Honestly, it's hard to keep up with the Canadian soccer news. And, how often have we been able to say that? That there's so much Canadian soccer news coming out in such a short period of time, that we're having a hard time following it all?

Halifax Wanderers unveiled four Trinidad and Tobago players on Thursday; veteran keeper Jan-Michael Williams, forward Akeem Garcia, midfielder Andre Rampersad and midfielder Elton John.

When Jordan Murrell takes the field for his first Valour FC training session, me might feel right at home. That’s because he’ll be lining up next to Skylar Thomas.

And when the current season in New Zealand is done, Hoyle will come back to Canada to play for Valour FC. His signing was announced Tuesday.

The task is daunting. The CanPL coaches are building a soccer league in a country that has never really embraced one. Success on the field, in the stands, and with player development may be elusive for years.

"Your whole front of the ship is in the ocean. At 19 years old, a guy from Toronto having this experience, I was terrified. You’re hoping the ship comes back up. It always does, of course.”

For a Canadian league to survive and thrive, it has to be more than giving Canadian players a place to play. It needs to be about giving Canadian coaches the chance to work in professional environments. It’s about having Canadian administrators and general managers.

As yet another Canadian men’s Under-20 cycle comes to a premature end, there is the little consolation that it ends on a high note.

There was no way that Canada’s men’s under-20 team was going to qualify for a first World Cup in a decade in its first game, but, after a 1-0 loss to Honduras on Friday night, the drought looks set to continue.

It just wouldn't be a Canadian national-team roster announcement if we didn't focus more on who isn't on the team than who was on the list.