As Canada prepares to begin its World Cup qualifying campaign — which kicks off Sept. 2 against Puerto Rico — coach Stephen Hart has a lot on his plate. With that in mind, The 11, with some input from our readers, has created a list of players — not including Junior Hoilett, he’s been talked about ad nauseam already— who didn’t take part in the Gold Cup and could inject some life into the Canadian squad.

“I know exactly what to expect,” said Johnson. “I know the fields aren’t going to be good. I know it’s going to be very humid, it’s going to be a pretty hostile atmosphere. They’re going to have all their friends and family supporting them, but it’s for us to stay together as a team and support each other on the field, on the bench — everybody."

"I went to pick it up like I've picked up a million balls like that," Kocic said. "It was wet grass and then all of a sudden dry grass I was sliding on and the dry grass flipped me over the ball....It's unacceptable, obviously. The mistake shouldn't happen but that's sport, what can I say?"

The coach also hinted that he may give first goalkeeper Stefan Frei a rest as he nurses a hand injury and give backup Milos Kocic an opportunity to see some action as well.

It is Vancouver’s first season in Major League Soccer, and you already have to wonder if the city is suffering from the same friendly fatigue we have seen developing in other North American cities.

But the Japanese upset will send shockwaves through the Canadian Soccer Association as well. Japan has smashed the idea that the European professionalism can’t be matched.

And the CSA knows that. Guaranteed, next time Morace gives the Association an expensive shopping list, she’ll be met — understandably — with a lot of resistance. It’s like asking dad to borrow the Ferrari after you totalled the Porsche the last time out. Not gonna happen.

Carolina Morace’s skin has been made of Teflon. The Canadian national women’s coach has got what amounts to a free pass from soccer fans and the media in this country. In the wake of Canada’s humiliating 4-0 defeat to France Thursday at the Women’s World Cup, the questions that haven’t been asked of Morace need to come to the surface.

CBC’s broadcast of the Women’s World Cup opener between Canada and the No. 1 ranked Germans got ratings that the men’s program can only dream about — but didn’t come close to the kind of numbers CBC pulled in for major group-stage games of the men’s World Cup last year.

Dutch club PSV Eindhoven confirmed Tuesday that Canadian player of the year Atiba Hutchinson will need six weeks to recover from knee surgery. Hutchinson went under the knife Monday to repair a meniscus injury, after returning to the Netherlands from Canada's disappointing campaign at the Gold Cup. Hutchinson missed two of Canada's three matches due to injury.