While nine different Canadian men’s national team-eligible players changed clubs during the January transfer window, several of them have either yet to debut or haven’t fully settled in. A gruelling World Cup qualifying window has further exacerbated some fatigue, which has culminated in mostly below-par performances for the last two weeks.
The exception to both rules has been Theo Corbeanu, who was highlighted in the previous roundup after a strong start to life at MK Dons in League One.
Since debuting for The Dons on Jan. 11, Corbeanu has received a smidgeon under 600 minutes across seven appearances. The Wolves’ loanee only has one goal to show for it, but whether he’s been deployed on the left or right side of the attack, he’s taken a major step in his development, as his statistical radar shows.
It’s still a small sample size, yet it’s apparent how Corbeanu has transformed into a scoring threat. Averaging 0.4 expected goals (xG) per 90 minutes, with around 35 per cent of his shots hitting the target, is solid production.
Those numbers are slightly skewed because a sizable number of Corbeanu’s attempts have been blocked. Even though they’re taken from prime locations, it’s ultimately a non-factor if a defender is in the way.
But the fact the Wolverhampton Wanderers’ loanee is in those positions to score is a promising step. He should eventually gain more composure in the box and perfect his shooting under pressure, especially when he’s often driving into the box on the dribble.
That fearlessness and confidence on the ball are two reasons why Corbeanu has become a proper scoring threat from the wing. It’s also led to a higher volume of chances created from open play.
Be it through a simple cutback or a cross, the teenager is slowly racking up chances, and like the goal-scoring, he’s unlucky to not have more assists. Considering his crossing accuracy with MK Dons is 32 per cent, well above the League One average for wingers (25 per cent), it’s an additional weapon in Corbeanu’s arsenal.
Regular minutes has done wonders for Corbeanu’s development. If he cuts down the turnovers — which are tolerable if there is a high level of production — and improves on his open-play chance creation, then a national team recall will be on the cards.
OTHER UPDATES AND ANALYSIS
• Alphonso Davies could be back on the pitch soon after Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann said he’s “on the road to recovery” following the team’s loss to Bochum on Saturday. There will be follow-up tests in two weeks as Davies works towards a return.
• Just when Jonathan David translated his goal-scoring success to the national team, it dried up for Lille. David has not scored for five straight games to begin 2022, although it’s not entirely on the 22-year-old. Between Les Dogues’ dreadful form and David receiving the ball in lower-quality areas, there is nothing he can do — especially when he’s still executing the proper runs. Keep in mind, his total xG across all competitions this season is 12.3 and he’s scored 15 goals, so he was due for a slight regression.
• Stephen Eustaquio made his Porto debut on Feb. 6 against Arouca in the 78th minute and showed some flashes of what he could provide the Portuguese leaders. He was an unused substitute in Friday’s draw with Sporting, although the Dragons have a Europa League clash with Lazio this Thursday. Maybe we see him earn some playing time in that one.
• One of the other nine Canadian players to make a move in January was Ike Ugbo. The 23-year-old striker joined Troyes in Ligue 1, on loan from Genk, in an attempt to secure more playing time. Ugbo received his debut and finished the full 90 over the weekend in a 5-1 defeat to Brest. Despite the lopsided loss, this should be a good fit. Ugbo is a poacher, Troyes is lacking a clinical scorer and he nearly converted his lone shot of the game, which could’ve made it 3-2.
• Tajon Buchanan is ruled out indefinitely for Club Brugge due to a positive COVID-19 test. His first match back from international duty, a 2-1 loss to Gent on Feb. 6, was the story of Buchanan’s World Cup qualifying window: moments of his brilliance mixed in with frustrating sequences. Defensively, the 22-year-old was exposed early and he was otherwise held in check by the right side of Gent’s defence. However, Buchanan still managed to slip through on a few occasions.
• If Belgium is the breeding ground for European-bound Canadian male players, then Sweden is the equivalent for the women. Evelyn Viens, Gabrielle Carle and Sarah Stratigakis all moved to the Damallsvenskan over the past few months, so it’ll be worth watching their progress when the season starts in March.
• Sticking with Canadian women, keep an eye on 16-year-old Celtic forward Clarissa Larisey. She moved to the Scottish giants in the summer and has scored twice in her past three appearances.
• Cyle Larin may have broken the all-time men’s national team scoring record, but he’s experiencing a very different feeling with Besiktas. He hasn’t scored in seven straight games, albeit he’s only had four starts in that span. Regardless, nearly 500 minutes without a goal is rare for Larin these days.
He’s posting 0.4 xG per 90 minutes and 0.16 xG per shot off 13 total shots, which is either in line with or eclipsing his season averages. Chalk this up to comeuppance from the xG gods after overachieving in that category last year.
• On the other hand, Atiba Hutchinson was fantastic in the midfield for Besiktas on Monday. He completed 36 of his 41 passes, eight of 10 defensive duels and an eye-popping 13 recoveries. Now is where I remind you that Hutchinson turned 39 years old on Feb. 8.
• Watching Sam Adekugbe has become appointment viewing. What’s ironic, though, was Hatayspor’s win on Monday was Adekugbe’s most routine performance in weeks. He had two notable forays into the final third, but was largely asked to defend aerially for most of the 90 minutes. When called upon, though, the 27-year-old was ready.
• Junior Hoilett can’t catch a break. The veteran forward’s been in strong form with Reading since returning from injury and he was excellent again in the team’s 3-2 loss to Coventry City, registering an assist, an additional key pass and three shots. But his afternoon came to an abrupt end after he received a second yellow card for this challenge.
• Liam Millar looked lively off the bench last week for Basel, which resulted in his fifth goal of the season. This past weekend was a different story. Millar finished the team’s 3-1 loss to Young Boys without any shots or chances created, though that can be credit to how the hosts pressed and harried Basel throughout the game. The 22-year-old was dynamic and progressed the ball through that pressure quite well, as seen in the clips below (Millar is No. 17 in blue and red). It just didn’t result in a scoring opportunity.
• Scott Kennedy has been one of the under-the-radar breakthrough Canadian players over the past year, and perhaps the greatest barometer of his progress has been his growing composure on the ball. His recent start for St. Pauli on Sunday showcased that newfound confidence.
• Another week, another start for Derek Cornelius at Panetolikos. The 24-year-old finished the full 90 and completed 27 of his 29 passes, many of which broke the opposition’s lines. This trait was highlighted in last month’s roundup, so it’s positive that he’s still as brash on the ball.
• Having joined Deinze in the Belgian second division in January, Liam Fraser has started life in Europe with consecutive starts for his new club. He finished his debut on Feb. 9 with 34 completed passes on 44 attempts, three of six defensive duels won and seven recoveries.
He followed that up with a sublime effort on his distribution in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Molenbeek. The key now for Fraser is to improve his defensive acumen, which has been a problem area during his young career. If Fraser (No. 4 in the video below) becomes more assertive when intervening defensively, that would go a long way.
• Many suspected that Stefan Mitrovic played his last game for Radnicki Nis in December amid interest from several clubs across Europe. Ultimately, a move wasn’t formulated, so he was back in the lineup for Radnicki Nis in their 2-0 loss to Partizan Belgrade.
• Canadian striker Theo Bair debuted for St. Johnstone in midweek as they lost 2-1 to St. Mirren. It’s evident that he has gained strength since he was on loan at HamKam in Norway, and it appears that he’ll be utilized in a similar role in Scotland.
• If you read the Dec. 13 edition of the roundup, you’ll recall a 17-year-old forward by the name of Georgi Atanasov. He plies his trade with Arda in Bulgaria’s top flight. Atanasov (No. 29 below) received around 25 minutes off the bench in Arda’s 4-0 loss to Ludogorets and looked lively.
• Another CPL player is off to Europe as Antoine Coupland joined Croatian side Rijeka. It appears that the 18-year-old will begin life in Croatia with the U-19 squad, which is wise. Coupland is a technically gifted player, but he needs to develop more awareness on and off the ball, as he often misreads an opportunity to pass or shoot, which lands him in trouble.
• Clement Bahiya will be joining fellow Canadian Julian Dunn at HamKam in Norway’s top flight after arriving from CF Montreal. Bahiya, a former Canadian youth international, can play as a right-back or right winger, so he could end up starting next to Dunn this season.
• There was a request sent on Twitter for a Dieu Merci Michel update. To those who aren’t aware of Michel, he is a 17-year-old Edmonton native who can play as a No. 10 or No. 9. He’s represented by Alphonso Davies’ agency and has trialed with the likes of Bayern Munich and Club Brugge. Since he does not hold an EU passport, he can’t sign for a European club until his 18th birthday, so expect some movement on that front soon.
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