Asmir Begovic: The man between the posts

By John F. Molinaro, CBCSports.ca

This summer's FIFA U-20 World Cup can't come soon enough for Canadian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. 

Two years ago in the Netherlands, Begovic, then a backup with the Canadian team, was forced to watch from the sidelines as Canada crashed out of the first round at the World Youth Championship. 

A lot has happened in two years. 

Begovic, 19, has since taken over as starting goalkeeper for Canada, winning plaudits for his poised and mature play and his consistent performances. He's also received a taste of English soccer as a member of the reserve team for Premiership side Portsmouth where he's trained alongside former England national team goalkeeper David James. 

Identified as key player by Canadian under-20 coach Dale Mitchell, Begovic is anxious to display his vast talents to the hometown crowds this summer at the U-20 World Cup. 

"I think I offer a good presence in goal. Shot stopping. I like to be a leader for the team as well," Begovic told CBC Sports Online. 

Like several of his Canadian teammates, Begovic, who was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina but grew up in Edmonton, has benefited from cutting his teeth in Europe – in addition to playing with Portsmouth's reserve team, Begovic spent time at Belgian club La Louviere and enjoyed a loan spell at Macclesfield Town in England's Division Two this past season.

Canadian defender David Edgar (Newcastle United) and midfielder Jaime Peters (Ipswich Town) also play in England. Midfielder Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault is with FC St. Pauli in Germany, while forward Will Johnson has made an impression in the Dutch league with Heerenveen. 

The fact that so many Canadians play with European clubs is the biggest difference between Canada's current team and the one that washed out in the Netherlands two years ago, according to Begovic. 

"This team is pretty close to the [2005 team]. We've got a good group together. We fight for each other," Begovic explained. 

"The advantage this group has is that a lot of players are in better environments at club level. They're [playing] games and playing against top quality players that they need to improve. That's big for Canada."

High hopes

Portsmouth goalkeeping coach David Coles has said he believes Begovic has the potential to become a top-class goalkeeper.

Towards that end, the Premiership side sent Begovic to Macclesfield Town on a loan deal last November to allow the Canadian shot stopper to gain some seasoning. But Begovic's time at Macclesfield was cut short by a knee injury that ended up sidelining him for several weeks.

Fully recovered from a knee operation, Begovic is looking forward to getting his pro career back on track after the injury setback.

"I was No. 3 [on the goalkeeping depth chart] last season, so hopefully next year I can go to a lower league English club again or a Scottish team, go on loan and get a full year of games under my belt and then come back to be the No. 2 [goalkeeper] and challenge for the top spot at Portsmouth," Begovic said.

If recent performances are any indication, a long line of suitors will soon be knocking on Portsmouth's door about taking the Canadian goalkeeper on loan.

Begovic looked sharp in last month's friendly in Toronto against Argentina, the reigning world youth champions, making several athletic saves and efficiently organizing his defence.

Canada fought back from a 1-0 deficit and appeared to have earned a draw with the South American powerhouse before Argentina's Gabriel Mercado headed the ball just past Begovic's fingertips with two minutes left in regulation time. 

Despite the heartbreaking 2-1 loss, Begovic was pleased with how Canada batted the five-time world champions, calling it a "great confidence builder." 

"If we play like we did [against Argentina] we know we've got a great chance this summer. We have to take things game by game, and hope things go our way and make a good run in the tournament," the goalkeeper said. 

"Our first goal is to get out of the group and then see where we can go after that," Begovic added. 

Playing in England has helped Begovic improve and develop, but the goalkeeper said he's also benefited from coach Dale Mitchell's mentoring. 

"Dale's a good guy. I've worked with him for years now and I have nothing but good things to say about him. He's a player's coach – he helps everybody out," Begovic said.