournament features 11 players from the 2007 team.
Hart coached Canada at the 2007 Gold Cup when Mitchell was tied up with the under-20 team at the world championships. He denied feeling more pressure going into this year’s tournament.
"We are going to compete," he said. "If we do well, we do well. If we don’t, that’s how the tournament goes."
The top eight teams in the 12-team tournament advance to the elimination phase.