

Posted by

Steve Bottjer ,

April 11, 2014 Email

Steve Bottjer

On Twitter:

@BottjerRNO

With the 2014 NASL season kicking off on the weekend, FC Edmonton will officially be joined by the Ottawa Fury as the second Canadian club in the North American second division, with both clubs fielding squads with a number of exciting Canadian players.



Given that some Canadian players have struggled to find playing time in Major League Soccer due to the rules that designate Canadian players as International players for all but the three Canadian clubs, for many the inherent promise of the NASL comes in the form of it being a league in which young Canadian players can earn significant playing time while developing their games in high quality competition while also raising their profiles with respect to possible call-ups for the Canadian National Team program.



With both Ottawa and Edmonton offering clubs with exciting Canadian talent and top tier Canadian coaches in the form of Colin Miller and Marc Dos Santos, the 2014 NASL campaign should be an exciting proposition for Canadian soccer fans.



While the following list is far from exhaustive, it presents a look at ten Canadian players in particular whose seasons will be interesting to watch with respect to both club and their prospects for country.



Hanson Boakai, FC Edmonton



Considered to be the next big thing in Canadian soccer by many in the Canadian soccer community, 17 year old midfielder Hanson Boakai currently holds the record for the youngest player ever to appear in a NASL game at the age of 16 years old and 231 days. A dynamic young talent who has drawn interest from clubs in Europe, Boakai has already represented Canada at the U15 and U17 levels.



John Smits, FC Edmonton



A product of the Toronto Varsity Blues program, 25 year old goalkeeper John Smits has been lauded by many as a shot stopper with a future with the Canadian Men’s National Team. The former CIS keeper earned a shutout in his first start with FC Edmonton last season and impressed greatly in working his way up a crowded keeper depth chart during his first campaign at the professional level. With keeper Lance Parker injured, Smits, the No. 2 keeper in the FC Edmonton pecking order, is expected to get the start in his club’s season opener against Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday.



Frank Jonke, FC Edmonton



With FC Edmonton struggling to score goals last season, much is expected of veteran striker Frank Jonke. After five years in which he was a consistent goalscorer in Finland with clubs such as JBK, Oulu, Inter Turku and Jaro, the 6 foot 3 striker has returned to Canada and will be aiming to use his experience towards helping Edmonton to improve their offensive performances in their second year under Head Coach Colin Miller. Jonke received his first call up by the Canadian national team for friendlies against Denmark and United States in January 2013. With the increased profile that should come with his move to Canada from Finland, the Pickering, Ontario native could earn more call-ups with the Canadian National Team should he establish himself as a consistent goalscorer for Edmonton.



Shaun Saiko, San Antonio Scorpions



Long considered one of the NASL players primed to make the jump to the NASL, midfielder Shaun Saiko enters his first season playing for the San Antonio Scorpions after three seasons with his hometown club, FC Edmonton. An NASL Best XI Midfielder in 2011, the 24 year old should benefit from both a change of scenery after a tumultuous last season in Edmonton and a spot away from the pressure of being one of the hometown faces of a franchise that struggled in its first two seasons in the NASL.



Adrian Cann, San Antonio Scorpions



A fan favourite during his time in the MLS with Toronto FC, Toronto native Adrian Cann has joined Saiko in San Antonio with the Scorpions. The 33 year old central defender saw his tenure with his hometown club cut short by an ACL injury suffered in 2011. It will be interesting to see how the Canadian International performs after not playing professionally in 2013. His signing by San Antonio highlights that club as the NASL equivalent of D.C. United, as a sort of de facto Canada south side with multiple Canadian players on its roster.



Andrés Fresenga, Ottawa Fury



Considered by many to be the future right back of the Canadian Men’s National Team, the 21 year old Fresenga enters his first campaign in North America after spending the last several years playing professionally in Uruguay. As both a tenacious defender and a highly technical player, the Toronto native impressed many with his play for Canada at the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifiers in 2012. With his move from Uruguay to Canada, the play and progress of the young right back should be more easily followed by Canadian Men’s National Team Head Coach Benito Floro and his staff.



Philippe Davies, Ottawa Fury



Another player who impressed greatly with his play at the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifiers in 2012, the 23 year old Whitecaps Residency Program product is expected to play an important role for the Ottawa Fury in his first season playing under Head Coach Marc Dos Santos. A versatile player who can play a number of different positions, Davies has represented Canada at the U17, U20, U23 and Senior Men’s levels.



Carl Haworth, Ottawa Fury



A 24 year old striker, Haworth was a standout player in the NCAA and another player who turned some heads while representing Canada at the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifiers in 2012. This past summer, Haworth led the PDL in assists (12) and finished the season with a club-record 18 goals in all competitions helping the Ottawa Fury reach the Eastern Conference Championship Final.



Mason Trafford, Ottawa Fury



A 27 year old defender who earned his first call-up with the Canadian Men’s National Team at the beginning of 2013, the former Vancouver Whitecaps Residency player has been developing his game over the last several years, playing in Finland with IFK Mariehamn and as a key player/foreign import with Guizhou Zhicheng in China. As an experienced defender, Trafford is expected to be a key player for Ottawa in the club’s first season in the NASL.



Drew Beckie, Ottawa Fury



A 6'1 defender who spent the 2013 MLS season with the Columbus Crew featuring for their Reserve squad, Beckie is another player who impressed playing for Canada with U23 Olympic Qualifying squad and who brings athleticism to what is shaping up to be an exciting and dynamic Fury back line with a Canadian flavour. He returns to Ottawa after capturing a PDL Division Title with the Fury PDL team in 2012.