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Victoria's Straith aims to make impact in return to national soccer side

Adam Straith realizes it’s a new era in Canadian soccer and he is happy to draw back in following a noticeable absence.

Adam Straith realizes it’s a new era in Canadian soccer and he is happy to draw back in following a noticeable absence.

The defender out of Oak Bay, who plays pro for Hansa Rostock in Germany’s third division, is named to the Canadian team for two games against Cuba, beginning today at BMO Field in Toronto.

The Bays United and Lower Island Metro product has 43 caps for Canada, but has not proven a favourite call-up option since John Herdman took over the national team in January of 2018. This is Straith’s first call to the national side under Herdman.

“I’m delighted to be back with the national team after a couple of years now,” said Straith.

“I was in for the pre-tournament camp at the Gold Cup and was able to see first hand the new direction the team is going in, and it’s something that I’m very excited to be a part of.”

Straith rejoins a youthful national team led by the likes of Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich.

“There is a new identity to this team, and a number of very young and talented players that are playing in some of the best leagues in the world,” said Straith.

“It is not an easy team to get into at the moment. So I am looking to try and make as good of an impression as possible because I very much want to be a part of this team heading to the future.”

Six players will earn their first caps against Cuba. So Straith will be asked to provide stability and experience on the back line. The 28-year-old was left off this summer’s team for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup after playing in the previous two Gold Cups. The Islander was also part of the Canadian World Cup qualifying campaigns for Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018. Straith certainly brings a wealth of practicality and understanding to the back line, including his more than 40 caps for Canada.

Before joining Hansa Rostock this season, Straith played 66 games and scored four goals for German third-division team Sportfreunde Lotte from 2017 to 2019.

After today’s opener of the Canada-Cuba home-and-away series, part of the 2019-20 CONCACAF Nations League, the second leg goes Tuesday in neutral-site George Town, Grand Cayman.

“Even though we had a favourable result against Cuba in the Gold Cup, these are two very important games that should in no means be taken easily, especially the game down in the Cayman Islands,” said Straith.

The series is part of a four-game set that includes a home game against the U.S. at a site to be decided on Oct. 15 and an away game against the U.S. on Nov. 15. The winner of the Canada-Cuba-U.S. group will advance to the CONCACAF League A’s Final Four playoff next June.

Every game matters now for ranking points with the shock announcement that there will be no more preliminary World Cup qualifying rounds in CONCACAF. The top-ranked six CONCACAF nations will go automatically through to the Hex, the traditional final round of qualifying, with the top-three teams from that advancing to World Cup Qatar 2022.

The rest of the 35 CONCACAF nations will play in a separate tournament and the winner of that will meet the fourth-place finisher from the Hex. The winner of that home-and-home series will advance to an at-large last-chance world qualifying tournament for Qatar 2022.

Canada is ranked No. 78 in the world and No. 8 in CONCACAF. There is no such thing as a friendly anymore for Canada. Every game matters as it needs to climb two spots in the world ranking to get into the CONCACAF Hex by next June’s cut-off. Canada must target No. 74 Panama, No. 68 El Salvador, No. 67 Honduras, No. 52 Jamaica and No. 44 Costa Rica. The No. 12 Mexicans and No. 22 Americans would have free fall not to make the Hex.

“We know that we have to win as many games as possible now with the new World Cup qualifying format,” said Straith.

“But with the new mentality with this team, I don’t see any lack of hunger to win every time we step on the pitch.”