(This story has been updated since its original posting to include a clarification regarding the status of Andre Hainault.)
As the second round of World Cup qualifying in CONCACAF draws to a close, Stephen Hart's men need just a single point in a pair of games against tiny St. Kitts and Nevis to clinch advancement into a third-round grouping with Honduras, Panama and Cuba next summer.
So while things are virtually locked up already, there still need to be warm bodies in red/white kits to take the field in St. Kitts (next Friday) and at BMO Field (Nov. 15). Those warm bodies, as announced Thursday morning, will be some combination of the following 18 men:
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
1- GK- Lars Hirschfeld | NOR / Vålerenga Fotball
2- FB- Nik Ledgerwood | GER / SV Wehen Wiesbaden
3- FB- Mike Klukowski | TUR / Manisaspor
5- CB- Adam Straith | GER / FC Energie Cottbus
6- M- Julian de Guzman | CAN / Toronto FC
7- M- Matt Stinson | CAN / Toronto FC
8- M- Will Johnson | USA / Real Salt Lake
9- F- Tosaint Ricketts | ROM / FC Politehnica Timişoara
10- F- Simeon Jackson | ENG / Norwich City FC
11- M- Josh Simpson | TUR / Manisaspor
12- M- Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault | GER / SC Preußen Münster
13- FB- Ante Jazić | USA / Chivas USA
14- F- Dwayne De Rosario | USA / DC United
15- CB- David Edgar | ENG / Burnley FC
16- F- Olivier Occean | GER / SpVgg Greuther Fürth
17- LB- Ashtone Morgan | CAN / Toronto FC
20- M- Patrice Bernier | DEN / Lyngby Boldklub
22- GK- Kenny Stamatopoulos | SWE / AIK Fotbol
There are 14 holdovers from the roster in the last two qualifiers in October; missing are Kevin McKenna, Iain Hume, Joseph Di Chiara and Terry Dunfield.
On the other side of the coin, veteran Patrice Bernier makes his long-awaited return to the national team, while Mike Klukowski has also returned from injury. In a mildly surprising move, Matt Stinson has received his first call-up to the men's national team, while fellow youngster Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault is also back in the fold.
One of the thorniest issues of the past month has been the status of defender Andre Hainault, who declined the call-up last month to focus on his club duties at Houston. Hainault suggested to Noel Butler on Wednesday night that he was not called this time. (Update 3:12 p.m.) Canadian assistant head coach Tony Fonseca -- speaking to media on behalf of Hart, who was unavailable due to a personal matter -- at first seemed to suggest that Hainault actually had been invited this time around, but had once again refused the call.
The Canadian Soccer Association later clarified the situation, saying that Hainault was, in fact, not invited into the November camp -- which is consistent with what Hainault himself had suggested.
As for the side that will take on St. Kitts, Fonseca said the roster selection was, as usual, based on finding "the best team possible", though "a lot had to do with injuries". Erstwhile captain McKenna is "recovering" and not yet match-fit, while Hume -- who tweaked a hamstring representing Canada last month -- "has some little things happening with injuries."
As for
"What we're trying to do is see as many players as possible," said Fonseca. "We look a look at (Di Chiara) and we felt (right now) we need to move on... Maybe the right thing to do is calling him at a later stage."
But in the place of Toronto FC midfielder Dunfield and the youthful, promising Di Chiara... comes a youthful, promising Toronto FC midfielder in the form of 19-year-old Stinson. Fonseca called the emergence of Stinson and teammate Ashtone Morgan, 20, a "pleasant surprise."
"Two young players playing at that level... for us it's been a blessing, seeing young blood coming in with a lot of desire and passion, and, over time, they will be a great asset to our team."
Morgan and Stinson weren't part of the Canadian squad that competed at this year's men's U17 World Cup, obviously, though both have experience with national youth sides. That U17 team, you may recall, made headlines by being the first Canadian side to qualify for the tournament since 1995 -- way back when a young up-and-comer from Brossard, Quebec scored the only goal for the red and white.
Sixteen years later, Patrice Bernier is still proudly accepting the call for Canada.
"It's great to see Patrice performing again," Fonseca said of Bernier's knee-injury recovery and return to form with his club in Denmark. Fonseca said the recall of the 45-times-capped midfielder "all has to do with his performances with his club and his form."
"(Patrice is) a quality person, a great asset to the national team at this point."
The team, as always, is trying to assemble the right mix of current and future assets... with a few believed-to-be-past assets finding their way into the equation as well.
"We don't care about the age (of a player), we care about performance," said Fonseca, when asked about 35-year-old Ante Jazic once again getting the call, as he has for all of this year's World Cup qualifiers. "As long as he's performing (the way he has), he's definitely part of our plans."
Those plans, of course, are all centered around playing meaningful soccer in 2014, when the world gathers in Brazil. Should that improbable dream be realized, most of these 18 men won't be there. But the old cliches about taking things "one game at a time" and simply playing the opposition in front of you ring especially true with national teams in long qualifying campaigns such as this one.
The immediate task, the seemingly easy one, is overcoming St. Kitts and Nevis. The tougher task, for each of the men who'll be out on the field, is proving to their coaches and their country that they've earned the right to be included in the next leg of the journey.
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