John Herdman acknowledges that Canada's roster is still a work in progress ahead of the clash with the USMNT

John Herdman, Canada's head coach, gave a status update to Stephen Eustaquio and praised the men's team of the United States ahead of Sunday's highly anticipated match at Tim Horton Field in Hamilton.

John Herdman acknowledges that Canada's roster is still a work in progress ahead of the clash with the USMNT

After testing positive for Covid-19, Eustaquio was removed from Canada's first match in the January/February international window. Since then, the player has been able to recover and could play against the United States.

Herdman stated that they were hoping for him to join the squad tonight or tomorrow during Saturday's media availability.

"The roster at the moment, it's still in development."

Canada leads the Concacaf table, with 19 points from nine games and a record 5-4-0. However, a loss to the USMNT Sunday could mean that they fall to second. The match against the USMNT on Sunday will determine the top three teams, with the US just one point behind.

"Gregg Berhalter has been a great coach. He will try to adapt to what we put out there. He has seen us play in different ways, and he will need to adapt. Herdman said that they had a strong plan.

One thing about the US is that they have a great identity. If you give them the inside channels and the expected goals from these positions, they can be absolutely deadly. We have to manage this.

"It's a strong team. That is what we are excited about. First, you have to win the individual battles. Next, you need to manage that space behind fullbacks. They are attracted to that box and the cutbacks.

USMNT player Tim Weah will not be available for Sunday's match. He failed to comply with Canada's mandatory vaccination requirements. This leaves the team vulnerable.

The race for the 2022 World Cup is tight, even though the Concacaf table's top three nations automatically qualify.


 

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