

Posted by

Ian Clarke ,

September 7, 2014 Email

Ian Clarke



Twitter

@ClarkeRNO Read this on your iPhone/iPad or Android device



As the European transfer window has closed, and MLS teams are looking for one last chance to make deals heading into the playoff push, the results of these moves can make a significant change in the fortune's of the club as well as the player acquired. From a Canadian perspective, many seasons begin looking at the CMNT depth chart wondering if a player will be signed by a new team before the start of the year, or if a season has not worked out as expected, will he get a chance somewhere else? Approaching the 2015 Gold Cup and next World Cup Qualifying cycle, much can be learned from the past decade. What has been one characteristic, which one would think the most obvious, is ensuring our Men's National Team members are competing and getting minutes week in week out. For a larger soccer nation with a bigger player pool, that might not always be an issue as the sheer quantity allows that to never become a real problem. However, the struggles Canada faces with player depth and reasons behind it are well documented. That being said, it is one reason why when players are part of the professional ranks it is critical from the perspective of building a greater depth and pool of players available, that our players are in healthy situations club-wise and getting minutes on a regular basis. While the list is not an exclusive one, there are a handful of Canadians who are currently unattached or in less than desirable club situations. Below are some players that are a mix of ones that can currently be key players in the starting eleven, or if they find a good club, can become quality depth or starters in the future. The intention is to keep these names in the forefront as they all have had complications in their careers that often are behind the scenes and effected the perception of their abilities. All of whom could benefit from finding a club that is the right fit and allows them to become or continue to be valuable members of the National Team.



Milan Borjan



What a year it has been for Borjan who burst onto the scene as the rare case of a potential international player choosing to play for Canada over his country of birth. After committing verbally to Canada and playing in a 2011 friendly against Greece, the Yugoslavian-born player earned a move from FK Rad to Sivasspor in the Turkish Super League. Up and downs with the club, highlighted with a strong 2012 loan spell at Romania’s FC Vaslui and the following year taking his team to the semi-finals of the Turkish Cup, finished with new coach Roberto Carlos favoring his counterpart Korcan Celikay in goal. The biggest disappointment for Borjan over the last year was the Turkish FA not allowing his release date from contract at the start of 2014 to be amended to fit within the transfer deadline. Italian Serie A Napoli were in desperate need of a backup keeper and Borjan fit the profile, but the deal did not go through as a result. Now the Canadian keeper, at 27 years of age, is nearing his prime development years and without a club. The offseason saw rumours of interest from the UK from English Championship sides, but nothing concrete yet. As he is currently unattached, Borjan can go to any club requiring his services, but his next move should be one that fits him, not a desperate team needing depth. As he is heading into the years where experience should begin to show, Borjan should focus on the right fit, at a team and in a league that will make his improvement a priority and willing to stick with his growth. His time in Turkey was neither in a league or at a club where defence and defending was a priority, and finding a team with balanced tactics and approach would benefit Borjan’s further development and improve the Canadian keeper position.



Julian De Guzman



After leaving Toronto FC, the black mark on what was a solid professional resume, De Guzman continued on with his career back in Europe. The midfielder had good showings for Canada since leaving TFC in 2012 and also had a brief renaissance with FC Dallas to finish that season. The last two years has seen him both in Germany helping Jahn Regensburg try to avoid relegation from the 2.Bundesliga and then Skoda Xanthi remain in the Greece Super League. At 33 years of age, De Guzman still has something to offer for club and country. His first real breakout in the professional game came at Hannover 96 in Germany and this region might be where he can fit in easily. Even though Canada is going through a transition period, his time in Spain with Deportivo La Coruna translates well with Benito Floro’s approach, and De Guzman can offer experiences to his teammates that can bridge the language and footballing culture barrier. With the 2015 Gold Cup likely his last important fixtures for Canada, finding a club this season is imperative for him to remain match-fit and an important piece of the midfield.



Kyle Bekker



While the first two names are clearly the unattached, with Canada having a spotty track record of solid depth, underutilized players also become a real concern. Kyle Bekker was already known after four years in the NCAA at Boston College, but specifically after an impressive MLS Combine that catapulted him into speculations of a first round draft selection, wanted by several of the top teams in the league and eventually the third pick overall by Toronto FC. There was much hype around his growing potential as a midfielder and technique on the ball, but over the last two seasons it has rarely been on display for his local club. Toronto FC have a long history of taking players out of their positions of strength, and Bekker is no exception. What will be interesting to see in the coming weeks is if new head coach Greg Vanney sees in Bekker what Ryan Nelsen’s tactics failed to cultivate. There is no question that anyone who follows TFC could see that Bekker was not suited for Nelsen’s brand of football. It has become confusing why if he was not in the plans, would Toronto not move him to a club that is a better fit tactically? With four years in the NCAA, Bekker is a known commodity in the United States and certainly could still garner value given his age and position. From a Canadian Men’s National Team perspective, especially considering Bekker is in key years for development that require competitive minutes played, having him sit on the sidelines at Toronto FC, a Canadian club no less, is a true disappointment. Hopefully Vanney and his new staff either see what Benito Floro does, or if not, look to move him where he can continue his development.



Ashtone Morgan



It was the end of 2010 when in a meaningless Champions League fixture against Arabe Unido that Ashtone Morgan made his first appearance for Toronto FC. He showed great pace down the left side of the pitch, tidy passing and willingness to attack. The next two years under Aron Winter and Paul Mariner, Morgan flourished as an overlapping fullback who was able to bomb down the wing and cross in several passes onto the likes of Danny Koevermans for goals. The transition from Winter’s Dutch attacking brand to Ryan Nelsen’s defence-first 4-4-2 stripped Morgan of his strengths and exposed a part of his game that was clearly still in need of development. The start of 2013 was especially difficult, most notably a 2-1 loss at home against New York where Tim Cahill scored the final goal leaping over Morgan. To Morgan’s credit, once TFC signed Jonas Elmer to compete for the left back position, he was much more steady than the first half of the season, but the impression from the start resulted in Justin Morrow being brought in during the offseason. There is no debating that anyone who has followed TFC that Ashtone Morgan has been frozen out of the team, so much so Ryan Nelsen preferred to have a natural right back start over him at left back. With Greg Vanney now the head coach, we have seen one game where he was brought back in, but questions remain regarding his future. In the right environment, Morgan should still be able to show the strengths he demonstrated through 2011-12. At 23 years of age, he has almost 70 professional MLS games under his belt when most North American players are in their rookie year. Like Kyle Bekker, there are several teams in the league one can envision a better fit and with the number of games he has already played, is a known commodity. As well, if he is not even in the plans to get playing time at Wilmington on a consistent basis, should Vanney not prefer him in the coming weeks, finding a team where he can rediscover his game, confidence and get minutes will be essential for Canada who are lacking quality depth at the left back position.



Kyle Porter



A long discussed attacking player from the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy, Kyle Porter is still grinding through his career looking for the right place to play week in week out. After a promising youth career that looked to be on route to a solid professional one, Porter made his way to Germany and Energie Cottbus before returning back to Vancouver in 2010. Not in the plans once the Whitecaps came into MLS he spent two years at FC Edmonton where on his best days looked to be a player who could compete at a higher level. This was confirmed when DC United brought him in, a statement considering Canadians still count as foreign players. However, after a positive 2013 season at DC where he made 27 appearances (18 starts), 2014 has not been as encouraging with few minutes both with DC and their USL Pro affiliate Richmond. The quick rebuild DC United went through the offseason was going to leave players on the fringe, but from a Canadian perspective, we need as many of them getting minutes as possible. Porter is a player who might be looking at the coming expansion with anticipation as there will be many moves happening and could be a good piece for a club building up. At 24 years of age, he still has his prime years ahead of him and has looked good for Canada over the last year. The right fit for him in the next year would be a big boost to the attacking options for the Men's National Team.