Three MLS first-teamers and seven MLS academy products are among the 21-man squad called up by Canadian Under-20 national team head coach Nick Dasovic for an 11-day camp that starts Tuesday and goes until the end of the month.
The Vancouver Whitecaps make up the biggest contingent, with first-team players Caleb Clarke and Bryce Alderson (above) joined by Whitecaps Residency players Callum Irving, Daniel Stanese, Ben Fisk and Yassin Essa.
Toronto FC regular Doneil Henry is the only representative from the Reds, while the Montreal Impact Academy sends Maxime Crépeau, Ismail Benomar and Zakaria Messoudi.
The squad is also bolstered by the inclusion of Samuel Piette, who plays at the youth level for Bundesliga side Fortuna Dusseldorf. Despite being just 18 years old, he has already been capped at the senior level and was one of Canada’s standout performers in this past March’s Olympic qualifying tournament.
Dasovic is readying his team for February’s CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Puebla, Mexico, which doubles as the qualifying tournament for next summer’s U-20 World Cup in Turkey. The draw for February’s event takes place on Wednesday.
The squad will begin to gather in Sunrise, Fla., on Tuesday for the kickoff of the camp, which concludes with a trip to Costa Rica.
FULL CANADIAN U-20 SQUAD
Goalkeepers (3): Maxime Crépeau (Académie Impact Montréal), Nathan Ingham (unattached), Callum Irving (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency)
Defenders (6): Ismail Benomar (Académie Impact Montréal), Doneil Henry (Toronto FC), Daniel Stanese (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency), Jon Dollery (Crawley Town FC/England), Marco Lapenna (Erzbegirge Aue/Germany), Allan Zebie (FC Edmonton Reserves).
Midfielders (9): Mauro Eustaquio (Sporting Clube de Pombal/Portugal), Patryk Misik (WKS Slask Wroclaw/Poland), Zakaria Messoudi (Académie Impact Montréal), Ben Fisk (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency), Patrick Majcher (WKS Slask Wroclaw/Poland), Samuel Piette (Fortuna Dusseldorf/Germany), Michael Krzeminski (WKS Slask Wroclaw), Bryce Alderson (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Alessandro Riggi (Celta de Vigo/Spain).
Forwards (3): Caleb Clarke (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Yassin Essa (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency), Stefan Vukovic (unattached)
