Canada Soccer has announced their player squad for the Men's U-17 International Series in Jamaica. The Canadian squad will face their CONCACAF rivals on 27 and 29 November 2016 in Clarendon and Kingston, respectively.
The 11-day camp runs 20-30 November, with the first part of the camp stationed in Fort Lauderdale. The team will travel as a group on 25 November.
"We continue to assess and give experience to our players," said Paul Stalteri, Canada Soccer's Men's National U-17 Team Coach. "A few will play their first international matches for Canada in Jamaica, so that's good for them and good for us to see them in action."
Coach Stalteri said that a few players that benefitted from the domestic camp in Toronto were called back for this camp in November, notably José Hernandez, Émile Legault, and Jake Ruby. Those three, plus Matthew Roberts of Swansea Academy, all hope to make their international youth debuts against Jamaica.
Also back in the group is Alphonso Davies, who just wrapped up his first Major League Soccer season with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, also earning 2016 experience in the Canadian Championship and CONCACAF Champions League.
"These will be two good international matches against a team we watched in (Caribbean) qualifying earlier this year," said Stalteri. "They are a typical Jamaican team: fast, strong, and physical. We will need to adapt quickly in a hot environment."
This marks the 11th project for the 2000-age group since 2014 in the Canada Soccer Men's EXCEL Program (starting at the U-15 age level). Ahead of the Jamaica camp, this group has also faced CONCACAF nations USA and Panama in 2016.
"We are still preparing, assessing the group, and giving the players experience ahead of qualifying in April," said Stalteri.
From Canada Soccer's Men's EXCEL Program, only players born 2000 or later are eligible for next year's CONCACAF and FIFA U-17 tournaments. Next year's CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship runs 21 April to 7 May in Panama. From 12 nations, the top four will qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 from 6-28 October.
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.
CANADA
GK- Gianluca Catalano | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
GK- Sebastian Sgarbossa | CAN / Waterloo United
CB- Julian Dunn-Johnson | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
CB- Yohan Le Bourhis | CAN / Académie Impact de Montréal
CB- Antonio Rocco Romeo | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
FB- Gabriel Escobar | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-16 Residency
FB- Émile Legault | FRA / AJ Auxerre
FB- Terique Mohammed | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
FB- Jake Ruby | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-16 Residency
M- Alphonso Davies | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
M- Benson Fazili | CAN / Ottawa Internationals SC
M- Alessandro Hojabrpour | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-16 Residency
M- Noble Okello | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
M- Ben Paton | ENG / Blackburn U-19
M- Steffen Yeates | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
F- Jonathan David | CAN / Ottawa Internationals SC
F- José Hernández | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-16 Residency
W- Olakunle Dada-Luke | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
W- Jordan Faria | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
W- Matthew Roberts | ENG / Swansea Academy
