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TORONTO - The work to retool Canada's national team is underway.
Knocked out of World Cup qualifying in November, Canada has been on the outside as the last six teams continue the fight for CONCACAF's three guaranteed berths. Now, Stephen Hart will start the rebuilding process in the Gold Cup.
Dale Mitchell lost his job as manager because of World Cup qualifying - albeit five months after the fact. Much criticism fell on the Canadian Soccer Association for the timing, but General Secretary Peter Montopoli said the CSA needed time to assess the situation.
So, as the 2000 Gold Cup champion faces no meaningful games for another three years, Hart has assembled a squad that could form the nucleus of the team that will contend for a berth in 2014.
The roster includes 11 players from the 2007 Gold Cup team and nine players that could make their Gold Cup debuts.
"I'm looking forward to the tournament and the players are too," Hart said. "It's a new format and quite frankly nobody knows how it's going to work out. We're looking for to it and the challenge of winning another Gold Cup."
The native of Trinidad and Tobago managed the team in 2007 while Mitchell directed the under-20 side during U-20 World Cup in Canada. Under his direction, Canada played an entertaining attacking ball possession style of soccer not seen in many years.
It reached the semifinals of the 2007 Gold Cup before losing to the United States.
Now in his second go-around, Hart will look to recreate that form and provide some optimism for the future.
But Hart is disappointed over some key national team players - namely Dwayne De Rosario and Adrian Serioux - opting to stay behind with Toronto FC.
"I'm frustrated, but there's not much I can do as people have general reasons why they don't want to be there," Hart said. "I'm disappointed in one way, but at the end of the day it opens up opportunities for players to experience the tournament. We'll be looking at a new sort of squad going into the next three or four years, so it's a unique opportunity."
Despite De Rosario's absence, Hart will be able to count midfield general Julian de Guzman of Spain's Deportivo La Coruna. The 2007 Gold Cup Most Valuable Player award winner will help lead a mix of veterans and youngsters.
His targets likely will be strikers Ali Gerba and youngster Simeon Jackson, while Issey Nakjima-Farran and Atiba Hutchinson will join the middle to spark on offense.
Veterans Paul Stalteri, Kevin McKenna, Richard Hastings and Mike Klukowski will again anchor a defense that will look to make amends for a shaky World Cup qualifying campaign.
The big question mark will be in goal as Hart will choose from between Greg Sutton, Kenny Stamatopoulos and Josh Wagenaar. Lars Hirschfeld, the most top goalkeeper of the 2002 Gold Cup, was a surprise omission from the roster along with veteran Pat Onstad of Houston Dynamo.
Other factors may hinder Canada's quest to repeat and surpass its third-place finish in 2007.
The squad has played only one game since November - a 1-0 win away at Cyprus on May 30.
Canada also has the task of trying to advance from Group A which also includes hexagonal leader Costa Rica, a rejuvenated Jamaica and World Cup hopeful El Salvador.
It will open on July 3 against Jamaica in Los Angeles and then travel to Columbus to face El Salvador on July 7 before ending the group stage against Costa Rica in Miami on July 10.
Knocked out of World Cup qualifying in November, Canada has been on the outside as the last six teams continue the fight for CONCACAF's three guaranteed berths. Now, Stephen Hart will start the rebuilding process in the Gold Cup.
Dale Mitchell lost his job as manager because of World Cup qualifying - albeit five months after the fact. Much criticism fell on the Canadian Soccer Association for the timing, but General Secretary Peter Montopoli said the CSA needed time to assess the situation.
So, as the 2000 Gold Cup champion faces no meaningful games for another three years, Hart has assembled a squad that could form the nucleus of the team that will contend for a berth in 2014.
The roster includes 11 players from the 2007 Gold Cup team and nine players that could make their Gold Cup debuts.
"I'm looking forward to the tournament and the players are too," Hart said. "It's a new format and quite frankly nobody knows how it's going to work out. We're looking for to it and the challenge of winning another Gold Cup."
The native of Trinidad and Tobago managed the team in 2007 while Mitchell directed the under-20 side during U-20 World Cup in Canada. Under his direction, Canada played an entertaining attacking ball possession style of soccer not seen in many years.
It reached the semifinals of the 2007 Gold Cup before losing to the United States.
Now in his second go-around, Hart will look to recreate that form and provide some optimism for the future.
But Hart is disappointed over some key national team players - namely Dwayne De Rosario and Adrian Serioux - opting to stay behind with Toronto FC.
"I'm frustrated, but there's not much I can do as people have general reasons why they don't want to be there," Hart said. "I'm disappointed in one way, but at the end of the day it opens up opportunities for players to experience the tournament. We'll be looking at a new sort of squad going into the next three or four years, so it's a unique opportunity."
Despite De Rosario's absence, Hart will be able to count midfield general Julian de Guzman of Spain's Deportivo La Coruna. The 2007 Gold Cup Most Valuable Player award winner will help lead a mix of veterans and youngsters.
His targets likely will be strikers Ali Gerba and youngster Simeon Jackson, while Issey Nakjima-Farran and Atiba Hutchinson will join the middle to spark on offense.
Veterans Paul Stalteri, Kevin McKenna, Richard Hastings and Mike Klukowski will again anchor a defense that will look to make amends for a shaky World Cup qualifying campaign.
The big question mark will be in goal as Hart will choose from between Greg Sutton, Kenny Stamatopoulos and Josh Wagenaar. Lars Hirschfeld, the most top goalkeeper of the 2002 Gold Cup, was a surprise omission from the roster along with veteran Pat Onstad of Houston Dynamo.
Other factors may hinder Canada's quest to repeat and surpass its third-place finish in 2007.
The squad has played only one game since November - a 1-0 win away at Cyprus on May 30.
Canada also has the task of trying to advance from Group A which also includes hexagonal leader Costa Rica, a rejuvenated Jamaica and World Cup hopeful El Salvador.
It will open on July 3 against Jamaica in Los Angeles and then travel to Columbus to face El Salvador on July 7 before ending the group stage against Costa Rica in Miami on July 10.