Several key veterans out of Canada’s Gold Cup roster

Octavio Zambrano

Canada’s team for the upcoming Gold Cup will have a very different feel than the squad that didn’t make it to CONCACAF’s World Cup-qualifying hex.

Striker Cyle Larin, fullback/midfielder Nik Ledgerwood, striker Tesho Akindele and midfielder Will Johnson were the most notable omissions from coach Octavio Zambrano’s roster.

Larin, of course, would have likely made the team had he not been charged with impaired driving in Orlando, Fla., two weeks ago. He hasn’t played an MLS game since then, and the Canadian Soccer Association felt it had to respond with some sort of rebuke for the team’s star striker. (It should be noted that, after completing his substance abuse and mental health assessment, Larin was cleared for MLS play on Tuesday.)

Ledgerwood’s omission, while important, is not a surprise. He’s been struggling with injury — and has been out of FC Edmonton action for the better part of the last month, and only the most optimistic of forecasts would have him returning by the end of the spring season.

Johnson and, to a lesser extent, Akindele, are eyebrow raisers. Johnson leads all Canadians in MLS minutes played this season, and is a regular starter for Orlando City. Akindele has 20 career MLS goals in 101 games for FC Dallas, and has found the net twice this season. Without Larin, the Canadian team, which hasn’t scored a Gold Cup goal since 2011, looks to be thin on attacking options. That means a lot of pressure will be heaped on Toronto FC’s Tosaint Ricketts, Penarol’s Lucas Cavallini and Montreal’s Anthony Jackson-Hamel.

Usually, when a Gold Cup roster or a World Cup qualifying roster or, heck, even a friendly roster is announced, the national team coach does a media availability. Even Benito Floro did them through an interpreter. So far, no word if Zambrano will do the same. The roster announcement was made with much less fanfare (OK, it’s a Canadian soccer announcement, maybe “fanfare” wasn’t the right word) than we’ve seen with previous roster unveilings.

The team will begin pre-tournament training Wednesday in Alliston, Ont.

CANADA ROSTER

1- GK- Maxime Crépeau | CAN / Impact Montréal FC

2- FB- Fraser Aird |  / Unattached

3- CB- Manjrekar James | HUN / Vasas Budapest

4- CB- Steven Vitória | POL / Lechia Gdańsk

5- CB- Dejan Jaković | USA / New York Cosmos

6- M- Samuel Piette | ESP / CD Izarra

7- M- Russell Teibert | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC

8- M- Scott Arfield | ENG / Burnley FC

9- F- Tosaint Ricketts | CAN / Toronto FC

10- M- David Junior Hoilett | WAL / Cardiff City FC

11- FB- Samuel Adekugbe | ENG / Brighton Hove & Albion

12- M- Alphonso Davies | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC

13- M- Jonathan Osorio | CAN / Toronto FC

14- M- Mark-Anthony Kaye | USA / Louisville City FC

15- CB- Adam Straith | CAN / FC Edmonton

16- M- Anthony Jackson-Hamel | CAN / Impact Montréal FC

17- FB- Marcel de Jong | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC

18- GK- Milan Borjan | POL / MKS Korona Kielce

19- F- Lucas Cavallini | URU / CA Peñarol

20- M- Patrice Bernier | CAN / Impact Montréal FC

21- M- Raheem Edwards | CAN / Toronto FC

22- GK- Jayson Leutwiler | ENG / Shrewsbury Town FC

23- M- Michael Petrasso | ENG / Queens Park Rangers