Osorio Headlines Toronto FC Trio Called up by Canada for October Friendlies

With Benito Floro out of the picture, Jonathan Osorio is back with the Canadian men's national team. Under Canada's former manager, Osorio was consistently left off of the team in favour of options that Floro felt fit his system better.

Osorio's last call-up for the national team came during the 2015 Gold Cup, where Canada went winless and failed to qualify for the knockout round. In Canada's final group game against Costa Rica at BMO Field, Osorio was taken out of the game early as Canada were pushing for a late winner. Frustrated, Osorio stormed past Floro on his way to the bench.

But it appears that all wounds have since been healed, and Osorio will likely be a key part of Canada's roster playing a pair of friendlies next month. Canada plays Mauritania on October 7 and Morocco on October 11 in Marrakech, Morocco.

"For me, I've always had a great deal of respect for Oso and what he does," said Canadian interim head coach Michael Findlay in a media conference call today. "Moving into the next rotation we are going to give everybody the opportunity to stake their claim." 

Osorio is one of three Toronto FC players called up for this camp. Canadian men's national team regular Tosaint Ricketts will once again get the call, while Jordan Hamilton will also travel to Morocco. Will Johnson and Jay Chapman declined invitations due to injury or would have also been on the squad.

Their involvement is slightly surprising considering the importance of this particular part of the North American season. Four players from the Vancouver Whitecaps are attending the camp, two from the Ottawa Fury, Karl Ouimette from Jacksonville Armada and Anthony Jackson-Hamel of the Montreal Impact. It is his first call-up to the Canadian senior team.

Cyle Larin, however, declined the national team's call as he is looking to focus on his club season. Orlando City is looking to make their first-ever playoff appearance and is currently five points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Tesho Akindele of FC Dallas is another notable North American absence.

Canada was officially eliminated from World Cup Qualifying earlier this month, and therefore will not play in a major competition at the senior level until the 2017 Gold Cup. However, they are still taking both of these matches very seriously.

"We can't afford to have any friendlies anymore," said Findley. "We know we are going to go through a long period of time here where we officially are not playing qualifiers, but nothing is a friendly to us. People have to establish themselves, people have to [earn] their selections and we have to [get results]. It's going to for all."

Here is the full roster:

1- GK- Simon Thomas | NOR / FK Bodø/Glimt
2- FB / M- Fraser Aird | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
3- FB / M- Maxim Tissot | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC
4- CB- Manjrekar James | HUN / Vasas Budapest
5- CB- David Edgar | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
6- CB- Doneil Henry | DEN / AC Horsens
7- F- Simeon Jackson | ENG / Walsall FC
8- M- Marco Bustos | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
9- F- Marcus Haber
10- M- David Junior Hoilett
11- M- Tosaint Ricketts | CAN / Toronto FC
12- FB / M- Jamar Dixon | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC
13- M- Jonathan Osorio | CAN / Toronto FC
14- M- Samuel Piette | ESP / CD Izarra
15- M- Adam Straith | NOR / Fredrikstad FK
16- M- Scott Arfield | ENG / Burnley FC
17- FB- Marcel De Jong | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
18- GK- Milan Borjan | BUL / PFK Ludogorets Razgrad
19- CB- Steven Vitória | POL / Lechia Gdańsk
20- CB / FB- Karl W. Ouimette | USA / Jacksonville Armada
21- M / F- Jordan Hamilton | CAN / Toronto FC
22- GK- Kenny Stamatopoulos | SWE / AIK Fotbol
23- M / F- Anthony Jackson-Hamel | CAN / Impact Montréal