Canada Soccer have announced their squad for their last preparation camp ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019. The Canada squad will train in Argentina from 11-22 October with the final squad to be announced in advance of the team’s opening match against the hosts Brazil.
Canada will open against Brazil on Saturday 26 October and then face Angola on Tuesday 29 October and New Zealand on Friday 1 November. All three of Canada’s group matches will be played at Estádio Walmir Campelo Bezerra in Brasilia and be broadcast live back home on TSN and RDS. The Knockout Phase runs from 5 November through to the Final on 17 November. Extended match day coverage will be featured across Canada Soccer’s digital channels including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fans are encouraged to follow Canada Soccer’s Men’s U-17 National Team every step of the way by using their social media handle, #canm17.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us, but to be in this position is exciting for what the future holds for Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Program,” said Andrew Olivieri, Canada Soccer’s Men’s EXCEL U-14 to U-17 Program Director. “We have an opportunity now to work on the gaps we identified through qualifying and where we can build from the foundations we have already established.”
Canada qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019 after winning 4-3 on kicks from the penalty mark over Concacaf rivals Costa Rica on 12 May. After 120 minutes in the Florida heat with no winner from a 1:1 draw, Canada won their ticket to the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time in six years.
This marks the seventh time that Canada has advanced to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the biennial competition that was initially launched as the FIFA U-16 World Tournament in 1985. Canada were the second hosts of the competition in 1987.
“This group has a chance to put forth the best performance by a Canadian team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup and put the shirt in a better place,” said Olivieri. “The FIFA U-17 World Cup will provide valuable experience for these young players as they compete in meaningful matches in a big competition, starting with the tournament opener against the hosts in Brazil.
As part of the pre-tournament preparations, Canada will face Argentina and Mexico in closed international friendly matches. Earlier this year, Canada reached the semi-finals of the Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship after posting three wins, one draw and two losses in six international matches in May.
“The Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship was an exciting next step to the NEX-PRO integration strategies that we launched with our MLS academies, but it also represented the type of pinnacle event where success in meaningful matches will put us among Concacaf’s top nations,” said Olivieri. “The big objective was to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup and we have done which will now allow us to accelerate the development for the players in this age group.”
CANADA SOCCER’S MEN’S EXCEL PROGRAM
Canada Soccer’s Men’s EXCEL Program channels our nation’s exceptional players into the best soccer environments. The Canada Soccer Pathway works in collaboration with our provincial and territory partners as well as the professional clubs and academies. For Canada’s elite players, the program emphasizes player development on the pathway to representing Canada’s Men’s National Team in international soccer.
MEN’S EXCEL PROGRAM U-14 to U-23
Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Youth Teams have won two CONCACAF titles: both the 1986 and 1996 CONCACAF Men’s Youth Championships. Canada have now qualified for 15 FIFA men’s youth tournaments: eight editions of the FIFA U-20 World Cup and seven editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. By reaching the semi-finals at both the 2019 Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship and 2019 Concacaf Boys’ Under-15 Championship, Canada finished top-four in two Concacaf men’s youth tournaments in the same year for the first time since 2001.
GK- Benjamin Collins | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
GK- Eleias Himaras | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
GK- Marc Kouadio | USA / Montverde Academy
CB- Maxime Bourgeois | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
CB- Nathan Demian | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
CB- Gianfranco Facchineri | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
CB- Keesean Ferdinand | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
FB- Kobe Franklin | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
FB- Rohan Goulbourne | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
FB- Deylen Vellios | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
M- Julian Altobelli | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
M- Emiliano Brienza | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
M- Matt Catavolo | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
M- Tomas Giraldo | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
M- Deandre Kerr | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
M- Damiano Pecile | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
M- Ralph Priso-Mbongue | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
F- Jacen Russell-Rowe | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
W- Kamron Habibullah | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
W- Mouhamadou Kane | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
W- Jayden Nelson | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
W- Aribim Pepple | CAN / Cavalry FC (Calgary)
W- Sean Rea | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
CANADA A-Z
Name | Birthyear | City where he grew up | Active start/first club
Altobelli, Julian | 2002 | Bolton, ON, CAN | Bolton Wanderers SC
Bourgeois, Maxime | 2002 | Granby, QC, CAN | CS Les Cosmos de Granby
Brienza, Emiliano | 2002 | Coquitlam, BC, CAN | Nacional
Catavolo, Matt | 2003 | Laval, QC, CAN | ASTMP St-Michel
Collins, Benjamin | 2002 | Ottawa, ON, CAN & Montréal, QC, CAN | Glebe Community Association
Demian, Nathan | 2002 | Langley, BC, CAN | Coquitlam Metro Ford SC
Facchineri, Gianfranco | 2002 | Windsor, ON, CAN | Windsor Ciociaro SC
Ferdinand, Keesean | 2003 | Montréal, QC, CAN | Rivière-des-Prairies
Franklin, Kobe | 2003 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Beach Community SL
Giraldo, Tomas | 2003 | Montréal, QC, CAN | Instituto Jorge Robledo
Goulbourne, Rohan | 2002 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Kinder Soccer
Habibullah, Kamron | 2003 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | South Burnaby Metro SC
Himaras, Eleias | 2002 | London, ON, CAN | London NorWest Optimist SC
Kane, Mouhamadou | 2003 | Montréal, QC, CAN | FS Salaberry
Kerr, Deandre | 2002 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Ajax Azzurri SC
Kouadio, Marc | 2002 | Montréal, QC, CAN | FC Trois Lacs
Nelson, Jayden | 2002 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton YSC
Pecile, Damiano | 2002 | Burnaby, BC, CAN | Cliff Avenue United
Pepple, Aribim | 2002 | Calgary, AB, CAN | Oadby Owls
Priso-Mbongue, Ralph | 2002 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Clairlea Westview SC
Rea, Sean | 2002 | Montréal, QC, CAN | FC Saint-Léonard
Russell-Rowe, Jacen | 2002 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton YSC
Vellios, Deylen | 2002 | Burnaby, BC, CAN | South Burnaby Metro SC
SOURCE: Canada Soccer
Leave a Reply