Toronto FC fullback Richie Laryea has always been there for the Canadian men’s team.

Since his international debut in 2019, he has featured in numerous friendlies and qualifiers of all kinds. He played in Concacaf tournaments such as the Nations League final and the Gold Cup. And he has played at the Copa América and the FIFA World Cup.

In total, Laryea has played in 58 of Canada’s last 64 games over the past five years. He answered the call without hesitation when his country tapped him on the shoulder, even if it meant traveling to less-than-hospitable Concacaf outposts like Port-au-Prince, San Pedro Sula and San Salvador.

Once again, Laryea will be at the forefront for Canada this month when the men’s team plays Suriname in an all-important play-off series, starting with Friday’s match in Paramaribo and ending with next Tuesday’s second leg at BMO Field in Toronto. The winner of the two-legged affair will qualify for the Concacaf Nations League final next March in Los Angeles and for next summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup.

For Laryea, a 29-year-old from Toronto, the games against Suriname represent an opportunity to further ingratiate himself with Jesse Marsch, who took over head coaching duties in March. Of the 11 games Canada has played under the American coach, Laryea has appeared in all but one while also earning seven starts. He has underlined his importance to Marsch with his dangerous and penetrating runs in the final third, bringing the team’s attack to the fore at crucial moments, including both games against World Cup champions Argentina last summer.

At the same time, Marsch has challenged the TFC fullback to become more of a leader within the Canadian team.

“He wants me to be more vocal, both on and off the pitch, and just to bring my energy and enthusiasm to sessions and matches. He really encouraged me to take that on. He’s okay with not only me but other guys making mistakes, while also trying to make us better leaders and better players. For him, it’s all about the response and how we adapt and improve in those situations,” Laryea told Sportsnet.

Marsch has also demanded more from Laryea and his Canadian teammates from a physical standpoint with the energetic brand of football he professes.

“He has clearly challenged us a lot with the physical demands we have to make every day. I think you’ve seen guys adapt to that and perform really well. It made us believe that we can compete against anyone,” Laryea offered.

“And if we play the way he wants us all to play, we will get a chance against the best teams in the world, as I think you saw in the two games against Argentina in the Copa America. … He just gave the whole group a confidence boost and it shows on the field.”

With more and more Canadians playing their club soccer in Europe, competition for playing time with the national team is at an all-time high.

Under normal circumstances, that could cause problems for an MLS player like Laryea. But his versatility and ability to play in a number of positions – be it on the left or right flank – makes him more valuable to Marsch.

“You look at our potential starting backline, Phonzie (Alphonso Davies), Derek (Cornelius), Moïse (Bombito) and Alistair (Johnston). Sure, if one of those guys isn’t available or isn’t ready, it’s pretty easy to bring in Richie. We even used him in midfield because we felt that given the type of opponents we were playing against, what he could offer further forward would be a better advantage for us,” Marsch explained.

“So even though Richie might be at home and writing down the potential lineup for when all the guys are healthy, he might not always be there, the fact that he’s ready at any time and is reliable means he’s needed to be on the field because of his understanding of what games require. You could make a whole list of the valuable assets he brings at any given time.”

On paper, this two-match set against Suriname is a mismatch. Canada is ranked number 35 in the current FIFA world rankings, compared to number 136 Suriname. The countries have faced each other just twice and both were victories for Canada, including a 4-0 win in Chicago in a 2021 World Cup qualifier.

Canada got off to a nervous start in the final match and were let down by sloppy play and unforced errors. Suriname was lively in attack and it was a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area by Tjaronn Chery that forced a fine save from Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan. Moments later, Sheraldo Becker’s shot from the penalty area beat Borjan, but rattled off the crossbar.

Laryea played in that match and remembers how Suriname made things difficult for Canada.

“I remember that match being quite difficult in the first 20 to 30 minutes, with them hitting the woodwork. I’m sure they will give us a tough match. They will also be excited for the game (Friday). … We have to be well prepared and not take it lightly,” Laryea said.

Indeed, Canada cannot afford to take Suriname lightly based on its recent history. Les Rouges came on the wrong end of a two-legged series against lower-ranked Jamaica last November and failed to qualify for this year’s Concacaf Nations League final.

Laryea and his Canadian cohorts will also look to atone for his flat and uninspiring performance in a 2-0 defeat to the United States in last year’s Concacaf Nations League final in Las Vegas.

“Because it was the first final that the team had played together, I think a lot was learned about the emotions that come with playing in a final, some of the ways to play in a final, just little things like that, ” said Laryea.

“I think it’s almost comparable to the World Cup. We learned a lot about ourselves at the World Cup. Yes, we could play well, but there are also things you have to change at that level to win games. And I think we learned the same thing in the Nations League final, with exactly what we need to do to win championships.”

And winning tournaments is the main thing on the Canadian players’ minds after blowing a chance to win the team’s first trophy since the 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup in last year’s Nations League final.

Hoisting trophies would allow the team to gain much-needed momentum and build on its incredible Copa América success.

“These matches (vs. Suriname) are important. We have to make progress and reach the Nations League final. I think it’s a bit of redemption for us. Last year we were in the final and we couldn’t fully achieve what we wanted, which was to win a trophy. I feel like as a group we’ve always been determined to do that: win a trophy together. And this is another opportunity,” said Laryea.

John Molinaro is one of Canada’s leading soccer journalists, having covered the sport for more than 25 years for various media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently editor-in-chief of TFC Republica website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.