Canada announces CONCACAF Gold Cup roster
Last Updated: Monday, June 22, 2009 | 3:58 PM ET
CBC Sports
Midfielder Julian de Guzman (6) was the MVP of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)The Canadian men's national soccer team announced its 23-player roster on Monday for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, which runs through next month across the United States.
The team will field some new faces with forward Simeon Jackson, 22, defenceman Dejan Jakovic, 23, and goalkeeper Joshua Wagenaar, 24, named to the squad.
All have international experience, highlighted by Jackson's goal in his debut as Canada blanked Cyprus 1-0 during a friendly on May 30.
Three notable names missing from the roster are midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, defender Jim Brennan and goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld.
On Monday, head coach Stephen Hart admitted Brennan was not invited to the tournament, while De Rosario simply declined the request.
"I think people have genuine reasons as to why they didn't want to be there," Hart said during a conference call. "I'm disappointed in one way but at the end of the day I think it opens opportunities for other players to experience a tournament like this.
"Quite frankly, Canada will be looking at a new sort of squad going into the next three or four years. It's sort of a unique opportunity and [Canada has] to look at it that way."
The Gold Cup takes place July 3-26 in 13 different American cities.
Ranked 83rd in the world, Canada begins its tournament on July 3 against the 75th-ranked Jamaicans in Los Angeles.
Hart's group then faces El Salvador (July 7) in Columbus, Ohio, and Costa Rica (July 10) in Miami.
Canada reached the semifinal of the 2007 Gold Cup due in large part to the efforts of midfielder Julian de Guzman, the tournament's MVP.
"I would expect him to take up a leadership sort of role," said Hart. "He's not the most vocal person on the field, but just by the way he carries himself in practice and games, I expect him to add to leadership along with some of the more veteran players."
Canada's roster:
- (1) Greg Sutton, goalkeeper (Unattached).
- (2) Adrian Cann, defence (Esbjerg fB/Denmark).
- (3) Mike Klukowski, defence/midfielder (Club Brugge KV/Belgium).
- (4) André Hainault, defence (Houston Dynamo/MLS).
- (5) Kevin McKenna, defence/midfielder (FC Köln/Germany).
- (6) Julian de Guzman, midfielder (Deportivo La Coruna/Spain).
- (7) Paul Stalteri, defence, midfielder (Borussia Mönchengladbach/Germany).
- (8) Marcel de Jong, midfielder (Roda JC/Netherlands).
- (9) Ali Gerba, forward (Unattached).
- (10) Willi Johnson, midfielder/forward (Real Salt Lake, MLS).
- (11) Richard Hastings, defence (Inverness CT/Scotland).
- (12) Issey Nakjima-Farran, midfielder (FC Nordsjælland/Denmark).
- (13) Atiba Hutchinson, midfielder (FC København).
- (14) Dejan Jakovic, defence (DC United/MLS).
- (15) Josh Simpson, midfielder/forward (FC Kaiserslautern/Germany).
- (16) Simeon Jackson, forward (Gillingham FC/England).
- (17) Jaime Peters, defence/midfielder (Ipswich Town FC/England).
- (18) Joshua Wagenaar, goalkeeper (Yeovil Town FC/England).
- (19) Kevin Harmse, defence/midfielder (Toronto FC/MLS).
- (20) Patrice Bernier midfielder (FC Nordsjaelland/Denmark).
- (21) Chris Pozniak, midfielder (Dundee FC/Scotland).
- (22) Kenny Stamatopoulos, goalkeeper (FC Lyn Oslo/Norway).
- (23) Charles Gbeke, forward (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/USL).
