This afternoon, something happened in Canadian soccer that hasn't happened in years.
Men's national team head coach held a 25-minute-long media conference call to discuss the roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers... and not a single person asked about David "Junior" Hoilett.
There were questions about Atiba Hutchinson, Josh Simpson, Ante Jazic and Iain Hume, all of whom will be there. There were questions about Marcel de Jong and Rob Friend, national-team vets whose names weren't on the roster. But about the 21-year-old Canadian-born striker for Blackburn Rovers... not a peep.
Yes, it's ironic that I'm leading off talking about no one talking about a player who isn't on the squad. But the fact that Hart didn't need to trot out his familiar "he's establishing himself at his club, we're doing what we can, we'll keep the door open" response is a positive sign.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Perhaps it's because no one really expected Hoilett to make his Canadian debut (if that's ever going to happen) against a resort island ranked #184 in the world. Or perhaps it's a moment of realization that Canadian soccer media and supporters (and whatever hybrid we here at CSN are calling ourselves) should no longer sit back and wait for a supposed saviour. The squad is what it is. Let's focus on who's here, and what they can do for the team.
"These individual players, they want to get to a World Cup," Hart said on the call. "And be remembered as the team... a team that got there, and hopefully they will do everything to achieve that."
In assembling the 19-man squad, Hart said he ran into "complications", including injuries and his desire to pick players who are currently active for their club teams. "However," he said. "I think we got the best possible squad available together."
Strikers Rob Friend and Ali Gerba are absent due to injury, while defender/midfielder Marcel de Jong has "a family situation" upon which Hart didn't elaborate, which could have necessitated an immediate, emergency return home. Whatever that situation is, we of course hope for the best for de Jong.
Potentially in his place along the back line will be 35-year-old Ante Jazic, one of the more surprising picks.
"I thought this season he has been exceptional (for Chivas USA)," Hart said. "Last season he was very consistent as well. It was a matter of him coming in, giving us some more depth.
"And of course, (he has) leadership qualities and experience."
But what about building depth by giving some youngsters a shot? Potential depth players (though not necessarily at Jazic's position) who are playing domestically include Ashtone Morgan and Matt Stinson at Toronto FC, or Russell Teibert in Vancouver.
Hart "considered bringing in some younger player, but overall I think I'm happy with the squad here."
Hart refused to name which youngsters he'd been keeping an eye on, but left open the possibility that, if Canada looks comfortable in the later stages of this opening round, he could name some of them to the roster in November. He noted that he's always been open to giving new or inexperienced players a shot with the national team.
"I'll continue to do that if the situation allows me to," he said.
In the absence of several other veteran strikers -- and any younger substitutes -- Iain Hume is back with the national team, set to make his third appearance for Canada since his catastrophic skull fracture a few seasons ago. Hume went on a bit of a scoring tear for Preston North End toward the end of the last Championship season, and Hart said he's expecting a lot out of the 27-year-old.
"I'm bringing him in to play a certain position and hopefully he does his best," said Hart. "Every time he's come in he's been professional, he's worked very hard. ... I think he's getting back to his best."
Another pleasant surprise on the roster was Atiba Hutchinson. There was some question about his status, given his ongoing recovery from a leg injury picked up during this spring's Gold Cup. But Hart -- while he declined to discuss the injury in detail -- said that Hutchinson has been giving him frequent updates, and noted that the PSV Eindhoven man has returned to full training.
"PSV thinks that he can come and contribute. But we have to keep an eye on him and make sure that he's 100% and we promise to do so."
There could, of course, be a few players at less than 100% -- or at least, not in full match fitness -- given that the season in Turkey has been delayed due to, um, alleged shenanigans going on in that part of the footballing world. Josh Simpson, Mike Klukowski and Milan Borjan all ply their trade there, but Hart said he wasn't too worried, noting that the Turkish clubs have been playing "quite an exhibition schedule against a variety of different clubs."
"I'm quite aware that some players have not even started their season yet," he added. "So we've got to be careful we don't over-extend those players too much."
As for Simpson in particular, Hart noted that he seemed tired mentally -- if not physically -- during the Gold Cup, but that he was expecting the Manisaspor man to be in good spirits once qualifying begins.
So, that's our team. How about the competition?
Uh... yeah, kinda tough to figure that one out, since they rarely play.
"From reports on St. Lucia, they do a lot of running ... (and are) quick in key positions," said Hart. "The main thing about the opponents is how we approach the away games because from all accounts, the fields are not the best ... it could become an equalizer."
As has been seen in recent years in the CONCACAF Champions League, field conditions are indeed usually less than ideal (by which I mean, severely less than ideal) in some jurisdictions. But Hart emphasized that, in games of this sort, one of the key attributes players can have is the ability to adapt to different situations and circumstances.
"When you come to a World Cup qualifier, everything becomes a bit magnified," said the coach.
Indeed it does... as we shall see in a week.
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Addendum: Hart was asked about Hoilett on Thursday in an appearance on The Footy Show prior to the media call by a very apologetic ("I just have to ask") James Sharman. Unsurprisingly, Hart said there was no update.