If the men's national team is to break through and qualify for the final stage of World Cup qualifying (a.k.a. "the Hex") for the first time since 1997, it will be on the shoulders of the following players:
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
1- GK- Lars Hirschfeld | NOR / Vålerenga Fotball
2- M- Nik Ledgerwood | SWE / Hammarby Fotboll
3- FB- Mike Klukowski | CYP / APOEL
4- CB- Kevin McKenna | GER / FC Köln
5- CB- André Hainault | USA / Houston Dynamo
6- M - Julian de Guzman | USA / FC Dallas
7- F- Iain Hume | ENG / Doncaster Rovers
8- M- Will Johnson | USA / Real Salt Lake
9- F- Tosaint Ricketts | NOR / Vålerenga Fotball
10- F- Simeon Jackson | ENG / Norwich City FC
11- FB- Marcel de Jong | GER / FC Augsburg
12- CB- Dejan Jaković | USA / D.C. United
13- M- Atiba Hutchinson | NED / PSV Eindhoven
14- M - Terry Dunfield | CAN / Toronto FC
15- CB- David Edgar | ENG / Burnley FC
16- M- Pedro Pacheco | POR / CD Santa Clara
17- F- Olivier Occean | GER / Eintracht Frankfurt
18- GK- Milan Borjan | TUR / Sivasspor
19- FB- Ante Jazić | USA / Chivas USA
20- M - Patrice Bernier | CAN / Impact Montréal
22- GK- Kenny Stamatopoulos | SWE / AIK Fotbol
The team that will take on Cuba (in Toronto, Oct. 12) and Honduras (at San Pedro Sula, Oct. 16) is essentially identical to the squad that went up against Panama twice last month. Only two changes have been made: Iain Hume returns to the national team, replacing the injured Dwayne DeRosario, while well-traveled Mike Klukowski also returns, supplanting the youngster Ashtone Morgan.
Last month, as you'll recall, Canada earned a 1-0 home victory over Panama before losing 2-0 in Panama City. Of note in that latter match, of course, are the absences of Will Johnson (suspension), Olivier Occean (injury) and, for all but eight minutes of the match, DeRosario (injury). And, oh yeah, they got an estimated two to three hours of sleep the previous evening.
Now, with Canada needing a win -- and a comfortable margin of victory -- against Cuba to bolster their chances of qualifying, some fans had hoped head coach Stephen Hart might call in some of the offence-minded players we saw at this year's Olympic qualifying tournament, such as Lucas Cavallini, Marcus Haber or Randy Edwini-Bonsu.
Hart did say that Cavallini, for one, was on the short list for these crucial games.
"Lucas is a much different player than Dwayne," Hart told the media on Thursday. "He was considered and still very much is part of the consideration; we still have a weekend of games to go."
In other words, in the (knock on wood) event of an injury in the next week, we could very well see Cavallini getting a call-up to the senior national team. And there's a possibility that such a situation could come to fruition, as Olivier Occean continues to nurse an injury.
"That remains to be seen," Hart said when asked if Occean would be good to go against Cuba. "He is in training (with his club team); the decision on if he plays or not is of course (up to) the coach, but he is back in training."
Either way, Hume (five goals in 36 appearances for Canada) will provide an option in the attack -- and the presumed usage of Marcel de Jong as a left-sided midfielder/winger (in the absence of DeRosario, who was utilized in that role for the national team) should also be interesting, given that he put in a strong showing when thrust into that position against Panama.
Those circumstances combined to make the recall of Klukowski inevitable, now that he's back playing with his club side.
"Mike has had games with his club and hopefully he'll be playing on the weekend," Hart said. "I just thought that (his) experience, going into these two games, would serve us well."
Hart did caution about an over-emphasis on the decisive game against Honduras, stating unequivocally that his focus (and the focus of the team) is on getting the job done against Cuba, something that's not a fait accompli by any means.
"They're a proud people, a proud team, and they're not going to lie down for anybody," Hart said of the Cubans. "Cuba plays much different away from home than they do at home.
"Having watched the games against Panama and Honduras, they played two exceptional games away from home and should have got a result in both games."
That will come as little consolation to Canadian fans itching for a blowout against the winless, pointless and goalless Cubans, to ease their nerves ahead of the showdown in San Pedro Sula. But with the team having only scored two goals in four games, it's perhaps a bit much to expect a massive outburst from Canada, especially given the ongoing personnel issues.
"We've played this (part of the) campaign without Josh Simpson and now we have to go into the game without Dwayne," said Hart. "It's a team thing and players are going to have to pick up in the goal scoring, I don't really care where it comes from."
So, Hart was asked, is there some magic formula to give the team a sudden goal-scoring boost?
"No, but if you have one, give me a call."
Indeed, there's no magic formula, no silver bullet, and no easy way to navigate the next week and a half. Canada realistically needs four points of a possible six to book a ticket in the Hex. And yes, that includes grabbing at least a point in Honduras, also known as the land where Canadian soccer dreams go to die.
"It's never easy, but it's not an impossible task," said Hart. "(The veteran players) know the reality of the present situation we're in... they're going to do everything to galvanize the squad and do what is necessary."
Let's just hope that their everything is enough to see Canada through to a place we haven't been in 15 years... and a whole lot closer to a place we haven't been in 26 years.