The Canadian way: Looking at who DIDN’T end up being on our Olympic roster By Steven Sandor Posted on September 18, 2015 7 0 993 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Cyle Larin It’s the nature of Canadian soccer supporters to focus who is not on a roster rather than who’s on a roster. So, to satisfy the need to talk about who’s not coming to the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers, this column will focus on who wasn’t named to Canada’s U-23 team roster. The roster was released Friday afternoon. In August, national-team head coach Benito Floro said he hoped that European and MLS clubs would cooperate and allow Canadian players who’d be eligible to participate in Olympic qualifying the chance to represent their county. He said if he was blocked from getting the players he needed “it will be much more difficult for us.” Of course, the first major absence is Cyle Larin, who is poised to break the MLS rookie record for scoring. Had Orlando City not had a glimmer of hope in the playoff race, he likely would have been released to the Canadian program. But, with the playoff chase still on life support, the Lions chose to keep their striker. That’s what I’ve been told. Orlando’s decision to hold onto Larin is more understandable than the Whitecaps’ decision to hold onto fullback Sam Adekugbe and midfielder Kianz Froese. The Whitecaps are doing very well — and it’s not like Froese or Adekugbe have seen major MLS minutes. But the excuse that will be made is that the Whitecaps are in a chase for the Supporters’ Shield and still have CONCACAF Champions League games to come, which will surely test the club’s depth. If the Whitecaps were an American team, I’d understand it. For a U.S. team, with the Supporters’ Shield earns a CONCACAF Champions League spot. That isn’t the case for the Canadian teams. Canada has its own mechanism to determine CCL places outside of MLS play. In fact, the Whitecaps have already earned their place in next year’s CCL by winning the Voyageurs Cup. For a Canadian side, a Supporters’ Shield is well, like getting excited about your NHL team of choice taking the Presidents’ Trophy. Heck, if I was a fan, I wouldn’t want my team touching the Supporters’ Shield until after it won the MLS Cup. If my team was presented a Supporters Shield before it won the big game, I’d expect the captain to take it, then rest it on the FieldTurf. That’s because MLS Cup is the symbol of the best team in the league, not the Supporters’ Shield. Celebrating the Supporters’ Shield is, well, only slightly more valid than having a parade because your side won a preseason tournament at Disney World. So, what about the advantage of finishing at the top of the overall standings and having home advantage from the start of the playoffs to MLS Cup? I’d shrug and say I understand that. But, here’s something. Since 2003, only two teams — TWO — have done the Supporters’ Shield/MLS Cup double. And only three teams since 2003 have even made it to the MLS Cup game. That means the vast majority of Supporters’ Shield winners flame out in the playoffs. History has a lesson for us. A foolish club goes for the Supporters’ Shield. A smart club rotates its players, gets key guys some rest, and goes for the MLS Cup. (And releases young players for international duty.) Sigh. And, finally, instead of bringing up players who Floro couldn’t get, I want to ask about a player who wasn’t invited at all — and that’s FC Edmonton’s Allan Zebie. He’s played in 14 of his team’s 23 NASL matches, and has looked like one of the best young fullbacks in the league. He’s been smart, he’s been composed — and, if you look at the Canadian roster, it seems to be a bit short on fullbacks. CANADA 1- GK- Maxime Crépeau | CAN / Impact Montréal 2- FB- Johnny Grant | CAN / FC Montréal 3- FB- Mark-Anthony Kaye | CAN / Toronto FC II 4- CB- Jackson Farmer | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 5- CB- Luca Gasparotto | SCO / Greenock Morton FC 6- M- Chris Mannella | CAN / Toronto FC 7- M- Mauro Eustáquio | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC 8- M- Jay Chapman | CAN / Toronto FC 9- F- Anthony Jackson-Hamel | CAN / Impact Montréal 10- F- Caleb Clarke | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC 11- M- Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé | CAN / Impact Montréal 12- GK- Quillan Roberts | CAN / Toronto FC 13- M- Michael Petrasso | ENG / Queens Park Rangers 14- M- Samuel Piette | ESP / Deportivo La Coruña 15- M- Ben Fisk | ESP / Deportivo La Coruña B 16- M- Molham Babouli | CAN / Toronto FC II 17- M- Hanson Boakai | CAN / FC Edmonton 18- GK- Ricky Gomes | POR / Sport Clube de Mirandela 19- CB- Skylar Thomas | CAN / Toronto FC II 20- M- Dylan Carreiro | SCO / Arbroath
