Former CPLers Sirois, Waterman included in CanMNT squad for Copa América play-in against Trinidad and Tobago

2024-03-12

Mitchell Tierney, Digital Content Producer (@mitchelltierney)

On Tuesday, interim Canadian men’s national team manager Mauro Biello named his 23-player squad for his side’s 2024 Copa América play-in match against Trinidad and Tobago.

The match, which will be played on Saturday, March 23 in Frisco, Texas (4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on OneSoccer) sees the winner qualify for the 2024 Copa América tournament. That would also mean a spot in the tournament’s Group A, and playing in the competition’s opening match against 2022 World Cup champions Argentina in front of an already sold-out Mercedes-Benz Stadium crowd. The group also includes Peru and Chile.

Canada’s squad for this critical match includes a pair of former Canadian Premier League players, former Cavalry FC defender Joel Waterman, and a first senior national team call-up for former Valour FC, and 2021 CPL Golden Glove-winning, goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.

After two years with Valour on loan, Sirois rejoined CF Montréal last season, keeping 11 clean sheets and winning the club’s Defensive Player of the Year award. His now CF Montréal teammate, Waterman, played for Cavalry FC during the league’s inaugural season after being selected in the second round of the 2018 CPL-U SPORTS Draft. This is now his fifth campaign with CF Montréal. He has been capped twice by Canada and was included in their 2022 FIFA World Cup squad.

Sirois’ inclusion is particularly intriguing because it comes in part due to the exclusion of longtime national team starter Milan Borjan. The 36-year-old Borjan, who is currently on loan at Slovan Bratislava, has been in the net for 24 of Canada’s last 28 matches. Other recent national team mainstays not called up include Richie Laryea, Steven Vitória, Lucas Cavallini and Junior Hoilett in what may be a changing of the guard moment.

Overall, this is Canada’s youngest squad since 2019, with Jonathan Osorio’s withdrawal due to injury, every player called up is under the age of 30. It also includes several changes from the group that lost the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final to Jamaica on aggregate back in November. After strong starts to the MLS season, Moïse Bombito, Jacob Shaffelburg and Mathieu Choinière are back with the squad.

The team also includes incredibly in-form strikers Iké Ugbo, who has six goals in 10 league matches since joining Sheffield Wednesday in January and Motherwell FC’s Theo Bair, who has 11 Scottish Premiership goals this season.

The full Canada squad is below:

*note: Jonathan Osorio was replaced by Liam Fraser due to injury