Canada Soccer have announced their roster for the 2017 CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship. Coach Paul Stalteri has selected 20 players for the international competition that runs 21 April to 7 May in Panama.
The 12-nation CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship equally serves as the qualification route for the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017. Only four CONCACAF nations will qualify for the biennial event, which runs this 6-28 October.
"We ended the 2016 calendar year with a few very good performances, so we will look to build on that success," said Paul Stalteri, Canada Soccer's Men's National U-17 Team Coach. "With the demanding nature of this competition, we need to count on our boys being in top physical condition and ready to tackle the qualifiers from the first match on 22 April."
Canada will face Costa Rica on 22 April, Cuba on 25 April, and Suriname on 28 April. From that group, two nations will advance to the second round.
From the six nations that advance into the second round, four qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, while the top two play for the CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship trophy on 7 May.
Alongside their time with clubs, all 20 players have experience in Canada Soccer's Men's EXCEL Program. By the time Canada faces Costa Rica on the opening day, this group will have accumulated more than 1,000 days in national youth camps.
The CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship provides an important opportunity for player development along the Canada Soccer Pathway. The Canadian program aims to develop players that are adaptable to play against any opponent while also expanding the players' knowledge of CONCACAF environments and opponents.
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 territorial 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.
1- GK- Gianluca Catalano | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
3- FB- Terique Mohammed | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
4- CB- Julian Dunn-Johnson | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
5- CB- Antonio Rocco Romeo | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
6- M- Noble Okello | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
7- W- Jordan Faria | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
10- M- Steffen Yeates | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
11- W- Luca Petrasso | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
17- W- Olakunle Dada-Luke | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
18- GK- Sebastian Sgarbossa | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
20- F- Zakaria Abdi | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
