In the lead-up to the men's national team's upcoming World Cup qualifiers, we'll be taking a look at who should be getting the start for Canada in each area of the field. Agree? Disagree? Join the conversation in the comments section below. Yesterday, we pondered who Canada's #1 goalkeeper is. Today, it's the next line of defence -- that is, the defenders.
As the old saying goes, "the best defence is a good offence." Then again, a good defence is probably also an advisable thing to have, particularly in World Cup qualifying when one goal can make such a big difference.
So, when it's all on the line, who gets the call?
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Nik Ledgerwood: The Lethbridge native has been bouncing between a number of second-and-lower-division German teams since 2003, and has become a somewhat-regular fixture at right back for Canada in recent years. He doesn't seem to get much love from Canadian fans, but ever since Paul Stalteri retired and Jaime Peters fell off the map, Ledgerwood has been a serviceable option on a number of occasions.
Mike Klukowski: A perhaps-apocryphal anecdote from a few years ago entails head coach Stephen Hart lauding Kluka as one of Canada's two world-class players (a cookie if you know, or can guess, the other). Fast-forward to 2012, and a less-than-stellar performance in a friendly against Armenia has fans wondering whether the 31-year-old is even a starter for the national team anymore. If Marcel de Jong were healthy, that would a debate worth having. But, y'know, he isn't.
Kevin McKenna: Oh captain, our captain. Big Kev has been a mainstay with Canada since forever, and at FC Koln in Germany for five years. He's a big presence in the centre of defence, and on the attacking side of things -- occasionally listed (and used) as a striker during his national-team career, he's found the back of the net 11 times for Canada. That's more than Tomasz Radzinski or Paul Peschisolido. Yowza.
Andre Hainault: Hainault's a national-team lifer, having served plenty of time on the U17, U20, U23 and now senior-team Canadian rosters. He's also become an integral part of the Houston Dynamo, especially on their unexpected run to the MLS Cup final last year. That playoff run actually created a bit of a headache, as Hainault declined an invitation to play in one of Canada's World Cup qualifiers in late 2011. But both Hart and Hainault insist that's water under the bridge now. Let's hope so.
David Edgar: For a while, it was feared Edgar would become nothing more than the answer to a trivia question: "Who's the only Canadian to score against Manchester United in a Premiership game?" (He did it in 2007, as a member of Newcastle.) But after a rocky few years, the 25-year-old has finally, firmly established himself as a starting CB at Burnley, and a regular member of the Canadian squad.
Ashtone Morgan: The most successful Toronto FC Academy graduate yet, the 21-year-old has taken big strides in a very short amount of time. Whatever you may think of TFC, it's hard not to root for Morgan, as an example of the way things could -- and should -- work: Canadian kid works way up through MLS club's academy, breaks into first team, establishes self and finds his way into national-team setup.
Ante Jazic: The 36-year-old was a surprise inclusion on the World Cup qualifying squad last year, mostly because of his age (even I started this sentence off with it). But 2011 was a renaissance year for the Nova Scotia native, as he logged nearly 2,500 minutes of playing time for Chivas USA. This year, he's started 12 of the Goats' 13 MLS games. Don't kid yourself -- there's plenty of life left in those legs.
Dejan Jakovic: A late addition to the roster, Jakovic is rounding back into form for D.C. United after recovering from an ankle injury. And how did he send himself off on the international break? Oh, y'know, just with a goal in D.C.'s 3-2 win over New England to vault the team into first place in the Eastern Conference.
Atiba Hutchinson? Though Hutch has seen some time at right back with PSV Eindhoven, if we see him in that position for Canada, it means we're totally screwed.
What will Hart do?
Experience is important (perhaps most important) in World Cup qualifiers, so you've got to expect Klukowski to be out there at left back. McKenna is a lock in one of the central positions, and it would only make sense to have Edgar alongside him. A sneaking suspicion tells me we'll also see Ledgerwood out there, based more or less on the fact that Hart's had more time to see him perform at right back in a Canadian jersey.
Squizz says:
Well, I like the central pairing of McKenna and Edgar, so let's assume that's what we're going with. On the right, let's see what Hainault can do -- don't forget, he's an offensive threat that could add one more element to the Canadian attack on corners/free kicks. And on the left... I know there's no way in hell we're seeing Morgan out there, barring some emergency, but that doesn't mean I don't want to see it happen (Morgan getting a shot, that is, not an emergency -- Canadian soccer has had quite enough of those, thanks very much.)
What do you think? Have I gotten it totally wrong? Let me know. Tomorrow, we get to the heart of the matter: the midfield.