When a young soccer player asked Jonathan Osorio if Canada was going to win the men’s World Cup, his answer was direct.
“Yes,” said Osorio during a question-and-answer period Monday at a children’s soccer camp in Toronto’s Downsview Park.
The panel with Osorio, teammate Richie Laryea, Canadian soccer great Dwayne De Rosario and Adam van Koeverden, the secretary of state for sport, was part of the grand unveiling of Canada’s kit for the upcoming World Cup. The federal government also announced that it was giving Canada Soccer $300,000 to expand youth engagement initiatives across the country.
After taking some questions from youth players, Osorio tempered his bold prediction.
“I had to give them the answer that everybody wanted to hear, of course,” Osorio told media members. “But hey, going into the World Cup, we're taking it game by game, and we go into every game to win.
“Obviously, we're realistic, we know winning the World Cup is a little bit of a stretch, but at the same time, who knows? Anything can happen in tournament football, especially at home in our country, and all we want to do really, is perform well and make our country proud.”
A significant hurdle in that quest is the health of superstar Alphonso Davies. The left back strained his right hamstring in Bayern Munich's win over Atalanta in a Champions League match last Wednesday.
The 25-year-old Davies had returned in December from a torn ACL he sustained one year ago while playing for Canada.
“I mean, that's the best player in CONCACAF, in our region, that we won't be able to have for this camp,” said Laryea. “But I think with everything being said and done, it doesn't seem like it's all too bad.
“I think obviously, with him being out previously with his ACL, it’s on a lot of us to really step up to fill the void that he leaves, because he's such a presence on and off the pitch.”
Canada has a pair of international friendlies after it wraps training camp. The Canadians play Iceland on March 28 and Tunisia on March 31.
“We love him, but I think it’s not a bad thing for us to have had to have this little moment without him to see who we can be without our star player,” said Laryea. “Now that we know we're not going have him again, we know what we have to do, and we'll be ready to see what happens in the summer.”
The federal funding will support two key initiatives: an expanded national school outreach program and a national team match experience. These programs will help bring soccer into classrooms across Canada and give approximately 5,000 young players and their families the chance to attend Canadian national team matches.
“This is an incredible moment for soccer in our country,” said van Koeverden, who won kayaking gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. “Sport is the ultimate nation builder, bringing people together, strengthening communities and inspiring young Canadians to dream big.
“This investment will help more kids participate in sport, see our national teams up close, connect with sport in their schools, and experience the excitement of international soccer in Canada as we build toward this historic tournament.”
Osorio wore Canada’s new home kit for the event, a predominantly red uniform that has a subtle Maple Leaf across the chest. Laryea was wearing a black uniform that looks like cracked ice.
Both jerseys have a “lucky loonie” stitched into the back collar.
“Two beautiful jerseys, it's very exciting,” said Osorio, who plays with Laryea for Major League Soccer side Toronto FC. “You can feel the energy now, you can feel that the tournament’s right around the corner.
“The energy in the city keeps getting more and more excited for that first game. It's feeling more and more real.”
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan