Preview: Canada vs. Suriname WCQ
Canada enters a must-win game against Suriname with one of the strongest rosters ever assembled to wear the red & white.
While Herdman has been shuffling lineups and shapes throughout this stage of qualifying, keeping the group fresh, and managing roster complexities, the match against Bermuda should provide the greatest context for what we’ll see against Suriname. And if it wasn’t clear enough, the last 25 minutes of the match against Aruba provided a preview of what we’ll see on Tuesday night.
Canada should lineup in a 4–4–2.
The shape will change to a 3–4–2–1 attacking structure, with Davies and Laryea dominating the wide channels, Johnston sitting back to provide cover alongside the CBs and Corbeanu tucking into the half-space.
Don’t expect Piette or Eustaquio to roam forwards much either, as Canada will be conscious of the effective counter-attacking ability of Suriname and aim to keep 5 behind the ball at all times.
What should we expect then? Canada will be attacking through wide areas. Suriname will be sitting deep in a block and Canada will circulate the ball quickly looking to move the opposition to one side and then quickly switching play and attack the box through the weakside.
Once a box extry is achieved, Canada will attack with numbers, relying on the world-class finishing quality that the squad has in abundance.
The unfamiliar CB pairing of Henry and Kennedy is concerning for the side, as Herdman opts to go with the players in top form. Henry has good physical tools to deal with the speed and power upfront for Suriname, but always has the propensity for a rash challenge or two. Kennedy is an unknown to the Canadian setup but quietly had a solid season playing in the second division in Germany. They won’t be busy, but will be called upon at some point in the match.
Johnston at left-back comes as a surprise, but it fits all of the other pieces together. Don’t plan to notice Johnston too much as he’ll be apart of the supporting cast providing important cover for the stars of the team.
Things to Watch For:
(1) Wide Right Partnership between Laryea and Corbeau
Corbeanu is new to the program, but has quickly become a Herdman favourite and looks poised to play a big role in this crucial qualifier over more experienced options such as Hoilett and Millar. In his action for Canada so far, Corbeanu has looked comfortable playing wide and using his physical tools to beat defenders on the dribble or entering the box deep and finding space to receive and finish.
Corbeanu is going to need to play more narrow at times than we’ve seen previously, as the wide channel certainly belongs to Laryea while he’s out on the pitch. The ability for these guys to strike up a fluid and effective partnership will be a determining factor to Canada’s success, as Suriname will certainly be overloading their right side to cover for Davies.
(2) Unlocking Space Centrally
Canada lacks a traditional 10 in this proposed side, missing player skillsets such as Osorio, Arfield and Wotherspoon. The “quarterback” abilities to play between the lines, unbalance the backline and play the final killer pass are something to watch out for, and if Canada is struggling to combine in the final third we should expect to see the introduction of Osorio (injury) or Wotherspoon early.
(3) David Leading the Line
Though most proposed lineups see David playing in and around Larin, there should be no mistake about it after this fixture against Suriname — David is the squad’s marquee out-and-out striker and he will be tasked with leading the line. Expect fluidity with Larin, but David will be Canada’s most advanced attacker for most of the match.
Barring a major disaster for Canada, they should move through will relative ease ready to face off against a familiar opponent in Haiti…
Enjoy the match!
