Canada names squad for World Cup Qualifier
While most of the soccer world has their gaze on Austria/Switzerland for Euro 2008, North American soccer fans will be watching events in CONCACAF this weekend as qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa kicks up.
Sunday will see the first of the 2 game home and home series for Canada against St. Vincent-Grenadines in Kingston. No TV coverage in Canada but there is talk that the game may be carried by St. Vincent National Broadcasting Corporation. The return leg happens in Montreal on June 20th.
Not a heck of a lot of surprises for the Canadian lineup announced by Dale Mitchell yesterday – well, except that there are 19 players on it. Isn’t the lineup supposed to be 18? But I digress…
Much of the core group of players that have been involved in Canada’s last few friendlies are here. But one surprise for me is the uncapped Ugo Ihemelu, a Nigerian born defender currently playing in the MLS for Colorado. I haven’t heard of Ihemelu before, but I wonder if this isn’t an attempt to tie the player?
Julian de Guzman may or may not play a part in the game because of the knock he picked up in the Brazil Friendly a few weeks back. But the prognosis looks good, if not for the 15th then most likely for the return leg in Montreal on the 20th, where Mitchell says he is expecting a good crowd. If you are going to the match in Montreal, remember to wear red and bring your voice.
CANADA
1 Greg Sutton | G | Hamilton, ON | CAN / Toronto FC
2 Jim Brennan | D | East York, ON | CAN / Toronto FC
3 Mike Klukowski | D | Oshawa, ON | BEL / Club Brugge KV
4 André Hainault | D | Hudson, QC | CZE / Sparta Praha (on loan from FK SIAD Most)
5 Adrian Serioux | D/M| Scarborough, ON | USA / FC Dallas
6 Julian de Guzman | M | Scarborough, ON | ESP / Deportivo La Coruna
7 Paul Stalteri | D/M | Brampton, ON | ENG / Fulham FC (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)
8 Marcel de Jong | D/M | Newmarket, ON | NED / Roda JC
9 Tomasz Radzinski | M/F | Toronto, ON | GRE / Skoda Xanthi
10 Ali Gerba | F | Montréal, QC | GER / FC Ingolstadt
11 Richard Hastings | D | Vancouver, BC | SCO / Inverness CT
12 Issey Nakajima-Farran | M | Calgary, AB | DEN / FC Nordsjælland
13 Atiba Hutchinson | M | Brampton, ON | DEN / F.C. København
14 Dwayne De Rosario | M/F | Scarborough, ON | USA / Houston Dynamo
15 Patrice Bernier | M | Brossard, QC | GER / FC Kaiserslautern
16 Rob Friend | F | Kelowna, BC | GER / Borussia Mönchengladbach
17 Ugo Ihemelu | D | USA / Colorado Rapids
19 Adrian Cann | D | Thornhill, ON | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps
18 Pat Onstad | G | Vancouver, BC | USA / Houston Dynamo
