Through two games in the CONCACAF Nations League qualifying tournament, Canada sports a perfect 2-0 record.
The Canadians cruised through the first pair of games against overmatched opposition, pummeling the U.S. Virgin Islands 8-0 in Florida before defeating Dominica 5-0 in Toronto. Coach John Herdman's youthful side, which is full of attacking flair, has lived up to expectations thus far.
MORE: Canada 'happy' with dominant win over Dominica
When the Canadians suit up for their penultimate Nations League qualifier on Nov. 18 in St. Kitts and Nevis, they'll face another team that eased through the qualification matches. It'll be a different kind of test for Herdman's squad, which is still favoured to win but will for the first time meet a team that has so far matched Canada step-for-step.
"They're a tough team," Herdman told reporters in a conference call on Thursday. "And for us it's an exciting challenge because I think it's a challenge where our group are gonna be tested in some tough conditions."
The game is set to be played at Warner Park in Basseterre, where Canada was held scoreless in its last visit back in 2011. Even with the new generation of exciting attacking talent that joined the Canadian ranks in the seven years since that match, Herdman cautioned that goals will be much tougher to come by for his team than they were in the opening pair of Nations League games.
"The last time we were there, it was a 0-0 draw so it's a game that we can't take lightly," Herdman said. "They're a well-organized, direct team that'll be looking to capitalize in the transition. They have a couple of key players, one that plays in the Championship in [Romaine] Sawyers and a couple of other players playing in the lower divisions in England, so we know they're a hardened team."
“We're really looking forward to this challenge as St. Kitts & Nevis have performed well in #CNL thus far. Given our history in this venue, we know it's a tough place to get a result, but we are clear on our approach & the 🍁 players will be ready.”
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 8, 2018
🎙️John Herdman #CANMNT pic.twitter.com/xx7gOSWcIA
A meticulous planner by reputation, Herdman said that Canada Soccer worked diligently to prepare for the upcoming match. Included in the preparations were some unique measures taken to ensure that the Canadian training camp in the Caribbean nation goes off without a hitch.
"We've had scouts at both of their games, we've traveled to the Caribbean to make sure we've collected the tactical footage and we've gone towards a pretty thorough effort behind the scenes to make sure there's no stone left unturned," Herdman said.
"From investing in the training facility that we're going to train at to helping getting the lights fixed in the facility we're gonna train at, importing goals to the facility so we can go in and just make sure that we're in adverse conditions, but we're making sure that we are preparing for what we would class as going to be a very tough game."
Herdman called a 23-man roster which largely resembles the squad that participated in the previous two games, but with a bigger focus on defence. The coach called the match against St. Kitts and Nevis a step up "from CONCACAF Tier 3 to CONCACAF Tier 2," and as such the likes of veteran goalkeeper Milan Borjan was recalled alongside full backs Sam Adekugbe and Marcus Godinho. Key midfielders Jonathan Osorio (hernia surgery) and Scott Arfield (personal reasons) are big absences, although experienced Scotland-based midfielder David Wotherspoon looks to help fill the void and stalwarts Atiba Hutchinson and Samuel Piette are available to help lock down the defensive responsibilities in the midfield.
It's all about striking a balance, Herdman said.
"This presents a different type of game," the coach explained. "We certainly have to give a lot more attention to the defensive transition, making sure that players are tuned into the numbers that we have when we're attacking."
FULL CANADA ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS: Simon Thomas (Kongsvinger IL), Milan Borjan (Red Star Belgrade), Maxime Crépeau (Ottawa Fury FC)
DEFENDERS: Zachary Brault-Guillard (Olympique Lyonnais), Manjrekar James (FC Fredericia), Derek Cornelius (FK Javor Ivanjica), David Edgar (Ottawa Fury FC), Samuel Adekugbe (Vålerenga Fotball), Doneil Henry (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Marcus Godinho (Heart of Midlothian FC)
MIDFIELDERS: Samuel Piette (Impact de Montréal), Russell Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone FC), David Junior Hoilett (Cardiff City FC), Alphonso Davies (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Atiba Hutchinson (Beşiktaş JK), Jay Chapman (Toronto FC), Liam Millar (Liverpool FC U-23), Liam Fraser (Toronto FC), Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla (FC Barcelona B)
FORWARDS: Cyle Larin (Beşiktaş JK), Lucas Cavallini (Puebla FC), Jonathan David (KAA Gent)