Canada Soccer have announced their squad of future stars to compete at the 2019 Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship, set to get underway with an all-important group opener against rivals USA on Thursday 2 May at the IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, FL. The upcoming competition provides Canada’s Men’s EXCEL Program with the chance to lay the foundation for Canada’s cultural and tactical identity on the pathway to the Men’s National Team.
The 2019 Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship runs 2-16 May in Bradenton, FL, USA, with Canada to face Group F opponents USA on 2 May, Guatemala on 4 May, and Barbados on 6 May. From the group stage, 12 of 16 nations will advance to the Round of 16 along with four previously-qualified nations through March and April qualifying stages. The Round of 16 matches are 8-9 May followed by the Quarter-finals on 12 May, the Semi-finals on 14 May, and the Championship Final on 16 May.
With only four nations qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019, Canada will look to return to the competition after finishing sixth in 2015 and seventh in 2017. Since 1985, Canada have an all-time record of 31 wins, 15 draws, and 26 losses at the Concacaf Men’s U-16/U-17 level.
“The Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship is an exciting next step to the NEX-PRO integration strategies we have launched with our MLS academies, but also represents the type of pinnacle event where success in meaningful matches will put us among Concacaf’s top nations,” said Andrew Olivieri, Men’s EXCEL U-14 to U-17 Program Director. “Knowing how to navigate tournament play is integral to your success on the international stage and these events are critical to a youth player’s development. Qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup will allow us to accelerate the development for the players in this age group.”
The Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship will expose Canada’s young players to international competition, which provides an important step in the development pathway while also allowing Canada Soccer’s Men’s EXCEL Program to identify future players for the Men’s National Team.
Canada have been diligent in synergizing its Men’s EXCEL Program with the professional clubs in Canada, formalising the monitoring and tracking systems, periodising competition programs, and aligning calendars ahead of the international competition in May. Canada Soccer have worked hand-in-hand with the professional clubs as well as provincial and territorial members in their own environments, evaluating a wider base of players while working together with the clubs to develop players both on and off the field on the pathway to the Men’s National Team.
Canada Soccer also held an 11-day national camp in Mexico in early March, working in collaboration with United 2026 partner Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación for training facilities and local club opponents. Canada Soccer’s ongoing identification process of new talented players continues both domestically and abroad with the focus of supporting the development of young professional players on their pathway to the Men’s National Team.
“Some of these players are right at the start of their journey in the Men’s EXCEL Program, so they will be exposed to new concepts, new ideas, and a new program that is fully aligned to the Men’s National Team tactical and cultural frameworks,” said Olivieri. “We have undergone a thorough assessment process with the entire Men’s EXCEL technical staff and we’re excited to bring this talented group of young Canadian players together as they prepare for the Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship.”
Road to the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2019
Beyond the Concacaf group phase, three Group F teams will play in the Round of 16 on 9 May. The Group F winner will face the Group C winner (Guadeloupe), the runner-up will face the third-place nation from Group H, and the third-place nation from Group F will face the runner up from Group H (Costa Rica, Panama, Curaçao or Suriname).
Into the next round, the four nations that win their Concacaf Quarter-finals match on 12 May will also qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019, to be played later this year.
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.
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 qualified for eight editions of the FIFA U-20 World Cup and six editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
CANADA
GK- Benjamin Collins | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
GK- Marc Kouadio | USA / Montverde Academy
CB- David Amla | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
CB- Maxime Bourgeois | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
CB- Nathan Demian | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
CB- Gianfranco Facchineri | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
FB- Keesean Ferdinand | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
FB- Rohan Goulbourne | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
FB- Deylen Vellios | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
M- Julian Altobelli | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
M- Matt Catavolo | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
M- Simon Colyn | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
M- Jamie Dunning | NED / Feyenoord Academy
M- Tomas Giraldo | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
M- Damiano Pecile | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
M- Ralph Priso-Mbongue | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
F- Kamron Habibullah | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy
F- Jérémie Omeonga Nkoy | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal
F- Jacen Russell-Rowe | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
F- Jayden Nelson | CAN / Toronto FC Academy
CANADA A-Z
Name | Birthyear | City where they grew up | First/active start
Altobelli, Julian | 2002 | Bolton, ON, CAN | Bolton Wanderers SC
Amla, David | 2002 | Granby, QC, CAN | B67 Odense
Bourgeois, Maxime | 2002 | Granby, QC, CAN | CS Les Cosmos de Granby
Catavolo, Matt | 2003 | Laval, QC, CAN | ASTMP St-Michel
Collins, Benjamin | 2002 | Ottawa, ON, CAN & Montréal, QC, CAN | Glebe Community Association
Colyn, Simon | 2002 | Langley, BC, CAN | Langley United YSA
Demian, Nathan | 2002 | Langley, BC, CAN | Coquitlam Metro Ford SC
Dunning, Jamie | 2002 | Frisco, TX, USA | Montgomery YMCA
Facchineri, Gianfranco | 2002 | Windsor, ON, CAN | Windsor Ciociaro SC
Ferdinand, Keesean | 2003 | Montréal, QC, CAN |
Giraldo, Tomas | 2003 | Montréal, QC, CAN |
Goulbourne, Rohan | 2002 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Kinder Soccer
Habibullah, Kamron | 2003 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | South Burnaby Metro SC
Kouadio, Marc | 2002 | Montréal, QC, CAN | FC Trois Lacs
Nelson, Jayden | 2002 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton YSC
Omeonga Nkoy, Jérémie | 2002 | Longueuil, QC, CAN | CS Longueuil
Pecile, Damiano | 2002 | Burnaby, BC, CAN | Cliff Avenue United
Priso-Mbongue, Ralph | 2002 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Clairlea Westview SC
Russell-Rowe, Jacen | 2002 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton YSC
Vellios, Deylen | 2002 | Burnaby, BC, CAN | South Burnaby Metro SC