Veteran Borjan's time with Canada's men's soccer team appears near the end

Milan Borjan, the fist-pumping, sweatpants-wearing goalkeeper who carried the Canadian men to their first World Cup in 36 years, now appears near the end of his national-team career. Borjan left the side Monday in the middle of Gold Cup group-stage action and will be replaced by backup Dayne St. Clair in Tuesday's must-win game against Cuba in Houston.

Canada Soccer attributed Borjan's departure to an unspecified injury, but the goalkeeper showed no signs of distress during his last game, a scoreless draw against Guatemala on Canada Day. Nor did he mention an injury during a post-match interview.

"Big game for us coming up," he said, looking ahead to Cuba. "We all know what that brings."

Instead, he's flown to Europe to nurse private wounds.

Head coach John Herdman said that Borjan's towering presence will be missed at the Gold Cup, citing the goalkeeper's "infectious character." At 35, Canada's captain was valued as much for his leadership as his shot stopping, especially given the current roster, which is filled with young and untested talent.

WATCH l Canada plays to scoreless draw with Guatemala in Houston:

St. Clair is among their number, and Herdman said that he had promised the 26-year-old "an opportunity to stake his claim" even before the tournament began. The Pickering, Ont., native has been a stalwart at MLS's Minnesota United but has earned only two caps for Canada since he joined the national side in 2021.

"I think this situation with Milan is serendipitous in some ways," Herdman said, referring to Borjan's purported injury. "At the same time, we're sad to lose him."

Borjan had been a long-standing member of the Canadian team before Herdman's arrival in early 2018 but cemented his place after it. That