The FIFA World Cup is now under five weeks away with difficult decisions on the horizon for 48 different managers as they look to put their finishing touches on the squads that are set to touch down in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Every week, Steven Caldwell is tasked with doing the job of one of those 48 men — Canada gaffer Jesse Marsch — and constructing a 26-player roster. This week Caldwell doesn’t make any changes to his squad, but he focuses in on what will maybe end up being the hardest choice Marsch must make in the days leading up to June 12.
Every squad needs a No. 1. Sometimes finding one is relatively easy. Some squads like France (Milan’s Mike Maignan), Argentina (Dibu Martinez of Aston Villa) and Portugal (Diogo Costa of Porto) know exactly who will be wearing the gloves for their first match in mid-June. Other teams like the Netherlands (Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen, Mark Flekken of Bayer Leverkusen and Sunderland’s Robin Roefs among others) and Belgium (Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid, Manchester United’s Senne Lammens and Nottingham Forest’s Mats Sels) have an embarrassment of talent to choose from. A third group of teams, with Brazil (Liverpool’s Alisson Becker and Ederson of Fenerbahce) and Spain (Unai Simon of Athletic Club and Arsenal’s David Raya) among them, must choose from two top contenders.
Marsch’s Canada finds itself in that third group. Orlando City’s Maxime Crepeau and Dayne St. Clair of Inter Miami will vie for that No. 1 shirt come June 12 when Canada opens its tournament against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto’s BMO Field. Both men are on new teams this season with the former departing Portland the latter leaving Minnesota United in free agency. The decision won’t be an easy one and Caldwell doesn’t see it getting made any time soon.
Coincidentally, the two men faced off this past Saturday night as the Lions visited the defending MLS Cup champions. The hosts ran out of the gate with three goals in the first 33 minutes from Ian Fray, Telasco Segovia and Lionel Messi. Crepeau was called into action on a number of occasions, including a sequence of four consecutive saves as part of an Inter barrage.
But typical of this season for the Herons, a 3-0 lead was not safe. Martin Ojeda completed a hat-trick with a penalty in the 78th to even matters. Then, in the third minute of stoppage, former Toronto FC winger got in alone on St. Clair and sent a ball through his wickets to earn a stunning 4-3 victory for the Lions.
It hasn’t been the easiest start to life on new clubs for either man. Crepeau’s Lions are not one of the better teams in MLS. Though Orlando City has conceded the second-most goals in the league, Crepeau has made the fourth-most saves among MLS ‘keepers this season with 47.
As for St. Clair, the expectations are completely different. He is backstopping a star-studded squad that includes Messi, Luis Suarez, Rodrigo De Paul and German Berterame among others. The Herons expect to win every match they’re in and St. Clair is struggling early with the lofty demands.
Because of the uncertainty, Caldwell points to the two remaining friendlies Canada has set up before the World Cup as key to Marsch’s ultimate decision. Before Canada’s tournament gets underway, they will take to the pitch on June 1 in Edmonton against Uzbekistan and then against Ireland, June 5 in Montreal. Crepeau and St. Clair are likely to split duties over the two matches and each man’s respective performance could go a long way to determine who starts against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Here’s a look at this week’s team.
