Thomas Meilleur-Giguère was in the running to be handed the captain’s armband for Canada U-23 when disaster struck. The Pacific FC defender injured his knee late Thursday in the final practice before Canada opened the Tokyo Olympics men’s soccer qualifying tournament with a 2-0 victory Friday over El Salvador in Guadalajara, Mexico, on a brilliant pair of goals by striker Tajon Buchanan.
Meilleur-Giguère is on his way back to Victoria.
“Thomas was going to be such a big part of the Canadian squad, likely captain, and this is terrible for him personally. We all feel for him because national team play gets you great exposure,” said Pacific FC GM and CEO Rob Friend.
“The Olympic qualifier would have shown more people things about Thomas and his talent on the pitch. But injuries are part of the game.”
There was a sigh of relief in the PFC camp when it was learned the injury involved the MCL, which is not as serious as an ACL injury. An MCL injury usually costs about six weeks of playing and practice time before a return to the pitch. That will not affect Meilleur-Giguère’s PFC campaign as the Canadian Premier League season will open May 22 at the earliest.
“That gives us plenty of time and Thomas will be back for the season, which is great news,” said Friend.
“And he will still have a chance to play on the U-23 team in Tokyo if Canada qualifies for the Olympics. I also absolutely believe he will be on the senior national team in the future,” added Friend, a former Bundesliga pro capped 32 times for Canada.
Meilleur-Giguère had 12 appearances for Canada at the U-20 level, including in the 2017 CONCACAF championship. The former MLS Montreal Impact prospect was a revelation last summer on the backline and played every minute for PFC in the 10-game pandemic-abbreviated 2020 CPL season in Charlottetown. Friend said he believes Montreal gave up on Meilleur-Giguère too early: “He has shown his true value.”
Defender Callum Montgomery of Lantzville, meanwhile, started for Canada against El Salvador. The six-foot-three former B.C. high school champion with St. Michael’s University School, and former captain of the Victoria Highlanders of the PDL, made his Canada debut at any level and played the first half in which Buchanan staked Canada to the two-goal lead it never relenquished.
“A goal has been to represent my country,” said Montgomery, who is also on the verge of breaking into the MLS this season with Minnesota United.
Canada continues in Group B in the Olympic qualifier against Haiti on Monday and Honduras on Thursday. Honduras blanked Haiti 3-0 in the other group opener. The loaded Group A started with the U.S. beating Costa Rica 1-0 and host Mexico dispatching Dominican Republic 4-1.
The top-two from each group advance to the semifinals on March 28. The semifinal winners will take the two CONCACAF berths into the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
