Canada Soccer unveils Men’s National Team squad for Japan Friendly

Canada’s 23-man squad features players from professional clubs in nine different countries.

Canada announced today their squad for the upcoming international friendly against Japan officially named the Mizuho Blue Dream Match 2023. Canada will face FIFA number 19 ranked Japan in a match on Friday 13 October (19.35 local / 06.35 ET / 03.35 PT) at the Denka Big Swan Stadium. Interim Head Coach Mauro Biello has selected a 23-player roster to travel to Niigata, Japan.

“I am excited about this roster as there is a good mix of experience and young talent that will allow us to compete against a very good opponent,” said Mauro Biello, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team interim Head Coach. “This is an opportunity to bring our group together and build on our cohesion and tactical discipline. Japan will be a great test for us as we prepare for the Concacaf Nations League Quarter-final in November.”

Canada and Japan have met three times in international ‘A’ competition. Canada has a 1-0-2 record, winning the most recent match between the two sides 2:1, on 17 November 2022, leading into the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

Canada will use the October window as part of its ongoing preparation for the 2023/2024 Concacaf Nations League which serves as the qualifier for Concacaf teams participating in the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024. Canada has been drawn directly into the quarter-final stage of the Concacaf Nations League which will be played in a home-and-away format during the November FIFA Match Window.

CANADA’S SQUAD ​
​Canada’s 23-man squad for the Mizuho Blue Dream Match features footballers from professional clubs in nine different countries. The camp features 15 players from the Concacaf Nations League final and includes the first-time call-up Luc de Fougerolles.

Canada’s three goalkeepers are Milan Borjan of Red Slovan Bratislava, Maxime Crépeau from Los Angeles FC, and Dayne St. Clair from Minnesota United FC.

At the back, Canada have centre backs Moïse Bombito from Colorado Rapids, Derek Cornelius from Malmö FF, Steven Vitória from GD Chaves, and Kamal Miller from Inter Miami CF as well as outside fullbacks Samuel Adekugbe from Vancouver Whitecaps FC, de Fougerolles from Fulham FC U18, Alistair Johnston from Celtic FC, Richie Laryea from Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Alphonso Davies from FC Bayern Munich.

From the midfield up through to the attack, Canada have Mathieu Choinière from CF Montréal, Stephen Eustáquio from FC Porto, Junior Hoilett from Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Ismaël Koné from Watford FC, Jonathan Osorio from Toronto FC, Harry Paton from Motherwell FC, Samuel Piette from CF Montréal, Charles-Andreas Brym from Sparta Rotterdam, Jonathan David from Lille OSC, Cyle Larin from RCD Mallorca, Liam Millar from Preston North End FC. 

BROADCAST INFORMATION ​  ​
​The Mizuho Blue Dream Match will be broadcast in Canada LIVE via OneSoccer, available as a linear channel on Telus’ Optik TV (Channel 980), on the fuboTV Canada platform as well as online at OneSoccer.ca, and through the OneSoccer app. Fans will find extended coverage for the matches across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube featuring the hashtag #CANMNT.

CANADA SQUAD
​GK -Milan Borjan ​ |SLO / Slovan Bratislava
​GK- Maxime Crépeau | USA / Los Angeles FC
​GK- Dayne St. Clair | USA / Minnesota United FC
​CB- Moïse Bombito | USA / Colorado Rapids
​CB- Derek Cornelius | SWE / Malmö FF
​CB- Steven Vitória | POR / GD Chaves
​CB/FB- Kamal Miller | USA ​ / Inter Miami CF ​
​CB/FB- Luc de Fougerolles | ENG / Fullham FC U18
​CB/FB- Alistair Johnston | SCO / Celtic FC
​FB- Samuel Adekugbe | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
​FB- Richie Laryea | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
​FB – Alphonso Davies | GER / FC Bayern München
​M- Mathieu Choinière | CAN / CF Montréal
​M- Stephen Eustáquio | POR / FC Porto
​M- Ismaël Koné | ENG / Watford FC
​M- Jonathan Osorio | CAN / Toronto FC
​M- Harry Paton | SCO / Motherwell FC
​M- Samuel Piette | CAN / CF Montréal
​M/F- David Junior Hoilett | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
​FB/F- Liam Millar | ENG / Preston North End FC
​F- Charles-Andreas Brym | NED / Sparta Rotterdam
​F- Jonathan David | FRA / Lille OSC
​F- Cyle Larin | ESP / RCD Mallorca

CANADA (A-Z) ​ ​
​Player | Age | City in which they grew up | Notable youth clubs ​ ​
​Nom de joueur | Âge | Lieu où il a grandi | Début d’activité/premier club
​Adekugbe, Samuel | 28 | Calgary, AB, CAN | Manchester United Grassroots
​Bombito, Moïse | 23 | Montréal, QC, CAN | Cs saint-laurent
​Borjan, Milan | 35 | Hamilton, ON, CAN | Radnicki JP ​
​Brym, Charles-Andreas | 25 | Saguenay, QC, CAN | CS Jonquière (Mistral)
​Choinière, Mathieu | 24 | St-Alexandre, QC, CAN | AS Haut-Richelieu
​Cornelius, Derek | 25 | Ajax, ON, CAN | Ajax SC
​Crépeau, Maxime | 29 | Candiac, QC, CAN | Ligue de soccer pour enfants de Candiac
​David, Jonathan | 23 | Ottawa, ON, CAN | Ottawa Gloucester Dragons
​Davies, Alphonso | 22 | Edmonton, AB, CAN | Edmonton Inter
​de Fougerolles, Luc | 17 | London, ENG | Battersea Bedhead
​Eustáquio, Stephen | 26 | Leamington, ON, CAN | Leamington MS
​Hoilett, David Junior | 33 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton YSC
​Johnston, Alistair | 25 | Aurora, ON, CAN | Lakeshore SC
​Koné, Ismaël | 21 | Montréal, QC, CAN | AS Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
​Larin, Cyle | 28 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton YSC
​Laryea, Richie | 28 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Club Uruguay Toronto
​Millar, Liam | 24 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton YSC
​Miller, Kamal | 26 | Scarborough, ON, CAN | Scarborough Malvern SC
​Osorio, Jonathan | 31 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Toronto Futsal League
​Paton, Harry | 25 | Kitchener, ON, CAN | Kitchener SC
​Piette, Samuel | 28 | Le Gardeur, QC, CAN | Lionceaux de le Gardeur
​St. Clair, Dayne | 26 | Pickering, ON, CAN | Ephinay Church Soccer League
​Vitória, Steven | 36 | Sudbury & Mississauga, ON, CAN | Sudbury Lions

CANADA SOCCER’S MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM
​Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team are Concacaf runners up after taking Silver at the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League Finals in Las Vegas. Before this year, they made their return to the men’s FIFA World Cup after finishing first in the Concacaf Final Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Canada previously won titles when they lifted the Greg Kafaty Trophy at the 1985 Concacaf Championship and the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2000.