It was the 47th minute of Canada’s crucial CONCACAF World Cup qualifying match against Mexico, and the Canadians were hunting for the opener. Alistair Johnston saw his long range effort deflected, but Cyle Larin pounced on the rebound, tucking the ball away for a 1-0 Canada lead.

He would add a second seven minutes after half time, this one a delicate finish off a well-calculated run from a set piece. And as he slid into the Edmonton snow in celebration, the Connecticut product was met by four other former college soccer alums — a group of graduates sealing a win on the most prominent of stages.

But that cluster wasn’t the only university-schooled group that has contributed to a North American side’s qualification slate for this winter’s World Cup. Both USA and Canada have relied on college alums to carry them to Qatar — a dependable pipeline of talent that has helped negotiate a draining schedule.

“It’s certainly a good path,” USMNT center back Miles Robinson said. “Everyone’s journey is different, but it helped me grow for sure.”

Though Canada and the US are perhaps better known for their MLS academy prodigies and European regulars, they have also relied on the late bloomers, those who have experienced the college game, a different but relevant challenge in shaping international players.

Those experiences — the combination of a rigorous academic schedule and intense soccer season — have helped shape resilient professionals that have become far more than squad players over the past year.

“The ingredients that are required to have success in college as a student-athlete can still prepare these guys to embrace the challenges down the road,” Syracuse Coach Ian McIntyre said.

Over the course of 18 months of CONCACAF qualifying, 16 former college players saw the field for the Canada and US national teams. And they made an impact, too. Larin scored six goals, including a double against Mexico. Walker Zimmerman was a defensive stalwart for the US — leading a backline that shutout Mexico in the Azteca. Meanwhile, Johnston was a regular at the back and shut down Christian Pulisic when the two squads met in Hamilton back on January 30.

That potential isn’t always clear when players step onto campus. Tajon Buchanan, Miles Robinson, and Kamal Miller were all crucial players for their national teams. But before that, they were on the same Syracuse squad that made a College Cup run in 2015.

All three came in as unheralded recruits. Buchanan was signed thanks to a strong performance at a Syracuse ID camp — a somewhat rare way of picking up talent. Miller didn’t commit until late in his senior year. Meanwhile, Robinson came from a non-MLS academy, playing for the Boston Bolts. 

McIntyre recalls each individual as hardworking and exciting talents, but he didn’t see the national team in their future — at least, not immediately.

“All three of them were never part of a national program for either US or Canada,” McIntyre said. “They were a little bit off the traditional, normal path.”

But they developed rapidly at Syracuse and earned their shot at the next level. Robinson was starting for Atlanta United within two years of leaving the ACC program early to sign a Generation Adidas contract. Miller established himself as a regular for CF Montreal last season. Meanwhile, Buchanan has become the latest of a slew of college stars to find success abroad after earning a transfer to Club Brugge in Belgium at the start of January.

For Robinson, that extra two years of development was vital. Here was a player on the periphery of recruitment, someone looking for a chance. At first, he just wanted to start at Syracuse, he said. But over time, he developed — well aware that center backs tend to need time. Patience was key, as was the stellar coaching team at Syracuse.

“There were great coaches there who definitely helped me develop,” Robinson said.

Mentorship from top-class college coaches isn’t new though. It’s a tradition that’s been developed over time, as college players have been working their way into national teams. US legends such as Clint Dempsey, Alexi Lalas, and Cobi Jones spent multiple years in universitiy before being drafted.

So, this qualification round’s cohort is merely the latest in a long line. It might also be the best.

“We knew how important it was for us to qualify, for the whole country,” Robinson said. “You realize that your whole life, whole journey has all led to this.”

For some of these professionals, collegiate development entirely reinvented their playing style. Such is the case for Johnston. The Aurora, Ontario native transferred from St. John's to Wake Forest in 2018 as an exciting midfielder. But the Deacons were already deep in midfield, so coach Bobby Muuss developed Johnston into an all-ACC right back.

“I was very honest with him. I said, ‘we don't need you, we want you.’ We wanted him because of the person that he is, the competitor that [he] is,” Muuss said.

That was a significant change for a player who’d dominated the middle of the park as a freshman, but his work ethic and positive attitude unlocked his MLS-level potential, Muuss said.

And it was that work ethic that prepared him for the grueling travel and notorious conditions of a CONCACAF slate.

“Man, I would never tell that kid what he can't do, because he is the ultimate competitor,” Muuss said. “He's got drive. His first couple of steps is so explosive.”

So, that path, whether it be one of development or reinvention, has helped facilitate two World Cup qualification campaigns.

When Canada qualified, Johnston reached out to Muuss via text:

“I still can't believe it, coach, we’re going to the World Cup.”

And he won’t be the only college product in Qatar.

College Veterans That Played in Concacaf Qualifying for USA/Canada

Player	College/Current Club	Country
Miles Robinson	Syracuse/Atlanta United	United States
Walker Zimmerman	Furman/Nashville SC	United States
Zack Steffen	Maryland/Manchester City	United States
Matt Turner	Fairfield/New England Revolution	United States
DeAndre Yedlin	Akron/Inter Miami	United States
Mark McKenzie	Wake Forest/Genk	United States
Cristian Roldan	Washington/Seattle Sounders	United States
Reggie Cannon	UCLA/Boavista	United States
Aaron Long	UC Riverside/New York Red Bulls	United States
Gyasi Zardes	CSU Bakersfield/Columbus Crew	United States
Jordan Morris	Stanford/Seattle Sounders	United States
Tajon Buchanan	Syracuse/Club Brugge	Canada
Kamal Miller	Syracuse/CF Montreal	Canada
Alistair Johnston	St. John's/Wake Forest/CF Montreal	Canada
Cyle Larin	Connecticut/Beşiktaş	Canada
Richie Laryea	Akron/Nottingham Forest	Canada