LAVAL – Among the coaches on the scene during the Canadian Premier League’s #GotGame Open Trials in Quebec, Martin Nash strikes a more modest demeanour.

While his peers crack jokes and shout instructions, Nash – the newly-named assistant coach to Tommy Wheeldon Jr. at Cavalry FC in Calgary – quietly watched from the sidelines, making notes and observations to report back to his staff in their pursuit for talent in the league’s cross-country tryouts.

Nash certainly found a few names from the more than 200 attendees of the first day of the #GotGame Open Trials in Quebec.

“There’s a lot of good footballers in Montreal,” Nash told CanPL.ca, as the day wrapped up and the list of 58 advancing players was set to be announced.

“I would say 10 stood out, and of that 10, maybe four really stood out and I think would have a good chance, depending on how they do tomorrow.”

With more than 200 players on the field, sorting through the sheer number of players can be its own challenge. But, for Nash, there are a few key categories and specific qualities he’s looking for, with one mind to the fact that Cavalry FC wants to play technique-driven soccer.

“Can they control the ball well? Do they take it into space? Do they pass clean and have  good techniques that won’t break down, that can be consistent? That’s what we’re looking for,” Nash explained. “If they don’t have that basic foundation of technical ability, you move onto the next (trialist).

“Beyond that, you look at athleticism, if they’re quick, fast. Can they dribble, can they beat people, do they know how to draw a defender, to play the open man, create 2-v-1s? Beyond technique, you look at how they read the game, how they see the game.”

The CPL’s #GotGame trials continue in Laval on Friday before making stops in Hamilton (Oct. 1-2), Toronto (Oct. 11-12), Winnipeg (Oct. 18-19), Calgary (Oct. 25-26) and Vancouver Island (Nov. 5-6). Think you’ve #GotGame? Register at CanPL.ca/GotGame.