Canada's U-17 men's national team got off to a fine start at the 2015 CONCACAF U-17 Championship tournament with a 3-1 win over Haiti on Saturday, and it was the contingent from the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency program who led the way.
Five Whitecaps FC Residency players were named to the startling lineup by head coach Sean Fleming, including goalkeeper Luciano Trasolini, defenders Kadin Chung and Matthew Baldisimo (captain), midfielder Munir Saleh, and striker Daniel Sagno. Fellow Residency striker Terran Campbell subbed on for Sagno in the 68th minute.
Sagno nearly opened the scoring with a spectacular bicycle kick attempt in the 30th minute that hit the crossbar. After going down 1-0 to Haiti in the 32nd minute, the Red and White responded two minutes later with a goal from former Whitecaps FC Residency striker Duwayne Ewart.
In the 44th minute, Chung kept the match level for Canada with a terrific defensive effort to slide and clear a shot off the goal line. That effort paid off moments before halftime when Canada took the lead courtesy of a header goal from Baldisimo, leading by example with the captain's armband.
A defensive hero in the first half, Chung was an offensive force in the second half. First, in the 60th minute, the yound defender was sprung on a breakaway only to be denied by the keeper. But Chung would not be denied a second time, bursting into the box in the 73rd minute before finishing cooly with his right foot into the bottom corner.
Canada will next play on Tuesday, MArch 3 against Costa Rica, with another 4:30 p.m. PT kickoff.
Scoring summary
32' - HAI - Ronaldo Damus
34' - CAN - Duwayne Ewart
45+2' - CAN - Matthew Baldisimo
73' - CAN - Kadin Chung
Canada
1.Luciano Trasolini; 2.Kadin Chung, 4.Matthew Baldisimo, 19.Gabriel Boakye, 12.Thomas Mickoski; 6.Munir Saleh, 10.Tristan Borges, 8.Harrison Patton (16.Dante Campbell 85'), 9.Ballou Tabla (11.Malik Johnson 75'); 7.Duwayne Ewart, 14.Daniel Sagno (17.Terran Campbell 68')
