CARSON, Calif. -- Julian de Guzman well remembers the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, when Canada finished third after a tight semifinal loss to the United States and he was selected the tournament's best player.

Talent-wise, that team has nothing on the current squad, the 34-year-old midfielder noted on the eve of the Canadians' Group B opener in this year's Gold Cup, Wednesday night against El Salvador at StubHub Center (10:30 pm ET, Sportsnet 360 Sportsnet World in Canada, FOX Sports 2, UniMás, UDN in US).

“When I look back at 2007, we were probably able to field, like, 10 solid players max,” said de Guzman, a former Toronto FC and FC Dallas player who played for clubs in Germany, Spain and Greece and now plays for the NASL's Ottawa Fury. “Today we could field two solid teams, so the depth has increased and, obviously, just the competition alone.

“You can see it in training sessions: Each player brings a lot of qualities to the side, so it's definitely a booster for guys like myself and, especially, the veterans who are there to help the young guys come along. So far, it's gone really well.”

Canada have experienced something of a resurgence since Spanish coach Benito Floro took charge following a disastrous showing in the 2013 Gold Cup, when Canada picked up one point without scoring a goal and finished 11th in the 12-nation event. That followed the 2011 edition, in which the team also failed to get out of group play after winning their group in the two previous tournaments.

Better depth has come from a generation of newcomers -- a group that includes Orlando City striker Cyle Larin, the top pick in this year's MLS SuperDraft; FC Dallas forward Tesho Akindele, last year's MLS Rookie of the Year; Montreal Impact midfielder Maxim Tissot; and New York Red Bulls defender Karl Ouimette -- and Floro has focused on creating a tactically sound group that can compete with nearly anybody.

It has been slow going. Canada went winless and without a goal in Floro's first five games in charge in 2013, claimed just one victory last year -- in September over Jamaica, their Gold Cup foe Saturday in Houston -- but have now posted four successive shutout wins, including a pair over Dominica to advance in a World Cup qualifying series.

“From the first moment, we planned to increase the tactical level of the players, because it's impossible to increase the physical condition or to increase the skill,” Floro said. “So the only possibility is to increase the tactical level. … I consider the progress is good, but now is the moment to test if we are on the right way.”

The goal, he said earlier this month, is to win the championship -- Canada's second, after their stunning 2000 triumph -- but he's really looking for progress, and no trophy will be required to please him.

“If we achieve to go to the quarterfinals or semifinals, it would be very good,” Floro said. “To be in condition to [accomplish] that, first it is necessary to play well. So we are confident, our players are fighting a lot, they start each day [to better understand] the system of play. … We are here with a good spirit, with the feeling and thinking that all the games we win will be important for us.”

To reach the quarterfinals, Canada must finish in Group B's top two or claim one of the two third-place spots available. After facing El Salvador and Jamaica, they will close the group stage next Tuesday in Toronto against Costa Rica, the group's favorite.

De Guzman says Canada's 2000 title serves as inspiration -- “a lot of guys on this team would like to repeat that moment,” he noted -- but that they cannot get ahead of themselves.

“We have to take it step by step with the whole transition, the whole, I guess, revolution we have going on in the Canadian program and what Benito has brought,” he said. “It's obviously a lot different than it has been in the past. … Our objective is pretty much clear: It's coming out of the group, and I think, realistically, the guys believe we can make it to the final four. From there, the rest of it's a gamble.”