No full-time head coach? No problem for the men's national team!
Perhaps in an attempt to wash away the taste of the failed World Cup qualifying campaign as quickly as possible, it appears Canada may now have a fifth friendly lined up for the first half of 2013 -- and once again, they appear to have found themselves a quality opponent.
An announcement from the Costa Rican Football Federation (note: the original page has since been removed; link is to a cached version) states that their squad will travel to Edmonton for a friendly on May 28. (update) The Canadian Soccer Association has offered up a "no comment" when asked about it; however, FIFA has added the match to its official website (hat tip to Steven Sandor).
The match, if confirmed, would be the men's national team's first game on home soil in 2013, and their first in Edmonton since a 2-2 draw against Mexico in World Cup qualifying on Oct. 15, 2008.
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The game would not fall on a FIFA international date, meaning Canada's roster would certainly be comprised almost entirely of domestic players -- but the USA is also playing a friendly that week (against Belgium, on the 29th), so MLS clubs will hopefully already be in a generous mood at it relates to releasing players. Also, given the game's proposed location, it would seem like the perfect time to give some of FC Edmonton's promising young Canadians a look with the senior national team (the Eddies play at home two days earlier, on May 26).
Aside from personnel, the question of venue is an interesting one. While Clarke Stadium, home of FCE, would be the logical choice, Sandor notes that it is unfit for international matches due to the permanent football lines; hence, the Costa Rica game would likely be played at cavernous Commonwealth Stadium.
But, again, this friendly has not been confirmed by the CSA, so let's not get too excited just yet. Still, if this game does come to fruition, it's another promising step in rebuilding the team (and its coast-to-coast fanbase) in the aftermath of the Brazil 2014 fiasco, and in the run-up to this summer's Gold Cup.
The men's national team's next game is this Friday against Japan, kicking off at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET from Doha, Qatar, with a live stream available on sportsnet.ca.
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