As Canada embarks on a training camp this week ahead of a friendly against Guatemala on Saturday, manager Jesse Marsch has gone with a squad almost entirely composed of North American-based players. With the camp not taking place during an official FIFA international window, players on European sides cannot be released. But it will allow for Marsch and the rest of the Canada braintrust to get a closer look at some of the players on the roster bubble right now and some names who might have previously been overlooked.
A name that immediately jumped out to TSN’s Kevin Kilbane, filling in for Steven Caldwell this week, is Tigres midfielder Marcelo Flores.
A 22-year-old native of Georgetown, Ont., Flores headed to England in 2016 to join the Ipswich academy before moving to Arsenal in 2019. Failing to crack the first team, Flores was loaned to Real Oviedo in 2022-2023 before signing with Tigres the following season. In 50 appearances with Tigres, Flores has 11 goals and two assists, including a brace in the team’s 2-1 victory over San Luis in the opening match of the Clausura.
Because his father is Mexican and he spent time in England as a youth, Flores was eligible to represent both nations along with Canada. He chose to play for El Tri and capped three times in 2021 and 2022. But because he was under 22 at the time, Flores is eligible for a one-time allegiance switch under FIFA rules and Tigres manager Guido Pizarro indicated on Sunday that Flores is ready to play for Canada.
While Flores’s name is one that stands out, one name that isn’t there is Jacob Shaffelburg’s. The newly acquired Los Angeles FC winger is set to undergo groin surgery this week and is expected to miss the next eight weeks. As Kilbane notes, Shaffelburg’s inconsistency for both club (Nashville at the time) and country over the past several months made the January camp one in which he could have reasserted himself and made sure he was in Marsch’s plans for the summer, but he no longer has that chance. Can somebody else step up in his stead?
Also picking up an injury last week was centre-back Alfie Jones, who underwent ankle surgery. Capped for the first time by Canada in the fall, Jones had become a workhorse for Kim Hellberg as Middlesbrough looks for promotion to the Premier League. Currently Boro sits second in the table, occupying the final automatic promotion spot, six points behind leaders Coventry and two points clear of Ipswich. Jones is expected back in eight to 10 weeks.
Here is this week’s team.
Race for the Roster: Week 29 (4-4-2)
Forwards
STARTERS: Jonathan David (Juventus) and Tani Oluwaseyi (Villarreal)
BENCH: Promise David (Union SG), Daniel Jebbison (Preston North End, on loan from Bournemouth) and Cyle Larin (Feyenoord, on loan from Mallorca)
Midfield and Defenders
STARTING MIDFIELDERS: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Ismaël Koné (Sassuolo, on loan from Marseille), Stephen Eustaquio (Porto) and Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal)
BENCH: Jacob Shaffelburg (Los Angeles)INJ, David “Junior” Hoilett (Hibernian), Nathan Saliba (Anderlecht), Mathieu Choiniere (Los Angeles FC) and Ali Ahmed (Norwich City)
STARTING DEFENDERS: Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Derek Cornelius (Rangers, on loan from Marseille), Moise Bombito (Nice) INJ and Alistair Johnston (Celtic) INJ
BENCH: Sam Adekugbe (Vancouver Whitecaps) INJ, Niko Sigur (Hajduk Split), Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough)INJ, Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire) and Luc de Fougerolles (Dender, on loan from Fulham)
Goalkeeper
STARTER: Dayne St. Clair (Inter Miami)
BENCH: Maxime Crepeau (Free agent) and Owen Goodman (Huddersfield Town, on loan from Crystal Palace)
IN THE HUNT: James Pantemis (Portland Timbers) and Jonathan Sirois (CF Montreal)
