Canadian soccer player who plays for Hull: The World Cup is a priority

– I got my moment. “Yeah, I had my moment,” he said of the abbreviated joy.

– But the home World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I made sure to shift my focus to this moment very quickly. And when everything is over, when everything is over, I won’t be in a hurry and I will celebrate it rightly – he said.

Millar is one of 32 players on Canada’s roster for training camp ahead of next month’s World Cup.

Head coach Jesse Marsch will cut the roster down to 26 names on Friday.

– I think we will all do our best to get into that squad – said Millar, a 26-year-old midfielder.

– But this group is really selfless. This group really only wants what’s best for this team, and whoever gets into that squad, we’ll all be there to support each other for whoever isn’t – he said.

At the start of camp, players aren’t thinking about the impending layoffs, defensive end Richie Larye said.

– I think everyone is excited to get together. We’ve been together maybe a little more than 24 hours, so I think the excitement about coming back to the camp to compete is great – he said.

– And the boys know that they still have a chance to prove themselves, as you saw with Jayden (Nelson) and Ralph (Pris), who were not here before, and now they are here and have a very good chance to make the World Cup team – he added.

Most of the group took the field for the first time in Charlotte, North Carolina on Tuesday in 28 degree Celsius heat.

As they started to warm up, it started to rain. Halfway through practice, players were forced back inside for a 30-minute break after a nearby lightning strike.

– It’s a bit frustrating if this keeps happening – said defender Alistair Johnston.

– But at the same time we have nowhere else to be, so we can stay here as long as it takes to get the job done. But, yes, it’s obviously not an ideal start to the week here – he said.

The Canadian Soccer Association chose Charlotte for the camp in hopes of acclimatizing the players to the tough weather they may face later in the tournament, Marsch said Monday.

– We came to Carolina to expose them to more heat, higher temperatures, higher humidity – he said.

– As well as – I think with the home World Cup – to create a slightly more isolated environment where we can focus a little more on preparing the team for exactly what we want – he added.

Despite Tuesday’s delay, the group got a lot out of training, Laryea said.

“I think we have to catch the ball, we have to compete, we have to run around, so I think it’s pretty good for the first day,” he added.

Many Canadian players, including Larye, are recovering from injuries and hope to return to full fitness before Canada begins its World Cup campaign against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12.

Captain Alphonso Davies is not with the team in Charlotte as he recovers from a hamstring injury, although Marsch said the Bayern Munich standout is expected to join the team in his hometown of Edmonton ahead of a friendly against Uzbekistan on June 1.

Seeing other recovering players in action Tuesday gave Marsch and his staff a better idea of ​​what they’re dealing with.

– I think that many injured guys improve before the deadline – he said.

– And better than we hoped, which I think gives us a little more flexibility – he added.

Questions have been raised over whether the 27-year-old Celtic defender will be fit after undergoing hamstring surgery.

– For me, looking at this year considering how it went, if I could be here fully fit, that would be maybe the best thing I could have wished for – said Alistair Johnston.

(Vijesti.ba / FENA)