The Canadian Soccer Association announced today that five Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency players have been named to Canada's men's U-17 national team 20-player tournament roster ahead of kickoff at the 2013 CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Panama.
Included on the roster are goalkeeper Marco Carducci, defender Alex Comsia, and midfielders Jordan Haynes, Marco Bustos and Matthew Chow.
The young Canadian side will take on Trinidad and Tobago in the opening match of the CONCACAF Championship at the Estadio Agustín Muquita Sánchez in La Chorrera, Panama on Saturday, April 6 (3:30 p.m. PT kickoff).
The match will be streamed live in Canada on Sportsnet.ca. Fans will also be able to follow live coverage on Twitter:@CanadaSoccerEN. Pre and post-match video coverage, including highlights, will be available on CanadaSoccerTV.
Following a four-day training camp in Sunrise, Florida, U-17 head coach Sean Fleming has selected the 20 players that will represent Canada as it attempts to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup UAE 2013 later this year.
“In the end it came down to picking the most talented players with the right qualities to ensure that we can come together as a unit,” said Fleming upon arrival at the team’s tournament base outside of Panama City.
“The chemistry in the group is good and the players that are here have shown one-hundred percent commitment to the cause.”
Canada faces a tricky opening fixture at the tournament as it looks to finish in the top two places in Group B to advance to the all-important quarter-final stage that will determine the four CONCACAF nations that will quality for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
“The boys have done what they can to prepare themselves for a difficult match and we feel we are ready for a tough challenge against Trinidad and Tobago,” said Fleming.
“We know that it will be a tough test but we are motivated and focused on the task.”
Following its opening match, Canada will next take on Costa Rica on April 10 in its second of two matches in the three-team group.
CANADA
1- GK- Marco Carducci (C) | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency
2 - D- Mathieu Laurent | CAN / Mississauga Falcons
3 - D- Elias Roubos | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
4 - D- Alex Comsia | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency
5 - D- Aron Mkungilwa | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
6 - M- Derick Sequeira | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
7 - M- Marco Bustos | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency
8 – M- Jose Lopez | CAN / FC Edmonton Academy
9 - F- Jordan Hamilton | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
10 - M/F- Hanson Boakai | CAN / FC Edmonton Reserve
11 - M- Jordan Haynes | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency
12 - D- Kevon Black | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
13 - D- Ian Fernandes | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
14 - M- Andrew Gordon | CAN / Woodbridge Strikers
15 - M- Matthew Chow | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency
16 - M- Marco-Leonel Dominguez | CAN / Braves d'Ahuntsic
17 - M- Mikaël Cantave | FRA / Orvault Sport Football
18 - GK- Daniel Milton | CAN / Ajax Thunder
19 - F- El Mehdi Ibn Brahim | CAN / Braves d'Ahuntsic
20 - M- Ali Musse | CAN / WSA Winnipeg
