Canadian men's national team head coach John Herdman announced a 23-player roster Wednesday for the upcoming Concacaf Nations League Finals.
GOALKEEPERS (3)
- Milan Borjan - Red Star Belgrade
- Tom McGill - Brighton & Hove Albion
- Dayne St. Clair - Minnesota United FC
DEFENDERS (8)
- Derek Cornelius - Malmö FF
- Scott Kennedy - SSV Jahn Regensburg
- Kamal Miller - Inter Miami CF
- Steven Vitória - GD Chaves
- Dominick Zator - Korona Kielce
- Samuel Adekugbe - Galatasaray SK
- Alistair Johnston - Celtic FC
- Richie Laryea - Toronto FC
MIDFIELDERS (6)
- Stephen Eustáquio - FC Porto
- Atiba Hutchinson - Beşiktaş JK
- Ismaël Koné - Watford FC
- Victor Loturi - Ross County FC
- Jonathan Osorio - Toronto FC
- David Wotherspoon - St. Johnstone FC
FORWARDS (6)
- Lucas Cavallini - Club Tijuana
- Jonathan David - Lille OSC
- Cyle Larin - Real Valladolid CF
- Tajon Buchanan - Club Brugge KV
- Alphonso Davies - FC Bayern Munich
- Junior Hoilett - Reading FC
Concacaf Nations League games
- June 15 vs. Panama - 7 pm ET (OneSoccer in Canada; Paramount+, Univision in United States) | Allegiant Stadium - Las Vegas, Nevada | CNL Semifinal
- June 18 vs. United States or Mexico - 6 pm ET or 8:30 pm ET (OneSoccer in Canada; Paramount+, Univision in United States) | Allegiant Stadium - Las Vegas, Nevada | CNL Final or Third Place
Canada, who topped Group C (League A) with a 3W-1L-0D record and +8 goal differential, are in the midst of a so-called "Golden Generation" that put an end to a 36-year World Cup drought by reaching Qatar 2022 as Concacaf's best team during qualifiers. The next logical step in solidifying said "Golden Generation" tag would be by earning a trophy – which is where Nations League comes into play.
Standing in their way in the semifinals are Panama, who advanced to this stage of the tournament by winning Group B (League A). They'll have two familiar faces among MLS fans within their ranks: Houston Dynamo's Coco Carrasquilla and Nashville SC's Aníbal Godoy.
Should they defeat Los Canaleros, Canada would face either the United States or Mexico in the June 18 Final.
Key inclusions
Four current MLSers were called into the Nations League squad: Minnesota United FC goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, Inter Miami CF defender Kamal Miller, and the Toronto FC duo of Richie Laryea and Jonathan Osorio.
There were no big surprises in Herdman's list, which is highlighted by Vancouver Whitecaps FC homegrown export/Bayern Munich superstar Alphonso Davies. All-time leading scorer Cyle Larin also made the cut after a fantastic second half of the 2022-23 European season on loan at Valladolid from Club Brugge of Belgium. Recent CF Montréal outbound transfers Ismaël Koné and Alistair Johnston could also play a big role for Canada at the tournament.
Gold Cup next
Canada's quest for silverware will continue sooner than later, with the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup set to get underway at the end of the month. Les Rouges open play in Group D on June 27 against a still-unknown opponent that will emerge from the 2023 Gold Cup Prelims. Guatemala and Cuba will be their other two rivals in the group stage.
There's no word yet on whether Herdman will rely on the same core of players called up for the Nations League or opt for a complete roster refresh ahead of the Gold Cup – a competition Canada have won twice (1985, 2000).
