With the MLS Cup Playoffs set to begin this week, the club futures of the Canadian men’s national team’s top two goalkeepers, Maxime Crépeau and Dayne St. Clair, remain unresolved.
While the Portland Timbers and head coach Phil Neville have not yet decided who will start the team’s wild-card round match Wednesday night against Real Salt Lake, sources says Crépeau will look for a new home once Portland’s postseason ends.
The 31-year-old Greenfield Park, Que., native just finished the second season of a two-year deal, and although Portland has a club option for 2026, the decision has apparently already been made that Crépeau will move on. Crépeau made just 15 starts for Portland this season as he battled James Pantemis for the team’s No.1 job. Pantemis made 19 starts.
With just over 200 days to go before Canada opens its 2026 World Cup campaign in Toronto, and with head coach Jesse Marsch continuing to alternate between Crépeau and St. Clair in Canada’s net, Crépeau needs certainty in his club situation to continue to challenge St. Clair.
Meanwhile, St. Clair will almost certainly start Minnesota United’s first-round matchup against Seattle next Monday, but his camp says the 28-year-old has chosen to settle his club future after Minnesota’s postseason run.
Following a strong regular season, St. Clair will be hoping that an equally impressive postseason will give him more leverage at the negotiating table and in Marsch’s decision-making. The Pickering, Ont., native just played through his club option year with Minnesota, and finished the regular season with 30 starts and the best save percentage in MLS (79.9).
Still, regardless of where Crépeau ends up and what the future holds for St. Clair after the MLS Playoffs end, there are few clear indications about what will impress Marsch enough to finally settle on one regular starter in Canada’s net.
Since his arrival in the spring of 2024, Marsch has consistently divided goalkeeping starts in each of Canada’s two-game international friendly windows, and split up competition assignments.
Crépeau started most of the 2024 Copa América while St. Clair played a majority of the 2024-25 Concacaf Nations League and most of the 2025 Gold Cup. Crépeau is 7-2-3 starting under Marsch, while St. Clair is 5-3-5.
The window for Marsch to make a decision ahead of the World Cup is narrowing fast. Canada’s men have just six international friendlies remaining before the start of the tournament, including upcoming November friendlies against Ecuador and Venezuela.
