When interim head coach Mauro Biello announced the Canada men’s national team’s latest roster on Tuesday, he showed no fear of changing things. Given his and former head coach John Herdman’s reliance on veterans, it’s a breath of fresh air for the CanMNT.
After crashing out of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals against Jamaica in November, Canada must play Trinidad & Tobago on March 23 at FC Dallas’ Toyota Stadium in a one-game playoff for one of Concacaf’s last two 2024 Copa América berths.
The winner will enter Group A in Copa América, plus play the tournament’s opening match at Atlanta United’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Inter Miami CF megastar Lionel Messi and Argentina on June 20.
While relying on aging veterans and the core that got Les Rouges to the 2022 FIFA World Cup could have proved a continued option, Biello shifted things, calling in the most in-form Canadians while adding an injection of youth.
“The idea is to put the best possible squad in place. At the same time, I also have the responsibility of evaluating players for 2026. There are a lot of players in good form with their clubs,” Biello told media.
"If you analyze the squad, I think [the hunger] has kind of slipped post-World Cup. There have been political distractions and a coaching change, and when distractions multiply, things start to slip a little bit. It's about reigniting that passion and refocusing."
The latest roster includes 11 current MLS players, while another seven have graced the league before moving on. CF Montréal lead the MLS contingent with four current players called up, alongside former standouts Alistair Johnston (Celtic FC) and Ismaël Koné (Watford FC).
Overall, the team is the youngest CanMNT squad since 2019, with 22 of 23 players under 30 years old – all as veterans Steven Vítoria, Milan Borjan, Doneil Henry, Junior Hoilett and others were passed over.
After years of backing up Borjan, Canada’s next generation of goalkeepers rank among the best in MLS.
Portland Timbers standout Maxime Crépeau returns to the fold alongside Minnesota United FC’s Dayne St. Clair and CF Montréal’s Jonathan Sirois.
They’ve all looked strong in their initial 2024 MLS appearances, with Crépeau settling into his new Timbers side after returning from injury and a trophy-filled tenure with LAFC.
Through two matches, the 29-year-old Crépeau owns a 0.33 tally on post-shot expected goal saves, per FBRef. Effectively, he has faced some of the most challenging chances and come up with critical saves.
Sirois has also started well for Montréal, offering a steady hand in their unbeaten run (2W-0L-1D) under new manager Laurent Courtois – taking seven points at the halfway mark of their six-game, season-opening road trip.
The starting role likely goes to Crépeau or St. Clair, who have similar experience with the Canadian kit and nearly identical stat lines in the early days of the MLS season.
Overall, it’s a bold call for Biello to move on from Borjan, albeit one many had been calling for in the games following the World Cup. Now, it’s on the MLS rotation to prove their value and solidify places moving forward.
Former Vancouver Whitecaps striker Theo Bair and Sheffield Wednesday’s Iké Ugbo have been two of the most in-form Canadian strikers, but there was no assurance either would earn a call.
Biello didn’t hesitate to bring both to the roster, adding much-needed depth to the Canadian attack. That group will likely again be led by another in-form striker, Lille’s Jonathan David, and former Orlando City SC star Cyle Larin, who’s now at LaLiga side Mallorca.
Bair, who left the Whitecaps after 2021, has hit the form of his career at Scottish Premiership side Motherwell over the last few weeks, scoring 11 goals in 29 appearances this season, boosted by his current run of nine goals in his last 10 games.
Similarly, Ugbo has scored at an astounding pace in the English Championship, bagging 10 goals this season with Cardiff City and Sheffield, including a run of six goals in five matches in February.
“You want to bring in these types of players that are coming in with confidence that are hungry, and I liked what I saw from [Bair],” Biello added. “He scored against Rangers, and is a player that is now experiencing these high-level games and performing in them.”
While there’s a possibility one could replace Larin, there is little chance David sees his starting spot taken away, considering his form of 14 goals this season, only trailing Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe in Ligue 1’s scoring race.
Despite taking a boot to the face and requiring dental repairs over the weekend in Bayern Munich’s 8-1 win over FSV Mainz, former Whitecaps homegrown star Alphonso Davies will play his usual critical role for Canada. He’ll likely play fullback, where he has primarily lined up since Biello took charge.
Meanwhile, even with his limited playing time since moving to Inter Milan and becoming the first Canadian to play in Italy’s Serie A, former New England Revolution attacker Tajon Buchanan will also likely play an important part in the match.
Yet, if either two go down, Canada can lean on Nashville SC’s Jacob Shaffelburg and his stellar form that saw him score a brace against Miami in a recent Concacaf Champions Cup tie. Shaffelburg showed well in his last CanMNT appearance, too, scoring against the United States in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals.
Given Canada’s likely 3-5-2 formation, expect Davies and Buchanan to play as the wide wingbacks, with a potential center-back trio of former Whitecap Derek Cornelius, Portland’s Kamal Miller and Johnston.
