GANGUE-RUZIC: CanMNT balancing expectations, roster building as Gold Cup opens with a thud
Canada's Gold Cup campaign got off to a less-than-ideal start this week, as they drew Guadeloupe 2-2 for just their second non-victory at home since 2016. Fresh off a 2-0 loss to the United States in the Concacaf Nations League final last week, coupled with the late own-goal concession, this draw stung like a loss.
Because of that, the sentiment surrounding this game was understandably frustrating after the final whistle. It was a third straight match where Canada's performance left a lot to be desired, yet unlike the last two games where Canada fielded a full-strength team (or close to it), this new-look squad, with several key regulars unable to attend, made the game feel... experimental.
Canada didn't accomplish their main goal in this game in procuring three points, but did begin the process of looking at players who could potentially feature at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Balance that with the fact that they should feel frustrated not to win, and it's clear that this Canadian team still has work to do as they slowly begin this transitionary process.
"We're disappointed with the result," Canada head coach John Herdman said after the match. "You definitely want to get three points in your first game, (especially) at home for all of the fans that turned up tonight. But I think those fans got to see some of our future, and this tournament has opened a window for that opportunity."
New faces thrust into the deep end
There will be one thing that Canada will be pleased with when reflecting back on this result: The fact that they entrusted five new players with debuts, something they hadn’t previously done in over forty years.
Led by starters Ali Ahmed, Moïse Bombito and Zac McGraw, and then followed by substitutes Jacen Russell-Rowe and Dominick Zator, their inclusions allowed Herdman to get a look at several new players.
Along with the likes of Jacob Shaffelburg and Charles-Andreas Brym, who have featured for Canada before but got bigger cameos than usual in this game, it was a good opportunity for newer faces to shine.
Not only that, but those new faces were among Canada’s brightest performers on the day, too.
Ahmed was easily the team’s player of the match, putting up a dominant performance in midfield, while Bombito showed some strong flashes on the ball despite playing in a brand-new position.
#CANMNT GOAL 🇨🇦 🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 28, 2023
Canada go up 2-1 over Guadeloupe as @WhitecapsFC star Ali Ahmed combines with @TorontoFC's Richie Laryea to force an own goal 😎#VWFC | #TFClive
🔴 WATCH LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/eDmqomzB4N
From there, the rest showed good glimpses, doing well to impact the game in positive moments.
Really, other than the fact that Russell-Rowe was unluckily the one to put Guadeloupe’s 92nd-minute equalizer into his own goal on a set piece (which came off a breakdown from Canada’s veteran defenders), they seemed to give Canada their best shot at winning on the day, too.
Despite having to play in different roles, they were up to the task, even if they showed their inexperience at times.
“To see those debutants experience a bit of adversity, we were able to watch their response, and they didn’t crumble or capitulate in tough conditions, and I thought that was a real bright spot,” Herdman said. “And in the dressing room, we were proud of the way that they handled this match. At the same point just so much disappointment that we couldn't get three points tonight, we had them with five minutes to go, and we’ve got to manage that better, but that's the growth we’ll get from this tournament, we got to face adversity early, and we’ll go from here.”
Therefore, it’ll be intriguing to see how they grow and learn from this experience as the tournament goes along.
Plus, given that some of the players that struggled most for Canada were some of their key veterans, such as Milan Borjan or Steven Vitória, one could only wonder if this could open up the door for more newer faces to slot in, such as a Dayne St.Clair, Victor Loturi or Jayden Nelson, for example.
And, as Herdman notes, the veterans can also play big roles in helping those players make that jump, too, be it as starters or off the bench, so don’t be surprised if we see several more new players get opportunities over the rest of the tournament.
“They believe in these young players, they encourage them,” Herdman said of his veterans. “The minute they sense that they were getting into the lineup, people like Richie Laryea is spending time with the wing backs sharing his knowledge, Steven Vitória is getting Zac McGraw ready to maybe take his shirt in the future, but we've got a selfless group of guys here that really care about the game in this country.”
“And again, we wobbled a bit when that first goal went in, but to be fair, the young players stayed level, they kept going, Moïse Bombito’s head didn't go down, Ali Ahmed just kept going, and I think that was quite inspiring for our leaders.”
Canada’s tactical identity taking shape?
It might seem insignificant at first, but it’s worth noting that this marked the fifth straight game that John Herdman went with a 3-5-2 formation of sorts.
That’s key, as during World Cup qualifiers, Herdman often elected for tactical flexibility whenever possible, and never really had a set formation across matches, with their default set-up being a 4-4-2 or 3-4-2-1.
Doing well to catch teams with the element of surprise, that allowed them to really impress during qualifiers, as they managed to adjust their style of play to that of their opponents.
Yet, as they learned at the World Cup, that doesn’t necessarily work as well at the higher levels. There, it’s important to have a set identity, one that allows one to maximize their strengths while limiting their weaknesses, as well as getting the most out of their star players.
For Canada, it was clear that the set-up to best do that was probably a 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3, with the emphasis being on controlling the midfield and wide areas, while also unleashing Alphonso Davies in a role that suits him more at either wing back or full back.
Therefore, it’s telling that they’ve now seemingly settled on that 3-5-2, knowing that when everyone’s healthy, Davies will slot in at wing back, with everything falling into place around him.
Now, with that in mind, Herdman can experiment with players within that set-up, seeing who might best fit in that identity.
From that, it can add a lot of context to certain performances. For example, the fact that some key players at the back have struggled in recent games indicates that they might not be the best fits for the system long-term, whereas the bright performances from the likes of Ismaël Koné, Tajon Buchanan and more indicate that they’ll be worth building around.
And this game only added a few more intriguing names to that list of names to keep an eye on. Ahmed and Bombito were intriguing examples of that on the younger side of the list, while names like Richie Laryea and Junior Hoilett showed that not all veterans are struggling to adjust to this new set-up.
Ahmed, Bombito show glimpses of potential in midfield
Speaking of Ahmed and Bombito, their performances were especially key, as they came in two key positions of need for Canada - midfield, and more particularly, the no. 8 and no. 6.
For Ahmed, he was immense in this game, immediately showing great confidence on the ball, while doing a lot of little things off it, such as his movement to create space for himself and others.
As a result, he helped Canada’s possession play immensely, with his ball progression serving as a key asset.
Yet, for those who have watched him with the Vancouver Whitecaps this season, it’s been no surprise to see that from him. Signed as a full back out of their MLS Next Pro outfit at the end of last season, he was asked to play as a no. 8 earlier this campaign, and has taken to that role perfectly.
That’s how he got his first call-up to Canada, and as he showed with his performance, is intent on making the most of this opportunity.
Because of that, he’s one to watch in midfield. As he noted afterwards, he’s actually always been a midfielder, only shifting to more of a winger/full back role over the last few years, so this is a return to what he’s best at.
And based on what he’s shown, he has a very high ceiling at the position, as not many players have his combination of speed, awareness, off-ball movement, IQ and stamina, and it helped him immensely.
“I like playing in the middle a lot, that’s where I grew up playing,” Ahmed said. “It’s just been over the last couple of years where I’ve played out wide, but now, I’m enjoying the middle, it feels like the old Ali is coming back, and that’s what got me here.”
“I like to play in space, I like to get on the ball, connect with my strikers, my wingers and everyone else in the midfield, so I’m enjoying that role.”
As for Bombito, his performance was a bit more inconsistent, but was still quite intriguing.
A natural centre back, he was entrusted into a midfield role as a no. 6, something he hasn’t really done much of in his career. Despite that, he looked very comfortable on the ball, immediately showing great comfort in possession.
Where he struggled, however, was his defensive awareness, as there were several moments where he seemed confused about where to be on the field, which is to be expected given the nature of the role.
“I've got a pretty solid base, I just need to maybe do some more film about how to position myself on the field,” Bombito said of the new position. “And how to see wider rather than just one side of the field, maybe open up a bit more to the other side, those are things I can watch and learn about.”
Overall, though, it was a pretty bright performance in his Canada debut, as he did well to build on what has been a solid start to his MLS career with the Colorado Rapids, especially after an injury derailed the first few months of the Super Draft’s pick opportunity.
Now, however, the big question with him will be what to do going forward.
As noted after the game, Herdman tried him out at the no. 6 because he sees immense potential for him at the position, a thought that he says has been echoed by Colorado Rapids staff.
John Herdman notes that he and #Rapids96 staff see Moïse Bombito as a #6 long term
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) June 28, 2023
“They (Rapids) see that midfield potential, and we're missing that type of profile, a 6’3”, strong, athletic with just great feet”
He showed a lot on the ball today, so worth watching #CanMNT
Yet, as he’s also shown at the college and MLS level, Bombito also has immense potential as a centre back, which is why he’s been able to step up seamlessly to the next level in that position.
For Canada, that is a bit of a conundrum, as those just happen to be their two biggest positions of need in a 3-5-2 - a no. 6 who can free up the likes of Ismaël Koné and Stephen Eustáquio to play more free as no. 8s, and centre backs who have the physical tools and the ability on the ball to play a more aggressive brand of play across the board.
Obviously, Bombito can definitely be the latter, which would be immense, but if he can truly be the former, there could be benefits to him playing as more of a no. 6.
Especially with there being options such as Derek Cornelius, Scott Kennedy and Kamal Miller already in the centre back pool, and new options emerging such as Dominick Zator, Zac McGraw, Kyle Hiebert and more, Canada’s centre back situation is improving, even if none of those players are as young or have the same potential as Bombito.
At the no. 6, however, the lone names that have really stepped up are Victor Loturi and Liam Fraser, and the former is yet to earn a start for Canada there despite several camp appearances, while Fraser has been struggling for consistency at the club level.
Of course, there’s a discussion to be had about trying out Loturi at the position, which was a missed opportunity from this game, but even if he does well there, the depth behind him needs improving.
To be fair, Ahmed does also help this discussion, as his emergence as an no. 8 could push Bombito back to centre back if Herdman prefers Eustáquio at the no. 6, which could also make sense given Eustáquio’s past success in that role for Canada.
🇨🇦 | Ahmed Ali (Vancouver Whitecaps, 22) in the Gold Cup vs Guadeloupe:
— OliveFooty (@olivefooty) June 28, 2023
✅ International debut
☑️ 67 touches
☑️ 5 free kicks won
☑️ 1 interception
☑️ 1 key pass
☑️ 5 dribbles (100%)
☑️ 40 passes (89%)
☑️ 10 duels won (77%)
One for the future. pic.twitter.com/MqlhyasFQ1
Either way, one thing’s for sure with Bombito - the potential is there with him, it’s just about figuring out where the best spot is for him to develop for Canada, something that will likely become clearer as the tournament goes along.
“Between him (Bombito) and Ahmed in midfield, I was smiling on the side of the pitch,” Herdman said. “Just thinking about when you give these young kids chances, how this Gold Cup can be a big stepping stone. I remember for Stephen Eustáquio, the Gold Cup was the moment he showed Canada he can be the man, and the same with Tajon Buchanan and Alistair Johnston.”
“And I say this not to put too much pressure on these lads, but to say that this can be a big moment for them.”
