International friendly: Canada v Republic of Ireland, Saputo Stadium, Montreal, 12.30am Irish time Saturday – Live RTÉ 2Five summers ago, Montreal pulled out of the running to be a host city for the first men’s World Cup to come to Canada. “C’est trop cher” went the argument from city leaders and Quebec provincial government.Just three years later, the same government greenlit the most expensive roof renovation in construction history. The Stade Olympique is the architectural wonder built for the 1976 Games but has proven a wildly impractical venue ever since. It’s without a tenant for well over a decade, but in an effort to keep it alive, Quebec is plunging 870 million Canadian dollars (€540 million) into the new roof.This, ultimately, is a part of Canada where lots of things have seemed like good ideas at their own time. Also a place where things make sense here – and only here.As Ireland warmed up on Thursday lunchtime at the Stade Saputo next door, cranes wheeled and whirred either side of the Stade Olympique’s signature tower. Heimir Hallgrímsson wasn’t distracted by all the commotion. His focus was solely on the 23 men in green out on the pitch. They would become the full complement of 24 when winger Jaden Umeh made his belated arrival after sitting his Leaving Certificate English paper two at the team’s hotel.Friday night’s meeting with World Cup co-hosts Canada is a friendly that seemed like a very good idea at the time it was announced. That was in the hopeful weeks before Ireland went into playoff action, the hope being they’d come out the other side then kick off their tournament preparations here in what is the Canadians’ big send-off party.After the enduring pain of Prague it now perhaps seems less of a good idea, but Hallgrímsson is intent on making it make sense. The Ireland manager has used two extended camps across May and now into June to call up a total of 47 Ireland players. On Thursday here, he laid out some of his own maths, which pointed to a playing pool that has been vastly expanded.“If you take the numbers, I think we had 23 players from our regular squad not being able to come, injuries or other reasons,” Hallgrímsson said. “So 23 players. We had 21 players in Spain and we have 27 in this. Only two players have been in both camps – Chieo [Chiedozie Ogbene] and James Abankwah. So that’s close to 70 players. That’s our pool at the moment. That is good for us, to have questions answered.There will be caps for League of Ireland players, with Dawson Devoy, left, the leading contender. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/INPHO “We have looked at now 70 players and no matter what the answer is – is he ready now? Do we have to wait one or two years? Just not ready? Or he just grabs an opportunity and shines, he is in the next squad – that is the beauty of having a camp like this.”More meaningful games will arrive in the autumn when the Nations League ramps up and the road to Euro 2028 really begins. Hallgrímsson is adamant the depth will be needed.He was joined at the pre-match press conference by Jake O’Brien. The Everton man is among a host of experienced defenders in a squad where the caps total leans wildly towards the backline, 10 of the 24 who travelled having none at all. The manager will depend on O’Brien, captain Nathan Collins and Séamus Coleman to bring the experience with so much raw talent between them and Ogbene and Troy Parrott up top. There will be caps for League of Ireland players, with Dawson Devoy the leading contender.Having served up a hugely impressive cameo in his debut off the bench in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Qatar, Umeh will be one to watch again on Friday night. O’Brien wasn’t able to help his fellow Corkman as he tackled his exams, but sees huge potential.“I got predicted grades, so I’m not the best person to ask,” O’Brien said with a smile. “That was during Covid. It feels like a lifetime ago. It’s crazy seeing players that young in the squad. They are young players but very good players.”In the same room where Hallgrímsson had spoken in front of just five reporters, Canada coach Jesse Marsch stepped in front of a media throng of 50-plus a couple of hours later. The host nation is eagerly awaiting its major moment. If Ireland are to spoil the send-off the most likely route is long, where Canada’s high line has misfired and Parrott could make hay.“We’re clear like if I’m Bosnia and Qatar and Switzerland, I’m watching these last games, I’m going, this is the way to play against Canada,” Marsch said. “So we’re not foolish to the fact that this can be a strategy, and we need to now start to be able to mitigate it.”IRELAND (possible): Travers; Coleman, O’Brien, Collins, Abankwah, Scales; Coventry, Hodge, McGrath, Ogbene; Parrott.