If you’ve watched Canada long enough you know the drill -- defend well, stay organized and hope like hell that you get a chance on the counter that you can convert.
The Canucks got to their one and only World Cup that way and have often gone with a bunker-and-pray approach against top competition. So, you’d be forgiven if you thought that Canada might start tomorrow’s game against the USA in the same way.
You’d be wrong though. Canada is not going to sit back and let the Yanks take the game to them according to head coach Stephen Hart.
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“I don’t think right now it’s a situation where we bunker down and play a counter attack -- that’s not our game we don’t have that type of mentality anymore,” he said prior to training today.
Against Ecuador last week Hart started what looked like a 4-5-1 formation with Simeon Jackson as a lone forward. At times the undersized Jackson was lost and Hart says that they have been working on a few different looks in training this week to try and get Jackson more involved.
“We’ve been working on various things and within the three games we’ll show some (formation) flexibility,” Hart said.
The hope is that by the time the third game of the group stage against Panama comes around that a spot in the quarters will be wrapped up and it will allow Hart to have a good look at everyone in camp. Perhaps Canada caught a break by drawing tournament co-favourite USA first. Coming off a game against Spain and not yet in full sync the Americans could be vulnerable.
If Hart is thinking that way he wasn’t giving anything away today.
“I haven’t given (whether it’s good to be playing the US first) much thought,” Hart said with a laugh. “At some point you have got to play everyone,” he added.
Still, a good result tomorrow is important, the coach agreed.
“I think in any tournament your opening game is important,” Hart said. “I’ve told the players that they need to focus on their game. I can’t make comments on the USA, only on Canada.”
With the addition of David Edgar today to replace injured Dejan Jakovic, the Canadian 23-man roster is fixed for the tournament. Hart said that Edgar was brought in because of his versatility. He can play in the midfield as well as along the back-line.
Hart would not confirm whether Julian De Guzman was held out of practice yesterday, but did acknowledge that the team has “a couple” injury concerns.