Davies, David headline Canada roster for Nations League qualifier against USVI

Rudi Schuller

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Davies, David headline Canada roster for Nations League qualifier against USVI image

When Canada kicks off qualifying for the CONCACAF Nations League, the team will have a few highly touted youngsters in its ranks.

Head coach John Herdman named his 23-man squad Thursday for the Sept. 9 match against the U.S. Virgin Islands, which is Canada's first qualifying match for the new regional tournament. Among the players Herdman summoned are 17-year-old Bayern Munich-bound winger Alphonso Davies and 18-year-old striker Jonathan David, who has burst onto the professional scene with six goals in his first seven appearances for Belgian side KAA Gent.

Joining Davies and David are fellow teenagers Liam Millar, Zachary Brault-Guillard and Alessandro Busti, along with 20-year-old defender Derek Cornelius, as Herdman looks to inject new life into the Canadian program.

“It’s a great time and this is a talented group: it’s a period in time where every match matters, adding the sort of pressure that will help bind the group tighter,” Herdman said in a release.“There is no life in between anymore, that line was burned  brightly into the culture in our first camp in March 2018. We know what we are here to do and as a group we will either choose to take this team to another level or we won’t, it’s that clear. This is a talented group who have a real shot at qualifying for Qatar 2022.”

While there are several promising young players in Herdman's squad, there are also a lot of familiar names among the 23 that make up the roster. Longtime national team regulars Dejan Jakovic, Milan Borjan, Tosaint Ricketts and Marcel de Jong are all available for selection against USVI, and MLS standouts Jonathan Osorio, Samuel Piette and Russell Teibert will all be in the mix for a starting spot.

The mix of youth and experience should create an internal competition that benefits the Canada side ahead of the Nations League and World Cup qualifying.

“It’s exciting to bring a group of men together where there is real expectation, scrutiny and consequences which ultimately will drive the performance levels up," Herdman said. "Knowing you have to win matches sharpens the focus; it breeds both competition for places and a togetherness.”

The Sept. 9 match, a USVI home game, will be played at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Canada will host Dominica at Toronto's BMO Field on Oct. 16 before traveling to St. Kitts and Nevis in November. Canada's final Nations League qualifier, a home game against French Guiana, will be played in March 2019.

FULL CANADA ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crépeau (Ottawa Fury FC), Milan Borjan (Red Star Belgrade), Alessandro Busti (Juventus Primavera)

Defenders: Zachary Brault-Guillard (Olympique Lyonnais), Manjrekar James (FC Fredericia), Derek Cornelius (FK Javor Ivanjica), Dejan Jaković (Los Angeles FC), Doneil Henry (Vancouver Whitecaps), Marcel de Jong (Vancouver Whitecaps)

Midfielders: Samuel Piette (Impact de Montréal), Russell Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps), David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone), Junior Hoilett (Cardiff City), Alphonso Davies (Vancouver Whitecaps), Jay Chapman (Toronto FC), Liam Millar (Liverpool FC U-23), Scott Arfield (Glasgow Rangers), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Tesho Akindele (FC Dallas)

Forwards: Cyle Larin (Beşiktaş JK), Tosaint Ricketts (Toronto FC), Lucas Cavallini (Puebla), Jonathan David (KAA Gent)

Rudi Schuller