It’s been nearly four months since the CMNT last played a match, and after the high of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Canada are back in CONCACAF action with two Nations League games against Curaçao and Honduras. The squad has been refreshed, nine players from the world squad are out, but four Canadians have been called up to the squad for the first time! Each player had a different path, and each player detailed below will be very excited about the opportunity to don the Canada red.
Tom McGill – Brighton and Hove Albion
The most mysterious of the four, McGill has been with the Seagull’s first team since 2018 but has yet to make a first-team appearance. The Oakville native is still only twenty-two (at the time of article release) and has international experience with England’s under-seventeen side and has made four appearances so far this season for Brighton’s under-21 side.
It’s hard to know what to expect from McGill at the moment, but with Milan Borjan firmly in the latter part of his career and Maxime Crépeau still recovering from a broken leg, there is a potential goalkeeper spot in the squad up for grabs going forward. I wouldn’t expect McGill to see much game time in this window, but training against the likes of Davies, David, and Eustáquio will certainly be great for his development going forward.
Dominick Zator – Korona Kielce
Five years ago, Zator looked set to leave football behind and take up accountancy. Now, thanks to his time in the Canadian Premier League – he is playing in the polish top flight for Korona Kielce and has become just one of a handful of CPL alumni to be called up to a Canada squad.
A center-back primarily with York, Zator has been playing predominantly as a right-back for Korona and has been getting plenty of game time. Since making his debut on January 29th against Legia Warsaw, Zator has started eight consecutive game games and his run in the team has collated with an uptick of form. Korona has kept three clean sheets and picked up thirteen points, enough to bring the team to just a single point away from escaping the relegation zone. Zator I’ll have a chance to compete for minutes this window, Kamal Miller pulled out of the squad, and with Steven Vitoria now thirty-six, a soon-to-be-vacant center-back position will soon be up for grabs, and he will be confident in his chances to stake his claim.
S. 2 Ep. 13 – The Final Is Set – FC13 Podcast
Victor Loturi – Ross County
The second CPL alumni on this list, Loturi joined Scottish premiership side Ross County last summer, and has been a steady presence for the highlanders since. The defensive midfielder has made eighteen appearances for Ross County in the league, putting up many impressive performances and chipping in with two assists, and one goal against East Fife in the Scottish League Cup.
Loturi was in danger of being called up and tied to South Sudan, so it was a relief to everyone when the twenty-one-year-old accepted a call up from John Herdman. Longtime Canadian midfield legend is in the twilight of his career – with his retirement appearing to be inevitable at this point. There is a gap in central midfield that will soon need to be filled, and Loturi looks primed to stake a claim as a long-term midfield option for Les Rouges.
Kyle Hiebert – St Louis City
What a rise! Hiebert has only made a total of four appearances at the MLS level, and beforehand he had only ever played at a collegiate or developmental league level. Now, he is part of a St Louis team who has made the best-ever start by an expansion MLS team, scored a goal as a center-back, and was in the MLS team of the week for week three. Hiebert was initially overlooked for the squad, but thanks to Kamal Miller having to be withdrawn, the Winnipeg native got his chance!
Just like Zator, Hiebert will see himself as having a legitimate shot at breaking into the first team. He will only be twenty-eight come to 2026 World Cup, and if his hot start to life in the MLS can be shown to be the baseline of his abilities, then we can expect to see a lot more of him for Les Rouges in the future!
Subscribe to 13th Man Sports to get email notifications when we post!