By Dylan Butler

PHILADELPHIA - Will Johnson understands the low expectations. After all, that's been the reality of playing for Canada.

And while it's great the Canadians had a surprising run to the top of Group A in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and will face Honduras in the quarterfinals Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field, the young midfielder isn't satisfied.

"Ever since I started playing for Canada, no one ever expects us to win anything so there's never any expectations or things like that," Johnson said. "I don't think winning the group is enough to make a statement. We need to go, and continue our run in order to make a big statement for this association."

Johnson is one of the bright youngsters of the Canadian national team. Just 22 years old, the Real Salt Lake midfielder honed his skills in England in the Blackburn Rovers youth system. He played professionally at Dutch side Heerenveen before joining Major League Soccer last year.

Johnson is just one of several younger players interim coach Stephen Hart brought in for the Gold Cup. There's also Dejan Jakovic, a 24-year-old defender with D.C. United, Marcel de Jong, a 22-year-old midfielder with Roda JC in the Netherlands and Simeon Jackson, a 22-year-old midfielder with England's Gillingham.

While Canada is without regulars Dwayne De Rosario and Jim Brennan, who remained with Toronto FC, the younger players are getting experience training with the likes of Julian de Guzman, Atiba Hutchinson and Patrice Bernier.

"These guys are top level European players and I'm having a lot of fun and learning a lot just coming out here training against them every day," Johnson said.

This isn't the first time Canada has achieved Gold Cup success, though. In 2007, also under Hart's direction, the squad advanced to the semifinals, losing to the United States in controversial fashion.

Optimism was high heading into World Cup qualification, but Canada secured just two points from a possible 18 and, on March 27, Dale Mitchell was dismissed, with Hart returning on an interim basis.

It was almost as if someone said: build again from the start.

"The guys are excited to continue on with this tournament and obviously look forward to bringing Canada soccer a better name that it has right now," Johnson said. "I think that's a goal for many people."

But can Canada make that next step? Bernier believes the seeds are being planted in the Gold Cup.

"I always thought since we're out of the 2010 World Cup, this is phase one for 2014," said the midfielder who plays for Danish squad FC Nordsjaelland. "In the past we've always counted on the same 18-20 players for a long period, now (Hart is) giving a shot to some of the younger guys like Will (Johnson)."

The growth of soccer in the United States has been directly linked to the county hosting the 1994 World Cup, which resulted in the birth of Major League Soccer. The league has expanded into Canada, with Toronto FC creating an instant splash two years ago. In 2011, the Vancouver Whitecaps will join MLS and there are talks of expanding to Ottawa and Montreal.

That also could raise soccer's profile in a country where ice hockey is the most prominent sport.

"In Canada, hockey is the dominant sport and probably always will be. It's ingrained into the mentality," Bernier said. "But soccer, both in U.S. and Canada, they've shown on the youth level that it's very strong, very big. Now the United States has worked more on getting the excellent elite level, which is MLS. Now in Canada there is a boost, something that can be the extra step for people to believe this is something that can maybe be as big as hockey."

But, Johnson warns, success isn't likely to come overnight.

"You look at the development of the American system and how it's grown so much, I can see that happening in the future," he said. "The problem is these things take time. Ten years, 15 years, it will probably be after I'm done playing. It's cool to be part of Canadian soccer now and hopefully those MLS teams will continue to help this program."