Class of 2008

[Dominic94]

1 hour ago, Footyeh said:

The roster is good to be honest.  There's some good players in this age group that are showing well in the MLS Next.  Probably the most talented domestic players since the 02/03 U17 team that went to the 2019 World Cup.  

I think the difference between the players who are in Europe for this age group compared to the current U17's (or even last U20 cycle), is that they are all in good/top development clubs, are becoming key players in their age groups in those teams and were considered top players in their local clubs before moving abroad (at least by those who know them).  

I also believe that most weren't selected simply because the CSA hasn't seen them yet given their age, especially the 2009's which I think is ok.  As long as they bring them into the fold sooner rather than later to prepare for the U17 qualifying campaign in 2 years time.  There's one in Levante, one at Utrecht, one training with Vancouver FC 1st team (CPL) who will also sign for a good Dutch team.

There’s another potential TJ Tahid in Vancouver you’re saying ?

[Footyeh]

30 minutes ago, Dominic94 said:

There’s another potential TJ Tahid in Vancouver you’re saying ?

Another one Whitecaps didn't invite haha

[Dominic94]

19 minutes ago, Footyeh said:

Another one Whitecaps didn't invite haha

I love it, we need this. This is the power of the Can PL.

[Vasi]

If these are u15's. Then how can any kids from CPL play? There are 15yo playing in the CPL?

Whats the cutoff for this tournament?

Edited July 11, 2023 by Vasi

[nolando]

1 hour ago, Vasi said:

If these are u15's. Then how can any kids from CPL play? There are 15yo playing in the CPL?

Whats the cutoff for this tournament?

Vancouver FC's TJ Tahid is a 2007, just turned 16.

[nolando]

3 hours ago, Dominic94 said:

There’s another potential TJ Tahid in Vancouver you’re saying ?

If it is who I think it is, the even younger prospect training at Vancouver FC is a 2009, two birth years younger than TJ. 

[Ivan]

10 hours ago, Footyeh said:

12/18 haha. 1/3 on the Europe based players.  

Nice!  65% @JamesF, pretty good guesswork!

[Dominic94]

7 hours ago, nolando said:

If it is who I think it is, the even younger prospect training at Vancouver FC is a 2009, two birth years younger than TJ. 

I feel so old, however… I keep saying we have players who are 15 and 16 and so on who can play pro minutes now, we wait too long to give kids minutes. Only takes one to buck the trend and seems like Vancouver FC want to be that club… I do wonder who’s training with Pacific if Vancouver is giving their youth a chance.

[AnonymousInsider]

On 7/8/2023 at 7:56 AM, Footyeh said:

Roster has been selected and players called.  In my opinion this should be a very exciting age group over the next 2 years because there's already a large number of players we know of that are playing in European clubs, and there's also about 5-6 boys we know of in American based MLS clubs that are eligible for Canada.  However... from what I hear, the roster will not resemble this and will look like more of the same we are used to...

Breakdown is as follows (based on what I hear)

TFC: 7 Players

CFM: 5 Players

VWFC: 2 Players

USA Based: 1 Player

Europe Based: 3 Players

7 from TFC

4 from CFM

3 from Whitecaps

1 from US (Orlando I believe)

3 from Europe

[Footyeh]

3 hours ago, AnonymousInsider said:

7 from TFC

4 from CFM

3 from Whitecaps

1 from US (Orlando I believe)

3 from Europe

I'm curious to know which of 3 of the 10 TFC players named to the Preliminary roster are being left out of the final roster.  I imagine it was some of the attacking players.

I also wonder if included in the Montreal contingent is the boy who was from Quebec Provincial Team/PLSQ or if he's joined Montreal for next season.

Interesting about Orlando, they have 3 Canadian eligible kids in their U15 side 

[AnonymousInsider]

6 hours ago, Footyeh said:

I'm curious to know which of 3 of the 10 TFC players named to the Preliminary roster are being left out of the final roster.  I imagine it was some of the attacking players.

I also wonder if included in the Montreal contingent is the boy who was from Quebec Provincial Team/PLSQ or if he's joined Montreal for next season.

Interesting about Orlando, they have 3 Canadian eligible kids in their U15 side 

I’ve heard from parents it’s Dylan Judelson from Orlando, which makes sense considering he plays U-17, at Orlando. As for the alternates I don’t think any attacking players from TFC are there (as alternates). 1 midfielder and 2 defenders are from TFC, and one attacker from Vancouver are the alternates. That’s all I know so far.

[dyslexic nam]

8 hours ago, AnonymousInsider said:

I’ve heard from parents it’s Dylan Judelson from Orlando, which makes sense considering he plays U-17, at Orlando. As for the alternates I don’t think any attacking players from TFC are there (as alternates). 1 midfielder and 2 defenders are from TFC, and one attacker from Vancouver are the alternates. That’s all I know so far.

I don’t know who TF you are but keep that shit up.  

[Footyeh]

9 hours ago, AnonymousInsider said:

I’ve heard from parents it’s Dylan Judelson from Orlando, which makes sense considering he plays U-17, at Orlando. As for the alternates I don’t think any attacking players from TFC are there (as alternates). 1 midfielder and 2 defenders are from TFC, and one attacker from Vancouver are the alternates. That’s all I know so far.

Yes it is Judelson.  And he actually declined a US call up to play for Canada in this tournament (his dad was quite vocal on Twitter with his frustration on not being in past camps 😆). They also have a LB (Lucas Quinnoes who I think is quite good) and CB who could’ve been called.

I’ve seen the list of the 22 players selected, there’s only 3 Vancouver players total.  Was told 1 of them is alternate which leaves just 2 on actual roster?

I was told 2 of the TFC players listed in the midfield/forward group were alternates, based on what I’ve seen in MLS Next play, I hope the defenders are kept in the final roster.  

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by Footyeh

[Stoppage Time]

16 hours ago, Footyeh said:

I'm curious to know which of 3 of the 10 TFC players named to the Preliminary roster are being left out of the final roster.  I imagine it was some of the attacking players.

I also wonder if included in the Montreal contingent is the boy who was from Quebec Provincial Team/PLSQ or if he's joined Montreal for next season.

Interesting about Orlando, they have 3 Canadian eligible kids in their U15 side 

I wonder if there is now a workable scouting mechanism in place to identify boys who are not in the MLS academy. Any hidden gems from Sigma, for example?

[AnonymousInsider]

1 hour ago, Footyeh said:

Yes it is Judelson.  And he actually declined a US call up to play for Canada in this tournament (his dad was quite vocal on Twitter with his frustration on not being in past camps 😆). They also have a LB (Lucas Quinnoes who I think is quite good) and CB who could’ve been called.

I’ve seen the list of the 22 players selected, there’s only 3 Vancouver players total.  Was told 1 of them is alternate which leaves just 2 on actual roster?

I was told 2 of the TFC players listed in the midfield/forward group were alternates, based on what I’ve seen in MLS Next play, I hope the defenders are kept in the final roster.  

 

I am 99% sure the 4 alternates are as follows;

Stefan Kapor (CB, I believe 2009 born) from TFC

Ajani Carter (LB) from TFC

Anthony Bossenberry (AM) from TFC

Johnny Selemani (Forward) from Whitecaps

Also apparently Grady McDonnell will be on the team and deployed as a striker, instead of midfield as he usually is. He has featured for Ireland U-15.

[Footyeh]

1 hour ago, AnonymousInsider said:

I am 99% sure the 4 alternates are as follows;

Stefan Kapor (CB, I believe 2009 born) from TFC

Ajani Carter (LB) from TFC

Anthony Bossenberry (AM) from TFC

Johnny Selemani (Forward) from Whitecaps

Also apparently Grady McDonnell will be on the team and deployed as a striker, instead of midfield as he usually is. He has featured for Ireland U-15.

Kapor, for me is probably one of the better players on the TFC U15's so would be surprising.  Ajani Carter is also good but I don't know the competition in those positions and understand one of the European boys is a fullback.  

 

[Dominic94]

2 hours ago, Footyeh said:

Yes it is Judelson.  And he actually declined a US call up to play for Canada in this tournament (his dad was quite vocal on Twitter with his frustration on not being in past camps 😆). They also have a LB (Lucas Quinnoes who I think is quite good) and CB who could’ve been called.

I’ve seen the list of the 22 players selected, there’s only 3 Vancouver players total.  Was told 1 of them is alternate which leaves just 2 on actual roster?

I was told 2 of the TFC players listed in the midfield/forward group were alternates, based on what I’ve seen in MLS Next play, I hope the defenders are kept in the final roster.  

 

I move hearing that a player declined another country for us. Even better when said player could have played for the us and is mad he didn’t get a call to earlier camps. LETS GOOOO, for once our scouting network payed off.

[AnonymousInsider]

On 7/9/2023 at 7:50 PM, Footyeh said:

Owen Graham Roache, Montreal's top scorer and the one who scored in all of Montreal's matches on route to the MLS Next Final is not on the roster.

The striker situation is very intriguing. No Owen Graham Roache is a BIG surprise, considering the playoff run CF Montreal had with him playing a crucial part. I think it’s very disrespectful to him that they decided to put a midfielder as a striker instead of him. They might’ve picked McDonnell to sway him from Ireland but that’s just my little theory. Still surprised they couldn’t make room in the midfield for him, as the front is lacking much more than the midfield.

Another interesting pick at striker is Kemari Record-Wright, from TFC. He’s not much of a goal scorer (less than 10 goals in the whole season, tournaments included). Heard about attitude issues as well.  Apparently, his backup Lucas Dikic (spelling may not be correct) has more goals than him, but I’ve heard the coach does not favour him whatsoever. I got the chance to watch both at MLS Next Flex, where TFC played against Chicago Fire. Record-Wright was decent, scored a goal from a second rebound, but was quite inactive the whole game. But Dikic came on and scored a brace in 25 min. I was very impressed with his movement and physical profile, and his technical was superb for someone of his size. He seems like the type to have inconsistency in his performances, but his ceiling is very high. I’m guessing with Record-Wright they know what they’re getting. I think picking him over Graham Roache, and even Dikic is very surprising, considering the type of tournament it is (both Graham Roache and Dikic are about 6’0 and 6’3, and very fast, which is ideal for youth tournaments like this, not to mention the potential these players have with their physical characteristics). I hope it works out well and CSA knows what they’re doing, but I’m not too optimistic about this one.

[Kadenge]

57 minutes ago, AnonymousInsider said:

The striker situation is very intriguing. No Owen Graham Roache is a BIG surprise, considering the playoff run CF Montreal had with him playing a crucial part. I think it’s very disrespectful to him that they decided to put a midfielder as a striker instead of him. They might’ve picked McDonnell to sway him from Ireland but that’s just my little theory. Still surprised they couldn’t make room in the midfield for him, as the front is lacking much more than the midfield.

Another interesting pick at striker is Kemari Record-Wright, from TFC. He’s not much of a goal scorer (less than 10 goals in the whole season, tournaments included). Heard about attitude issues as well.  Apparently, his backup Lucas Dikic (spelling may not be correct) has more goals than him, but I’ve heard the coach does not favour him whatsoever. I got the chance to watch both at MLS Next Flex, where TFC played against Chicago Fire. Record-Wright was decent, scored a goal from a second rebound, but was quite inactive the whole game. But Dikic came on and scored a brace in 25 min. I was very impressed with his movement and physical profile, and his technical was superb for someone of his size. He seems like the type to have inconsistency in his performances, but his ceiling is very high. I’m guessing with Record-Wright they know what they’re getting. I think picking him over Graham Roache, and even Dikic is very surprising, considering the type of tournament it is (both Graham Roache and Dikic are about 6’0 and 6’3, and very fast, which is ideal for youth tournaments like this, not to mention the potential these players have with their physical characteristics). I hope it works out well and CSA knows what they’re doing, but I’m not too optimistic about this one.

Do you know if Herdman was involved in selections for this group or was it just the Canada U15 coach/coaches?

[Dominic94]

1 hour ago, AnonymousInsider said:

The striker situation is very intriguing. No Owen Graham Roache is a BIG surprise, considering the playoff run CF Montreal had with him playing a crucial part. I think it’s very disrespectful to him that they decided to put a midfielder as a striker instead of him. They might’ve picked McDonnell to sway him from Ireland but that’s just my little theory. Still surprised they couldn’t make room in the midfield for him, as the front is lacking much more than the midfield.

Another interesting pick at striker is Kemari Record-Wright, from TFC. He’s not much of a goal scorer (less than 10 goals in the whole season, tournaments included). Heard about attitude issues as well.  Apparently, his backup Lucas Dikic (spelling may not be correct) has more goals than him, but I’ve heard the coach does not favour him whatsoever. I got the chance to watch both at MLS Next Flex, where TFC played against Chicago Fire. Record-Wright was decent, scored a goal from a second rebound, but was quite inactive the whole game. But Dikic came on and scored a brace in 25 min. I was very impressed with his movement and physical profile, and his technical was superb for someone of his size. He seems like the type to have inconsistency in his performances, but his ceiling is very high. I’m guessing with Record-Wright they know what they’re getting. I think picking him over Graham Roache, and even Dikic is very surprising, considering the type of tournament it is (both Graham Roache and Dikic are about 6’0 and 6’3, and very fast, which is ideal for youth tournaments like this, not to mention the potential these players have with their physical characteristics). I hope it works out well and CSA knows what they’re doing, but I’m not too optimistic about this one.

Is this McDonnell kid good enough to be worth stealing from Ireland ?

[Footyeh]

2 hours ago, AnonymousInsider said:

The striker situation is very intriguing. No Owen Graham Roache is a BIG surprise, considering the playoff run CF Montreal had with him playing a crucial part. I think it’s very disrespectful to him that they decided to put a midfielder as a striker instead of him. They might’ve picked McDonnell to sway him from Ireland but that’s just my little theory. Still surprised they couldn’t make room in the midfield for him, as the front is lacking much more than the midfield.

Another interesting pick at striker is Kemari Record-Wright, from TFC. He’s not much of a goal scorer (less than 10 goals in the whole season, tournaments included). Heard about attitude issues as well.  Apparently, his backup Lucas Dikic (spelling may not be correct) has more goals than him, but I’ve heard the coach does not favour him whatsoever. I got the chance to watch both at MLS Next Flex, where TFC played against Chicago Fire. Record-Wright was decent, scored a goal from a second rebound, but was quite inactive the whole game. But Dikic came on and scored a brace in 25 min. I was very impressed with his movement and physical profile, and his technical was superb for someone of his size. He seems like the type to have inconsistency in his performances, but his ceiling is very high. I’m guessing with Record-Wright they know what they’re getting. I think picking him over Graham Roache, and even Dikic is very surprising, considering the type of tournament it is (both Graham Roache and Dikic are about 6’0 and 6’3, and very fast, which is ideal for youth tournaments like this, not to mention the potential these players have with their physical characteristics). I hope it works out well and CSA knows what they’re doing, but I’m not too optimistic about this one.

Agree, I'd rather even take Selmani from Vancouver than Kemari but hopefully the kid has a good tournament.  I've also heard the same about Grady and I find it very odd, seems a strange decision not to take a pure #9 that's in good form but who knows what went into the decision.  I guess they are super reliant on the quality they have in wide positions.  Khan, Joshua, Jimoh etc.  Chukwu will also be playing midfield I hear

[AnonymousInsider]

1 hour ago, Kadenge said:

Do you know if Herdman was involved in selections for this group or was it just the Canada U15 coach/coaches?

Just U-15 coaches as far as I know

[AnonymousInsider]

52 minutes ago, Dominic94 said:

Is this McDonnell kid good enough to be worth stealing from Ireland ?

Talented kid, don’t know if he’s talented enough to take spots from other proven options at striker, but we’ll find out soon. And who knows what kind of politics are at play in these decisions. We know they can never get it 100% right, and they have to listen to what clubs tell them as well, since they can’t watch every game.

[Dominic94]

1 hour ago, AnonymousInsider said:

Talented kid, don’t know if he’s talented enough to take spots from other proven options at striker, but we’ll find out soon. And who knows what kind of politics are at play in these decisions. We know they can never get it 100% right, and they have to listen to what clubs tell them as well, since they can’t watch every game.

At the end of the day, it may not be a bad thing as who knows who ends up being good at this level in the future 

[AnonymousInsider]

8 hours ago, Dominic94 said:

At the end of the day, it may not be a bad thing as who knows who ends up being good at this level in the future 

True but if he’s a talented midfielder, he should be put ahead of less talented midfielders. Graham Roache and Dikic are the 2 most talented #9s in the country in my opinion, which is why I disagree with the choices.