We often hear about matchups featuring two teams going in "different directions" -- and when it comes to the men's national team's friendly in Doha on Friday, the contrast between the competing sides couldn't be starker.
The Japanese are four days removed from rubber-stamping their ticket to Brazil 2014, with the Canadian friendly serving as a warm-up (such as it is) for their World Cup qualifier against Jordan on Tuesday.
Les Rouges, meanwhile, find themselves drifting in the footie abyss, without a full-time head coach and without a discernible gameplan for the time between now and their next World Cup qualifier... three years from now.
And while Canada brought some spirit to the second half -- nearly grabbing a crack-wallpapering equalizer, to boot -- the reality is that in the grand scheme of things, the churning-out of a half-dozen quasi-snarky match reports will be the most significant long-term impact of this match.
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That seems harsh, and perhaps Canada does deserve more credit for a valiant performance despite being a team "in transition". (And so it bears repeating: Yes, the Canadian side did produce some quality possession and threatening chances against a strong Japanese side.) But here's the thing: The men's national team is always in transition. We don't have -- nor have we in recent memory had -- the luxury of fielding a starting XI comprised of consistent top-flight starters and/or familiar faces from our domestic league.
We unfortunately don't have that kind of depth, and we don't have a domestic league.
That's not to say Canada doesn't have, or hasn't had, or won't have quality players. Atiba Hutchinson was Canada's man of the match (as he has been so many times before), and looked fully comfortable against a talented, organized Japanese side. Randy Edwini-Bonsu caused significant problems for the Japanese backline (which left some fans bemoaning his exclusion from Canada's WCQ roster last year), while Marcus Haber had a solid performance on the day he scored his first goal for the senior men's national team.
Toronto FC youngster Kyle Bekker was a somewhat-surprising starter, but despite some encouraging early touches, he struggled against a side of Japan's quality as the match went on. Stefan Cebara, a recent U20 alumnus, earned his first senior cap as a second-half sub, but didn't have enough time to definitively assert himself.
They're part of the transition. Are these appearances harbingers of long, productive careers for Canada? Only time will tell.
Milan Borjan had an adventurous day in goal, with one of his penalty-area meanderings leading to Japan's first goal. Borjan, remember, was a complete unknown to Canada fans until being unearthed by former head coach Stephen Hart several years ago. He's now ostensibly Canada's #2 in goal. That's a transition.
David Edgar got the start at centreback (his usual position on the club side), a roster selection that likely raised exactly zero eyebrows among Canadian fans. Edgar, remember, didn't fully catch on with the national side until the just-completed World Cup qualifying cycle, despite being a promising prospect since he was a teenager. Another transition.
Will Johnson didn't wear the captain's armband against Japan -- that designation went to Julian de Guzman -- much to the chagrin/surprise of some fans. But Johnson, remember, has only been a regular starter for the senior national team for several years -- yet has shown enough that he's the captain-in-waiting in the eyes of large numbers of Canadian fans (your author included).
Simeon Jackson came in off the bench late in the second half. He went from being a relative unknown in the Canadian youth ranks, to being a major contributor in two teams getting promoted in England (including scoring the promotion-clinching goal for Norwich City in their march to the Premier League). Now, though, his ascent appears to have stalled somewhat, with his place in some question for the Canaries.
So, what's the point?
The point is that whether this game ended 2-1 (which it did), or 5-1 (which it could have) or 2-2 (which it also could have), the end result would have been the same: The men's national team would be throwing as much as it could against the wall to see what stuck. As interim head coach Tony Fonseca said himself after the game: "There were some young players that showed they might be part of a future generation for Canada. We are encouraged by that."
When the games start really mattering for Canada again -- several years from now -- some of the players on this roster will feature. Many won't. Some of the key players in 2016 won't have even been on the roster against Japan, or in Canada's next friendly against Belarus on Monday. Such is the reality for a team constantly in transition.
What are Canadian supporters to do in the meantime, then?
Enjoy the ride, as best you can. Sit back and attempt to gain some entertainment or satisfaction from watching a collection of men suiting up to represent your country in international competition. There was some of that to be had in the friendly against Japan, as there may well be against Belarus on Monday (though the game won't be televised, so, that'll make it a bit tougher).
Sure, we've always got to keep our eyes on the big picture -- but sometimes that picture is so enormous that all your eyes can do is focus on one small element you find particularly pleasing.
Keep that in mind, and the next few years won't be so bad.
We hope.
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