U18 roster for 2013 COTIF U-20 Tournamen

[Greatest Cockney Rip Off]

Canada’s Men’s U-18 Team has named its 20-man roster for the upcoming 2013 COTIF U-20 Tournament set to take place from 11 to 21 August in l’Alcúdia, Spain.

U-18 Head Coach Rob Gale will lead his side into the tournament in Spain where the young Canadians will come up against Japan, Argentina, Bulgaria and Belarus during the group stage.

“This high level of competition is going to be ideal for our boys,” said Gale ahead of the team’s depature for Europe.

“The overarching goal here is preparing this group of players for the next cycle of FIFA U-20 World Cup Qualifiers and this is the type of opposition we need to prove we can compete against.

As has been a continuing theme for Canada’s youth program under the stewardship of Technical Director Tony Fonseca, Gale will ask his U-18’s to continue to express themselves as creative footballers – even against some of the best youth sides in the world.

“We want to go into this tournament in a way that will continue to see us play the attacking brand of football we preach throughout our youth system,” said Gale.

Gale has selected a diverse group of players with talent being brought in from clubs across five countries.

“What’s promising is that there is an increasingly larger number of players playing day-in and day-out in professional environements,” said Gale.

“We will continue to offer opportunities to the players that are challenging themselves by fighting for professional contracts.

Queens Park Rangers midfield duo Dylan Carreiro and Michael Petrasso, who both featured with Canada’s U-20 team in earlier in 2013, have been named to the squad as they will again be eligible to feature in U-20 action in 2015.

Canadian defender Luca Gasparotto will also be eligible to join the U-20 team in 2015 – but he was not called in for the COTIF tournament as he continues to fight for a first-team place with Rangers FC in Scotland.

CANADA’s Men’s U-18 Team, 2013 COTIF U-20 Tournament

GK- Joseph Melong | USA / Shattuck-St. Mary’s

GK- Nolan Wirth | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency

D- Samuel Adekugbe | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency

D- Quinton Duncan | USA / University of Tulsa

D- Jackson Farmer | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency

D- Enrique Garcea | BEL / Sporting de Charleroi

D- Brandon John | GER / AUE Erzigberge Reserves

D- Kevin Lafond | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal

M- Yacine Ait-Slimane | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal

M- Manuel Aparicio | CAN / Toronto FC Academy

M- Louis Béland-Goyette | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal

M- Dylan Carreiro | ENG / Queens Park Rangers

M- Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal

M- Kianz Gonzales-Froese | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency

M- Michael Petrasso | ENG / Queens Park Rangers

M- Mitch Piraux | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency

M- Dylan Sacramento | CAN / Toronto FC Academy

F- Calum Ferguson | SCO / Inverness Caledonian Thistle

F- Brody Huitema | USA / Duke University

F- Bruno Zebie | CAN / FC Edmonton Academy

[Greatest Cockney Rip Off]

Anyone know anything about Calum Ferguson. He is listed as born in Scotland form the info I have seen.

Here is some info about him from a scottish new paper.

Teenage Inverness footballer elected, full community council results

Calum Ferguson, a centre forward who won the Scottish Premier League club’s under-17 player of the year award last season, has become the first 16-year-old to be elected onto a community council in the city.

http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/News/Teenage-Inverness-footballer-elected-full-community-council-results-21112011.htm

And here is some talk about him joining the u20 team for Inverness

Two players, Calum Ferguson (from Inverness) and Jay Cheyne (from Aberdeen) have been signed on to the under 20s. They have come up through the youth system and I know that Calum has been at caley for 8 years. Although some players were released. I find it pretty ridiculous that only two were taken on but I congratulate the two and hope to see them lining up for the first team in a few years time.

EDIT

and here is his twitter. Seems excited about playing for Canada.

https://twitter.com/calum_ferg12

[An Observer]

It really seams that Manitoba is beginning to produce soccer players on a regular occurence these days. This side has at least 4: Melong, Carreiro, Gonzales-Froese, and Sacremento. And then you have Bustos and Musse with the U17s. I assume the move a few years back to creating that academy where all the top players go to school and train on a daily basis has made a huge difference in producing better technical players, which then are picked up by the 3 professional academies (or in Melong's case, one south of the border that just lost the U18 USSDA final to the Red Bulls, the same Red Bulls who beat out the Whitecaps in that age group). It would be good if the Manitoban academy could gain entry to the USSDA and eventually become an academy for an NASL side.

Moreover, this model should be replicated in Sask, Atlantic Canada, and parts of Ontario like Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Windsor, or Quebec City where playing in a provincial league centered around Toronto and Montreal may not really work. The Manitoban model really seems to have started bearing fruit.

[MJALLTHEWAY]

It really seams that Manitoba is beginning to produce soccer players on a regular occurence these days. This side has at least 4: Melong, Carreiro, Gonzales-Froese, and Sacremento. And then you have Bustos and Musse with the U17s. I assume the move a few years back to creating that academy where all the top players go to school and train on a daily basis has made a huge difference in producing better technical players, which then are picked up by the 3 professional academies (or in Melong's case, one south of the border that just lost the U18 USSDA final to the Red Bulls, the same Red Bulls who beat out the Whitecaps in that age group). It would be good if the Manitoban academy could gain entry to the USSDA and eventually become an academy for an NASL side.

Moreover, this model should be replicated in Sask, Atlantic Canada, and parts of Ontario like Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Windsor, or Quebec City where playing in a provincial league centered around Toronto and Montreal may not really work. The Manitoban model really seems to have started bearing fruit.

Seeing as how I'm currently living in Thunder Bay (though haven't lived here long), I know that they do have an academy that travels and plays as part the Thunder Bay Chill program of the PDL. I'm not sure how it works in regards to the training and school on a daily basis, but from playing the u19s (could've been even younger, don't remember) in the indoor season, they are damn fit and damn good.

[lazlo_80]

one of the midfielders, Manny Aparecio just signed a pro contract with Toronto FC

[tmcmurph]

Good showing by the Canadian team pro academies. I count 5 Caps, 4 Impact, 2 TFC and 1 FCE. Plus the fact that several more have moved on from their starts in the academies and are now continuing their improvement elsewhere. Having several layers of pro teams is showing how important it is to have training available at various levels for all ages. Great to see the Impact and FCE getting players in there especially given the short time they've had academies up and running.

I'm very curious as to how Brody will do. I'm betting he continues to light it up.

[jpg75]

Geez, there are more former TFC academy players (3) on this roster than actual TFC players (2).

[tmcmurph]

Geez, there are more former TFC academy players (3) on this roster than actual TFC players (2).

That's how it goes. Some move on, some stay, some new ones join but all have had their skills improved by being part of a pro level academy. Sweet to see. Hope springs eternal in the minds of us Canadian soccer supporters

[Bully]

What about Michael Nelson at Aston Villa

[jpg75]

What about Michael Nelson at Aston Villa

Yes, he is eligible for this squad. Not sure if he's still at Villa though, he isn't listed on any of the squads on their website:

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/FirstTeam

[jpg75]

That's how it goes. Some move on, some stay, some new ones join but all have had their skills improved by being part of a pro level academy. Sweet to see. Hope springs eternal in the minds of us Canadian soccer supporters

For some reason i doubt TFC shares your opinion. Since day one this has been a major issue and some of the best kids have left the club.

[deschamp86]

What about Michael Nelson at Aston Villa

I've always been curious about Michael Nelson. To my knowledge he has never been involved in a Canadian camp at any age level.

Is he committed to the program, not being called (strange for someone being with a Premier League club) or is he a dual citizen of another country and holding out?

[deschamp86]

Yes, he is eligible for this squad. Not sure if he's still at Villa though, he isn't listed on any of the squads on their website:

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/FirstTeam

Apparently in July he was on trial with Worcester City of Conference North

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/10569278.Heeley_is_keen_to_get_squad_sorted/

And was still with them as he picked up some minutes on August 6th in preseason

http://www.worcestercityfc.com/s/match-report-64810.html?fixture_id=1800740&official=0

[tmcmurph]

For some reason i doubt TFC shares your opinion. Since day one this has been a major issue and some of the best kids have left the club.

Yea they've lost some good ones for various reasons. Fact is getting the players pro level training at earlier ages gives them more options at ages 17-18. That doesn't always work out for the club but it does work out for the MNT.

[ag futbol]

Find it interesting that TFC hasn't used a generation adidas tag on anybody coming through the academy as of yet, while other teams have.

I'll be interested to see what happens in the next little while. If they experience another exodus, they need to take a serious look at that place. That could be a really great source of talent if they put more focus into it.

[Soccerpro]

Find it interesting that TFC hasn't used a generation adidas tag on anybody coming through the academy as of yet, while other teams have.

I'll be interested to see what happens in the next little while. If they experience another exodus, they need to take a serious look at that place. That could be a really great source of talent if they put more focus into it.

They need to fix the organization itself and have some success before anyone is going to want to stick around or come back.

[jpg75]

That doesn't always work out for the club but it does work out for the MNT.

Hey, no argument there. Their loss is the MNT gain, or at least it should be in theory (players going to Europe should be a good thing).

[jpg75]

Apparently in July he was on trial with Worcester City of Conference North

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/10569278.Heeley_is_keen_to_get_squad_sorted/

And was still with them as he picked up some minutes on August 6th in preseason

http://www.worcestercityfc.com/s/match-report-64810.html?fixture_id=1800740&official=0

Good find. A rather steep drop down the ladder, but if it means first team minutes then good luck to the young man.

[ag futbol]

They need to fix the organization itself and have some success before anyone is going to want to stick around or come back.

Well I think success is defined differently depending on what group we are talking about. By any performance measuring stick TFC are an abject failure, but if they clawed their way up to mediocre, the more important things for young players becomes whether TFC can help them launch a sustainable career in the pro ranks.

It's great they've put a number of guys under contract, but how much help did they really give players like Makubuya or Cordon? They just had too big of a cap to cover to make an impact on the first team so they were stuck in limbo. I know not all graduates will make it, but it seems like some were put into hopeless situations.

I hope they have a better gameplan to develop aparicio, because it's not like he has the immediate physical tools needed to make an impact at the pro level. He'll have to be cultured into it.

[VWFC]

Well I think success is defined differently depending on what group we are talking about. By any performance measuring stick TFC are an abject failure, but if they clawed their way up to mediocre, the more important things for young players becomes whether TFC can help them launch a sustainable career in the pro ranks.

It's great they've put a number of guys under contract, but how much help did they really give players like Makubuya or Cordon? They just had too big of a cap to cover to make an impact on the first team so they were stuck in limbo. I know not all graduates will make it, but it seems like some were put into hopeless situations.

I hope they have a better gameplan to develop aparicio, because it's not like he has the immediate physical tools needed to make an impact at the pro level. He'll have to be cultured into it.

The MLS needs to eliminate the ridiculous roster rules and switch to something like they do in Scandinavia and England. 25 man roster, but anyone under 21 doesn't count against the cap or roster spot. This will alleviate the need to sign these kids so young and will allow the kids to be brought up from U18 or reserves when needed or ready.

Right now teams are forced to sign them at 18 or let them go to college/Europe/whatever. The gap from U18 to MLS is to big for 90% of them.

Of course this depends on MLS setting up an appropriate reserve league for the kids to play in, but the loan agreement they have this year is a good first step.

[masster]

Canada beats Japan 1-0 in their game today. I actually found a stream for this game but I couldn't watch it too thouroughly. Maybe we will be able to watch all of their games. I think the goal was from Brody. I also think Canada was down to 10 men. I also think they are only playing 70 minute matches. Japan dominated the last few minutes that I saw, but if Canada was down to 10 men, then maybe that was understandable.

[masster]

Red Card for Quinton Duncan in the 4th minute! Sounds like Nolan Wirth had a great game.

http://www.cotifalcudia.com/1a-jornada-2o-partido-japon-0-1-canada/

[Greatest Cockney Rip Off]

#canM18 opened COTIF tournament with a 1:0 win over Japan despite being down to 10 men early on. Goal by Huitema early 2nd half.

If you find streams again can you post it?

[Keegan]

#canM18 opened COTIF tournament with a 1:0 win over Japan despite being down to 10 men early on. Goal by Huitema early 2nd half.

If you find streams again can you post it?

Looks like Floro and his son are at the tournament. Here is what his son had to say on twitter "CanadáM18 wins against Japan. Excellent job with one less player. Congratulations for them. Proud of this team. "

[ThiKu]

what is floro's sons twitter handle?