Herdman draws on positives to ease the pain of Canada’s Gold Cup loss to the US
John Herdman is still feeling the pain of the US losing at the Gold Cup on Sunday after penalties. But the Canadian coach believes the tournament will really pay off in the future.
The 45th-ranked Canadian men missed out on a slew of big names after their 2-0 defeat to the 11th-ranked Americans in the CONCACAF Nations League final on June 18 that preceded the Gold Cup. They made it to the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup and pushed the US to its limits in a back and forth battle.
Despite the final result, Herdman believes the summer campaign has proved to be a “very important step” for his team.
The CONCACAF Nations League final, Canada’s first in 23 years, provided big game experience. The Gold Cup offered something different, but just as rewarding.
“Because I felt it just hit a little reset button for our culture,” Herdman told The Canadian Press. “It showed what it really means for players to represent our country – young, hungry players – and then put them around an experienced group who bought the brotherhood, the culture and took the country to the next level.
“It was invaluable, an invaluable experience, just to feel like there’s a group of players here who really want it and they’re going to keep this country from falling into some kind of complacency trap. And that’s how it will be now for the next two years.”
LOOK | Canada drops to US in quarterfinals:
Canada lost 3-2 to the Americans on penalties in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Sunday evening.
Canada opened play against unseeded Guadeloupe in Toronto on June 27, having to settle for a 2–2 draw after an own goal in the 93rd minute. The Canadians then flew to Houston where they tied No. 116 Guatemala 0-0 and beat No. 165 Cuba 4-2 to finish second in Group B behind Guadeloupe.
That set up the quarterfinal showdown in Cincinnati with the USA, who topped Group A. The Canadians were looking for their first victory over the Americans on American soil since 1957.
After substitute Brandon Vazquez put the U.S. ahead 1–0 in the 88th minute, Canada forced extra time in the 93rd minute via a Steven Vitoria penalty and took a 2–1 lead in the 109th minute on a Jacob Shaffelburg goal .
Herdman liked what he saw leading up to the game, with players going through extra practice sessions to prepare.
“You smelled and felt something on race day, that this group was really locked in,” he said. “So I think that hurts more than anything. Because they got so close. And if they had [kept] that 2-1 lead or winning the penalties, I fell like this group would have felt invincible. They went step by step.”
A win over the USA would have meant a semi-final game against Panama No. 57, a team that defeated Canada 2-0 at full strength in the semi-final of the CONCACAF Nations League.
‘Our future’
But Canada’s entry into the Gold Cup was without Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, Cyle Larin, Tajon Buchanan, Alistair Johnston, Atiba Hutchinson, Stephen Eustaquio, Samuel Adekugbe and Ismael Kone.
Ahmed, Bombito, Zac McGraw, Jacen Russel-Rowe and Dominick Zator all made their national team debuts for Canada against Guadeloupe. Minnesota United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair took over after two games as No. 1 Milan Borjan was sidelined with injury, earning his third and fourth caps and exceptional in the US loss.
“I think the fans have seen something of our future,” Herdman said after the game against Guadeloupe. “And I think this tournament has opened a window for that opportunity.”
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Ahmed, a 22-year-old Vancouver Whitecap with 11 MLS appearances to his name, started all four games at the tournament and was a revelation to many.
Not for Shepherd.
The elusive Ahmed used to play with Herdman’s son in Whitecaps FC 2, Vancouver’s MLS Next Pro development team, so he knew him well. A fullback/fullback with the Whitecaps, Ahmed played as an attacking midfielder with Canada.
“We bet on him,” Herdman said. “I wanted Canada to see him. I wanted the world to see Ali Ahmed hopefully, because we need some of these players – Ahmed, Bombito, Russell-Rowe etc – we need them to springboard and springboard quickly to jump.”
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Vitoria takes the leading role
The 36-year-old Vitoria, who took over as captain in the game against the US after Junior Hoilett was substituted, also earned kudos.
“He’s an absolute rock,” Herdman said.
Hoilett, Kamal Miller, Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea were also team leaders and worked alongside other veterans to keep the squad on their toes.
Next up for Canada are the international FIFA windows in September (September 4-12), October (9-17) and November (13-21), each with two matches per period.
Herdman, who is clear that his team needs to keep busy, says there has been a lot of behind-the-scenes action to build his team’s fall schedule against the backdrop of Canada Soccer’s financial struggles. He said he hoped there will be an announcement soon.
In the meantime, Herdman hopes that players like David and Buchanan, currently with France’s Lille and Belgium’s Club Brugge respectively, can make a “next-level” transfer to a bigger club.
