Canada lands Scott Arfield
Premier League midfielder will join Team Canada in 2016
Canada Soccer’s ramped-up recruitment efforts have paid off again.
Burnley midfielder Scott Arfield — born and raised in Scotland but eligible for Canada through his Toronto-born dad — will be part of Benito Floro’s squad in 2016, sources tell the Province.
Arfield, 27, is the latest in a string of off-field wins for Canada Soccer, which in 2015 gave international debuts to FC Dallas forward Tesho Akindele, Glasgow Rangers winger Fraser Aird and Queens Park Rangers winger Junior Hoilett.
Akindele, a 23-year-old who grew up in Colorado, had interest from the U.S.; Toronto-born Aird, 20, played for Scotland at the U17 and U19 levels; and Hoilett, 25, was also courted by his father’s birth country, Jamaica.
Arfield is expected to join Canada in time for a anticipated FIFA World Cup qualifier against Mexico at B.C. Place on March 25.
Canada beat Honduras 1-0 at B.C. Place on Nov. 13, then played El Salvador to a scoreless road tie to open this penultimate round of CONCACAF qualifying for Russia 2018.
The top two countries will advance to the final round of qualifying, known as the Hex, with the heavily favoured Mexicans off to a 2-0-0 start.
With Hoilett, Aird and Arfield in the mix, Floro has ample options out wide, a luxury Canada has rarely enjoyed. Hoilett set up Canada’s crucial goal against Honduras in Vancouver.
Arfield told BBC Scotland last May, “It would be the pinnacle of my career if I could pull on a Scotland jersey.”
But by November, Arfield sounded like he was leaning toward Canada.
“At the state I’m at in my career, it would be a great life experience to go and represent Canada,” he told Burnley’s match day magazine.
A native of Livingston, Scotland, Arfield began his career at Falkirk and moved to Huddersfield Town in 2010.
He joined Burnley after a trial in 2013 and helped The Clarets gain promotion to the Premier League in 2014, where he made 36 starts in England’s top division.
He scored on his Premier League debut, against Chelsea no less.
On Monday, Arfield scored his fourth goal of the Championship season as fifth-place Burnley routed Bristol City 4-0. Burnley played Ipswich Town to a scoreless tie on Saturday.
Arfield represented Scotland at the U19 and U20 levels. He also played for a Scotland ‘B’ side in 2009. But he hasn’t been part of coach Gordon Strachan’s plans, and Arfield’s dad has encouraged him to play for Canada, the midfielder has said.
Sources have also revealed to the Province that Toronto-born Steven Vitoria, a 6-foot-5 centre back who represented Portugal at the U20 level, is also expected to accept a Canada call up this year.
He’s eligible because he was born in Canada and was never capped by Portugal’s senior team.
Vitoria signed a four-year deal with Portuguese power Benfica in June 2013. He spent last season on loan to the Philadelphia Union, after the Union acquired his MLS rights from the Whitecaps.
Canada Soccer officials are still deciding whether to open the upper deck at B.C. Place for the March 25 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Mexico. Ticket sales are soon expected to reach a lower bowl capacity of 27,500. The concern for organizers is that opening the top bowl could negate some home-field advantage if Mexico fans scoop up large amounts of tickets.