Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency goalkeeper Marco Carducci has been given the armband for the Canadian Under-17 national team on the eve of their efforts to qualify for this fall's FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Carducci (above) was announced as captain on Friday as the final roster of 20 players was revealed by head coach Sean Fleming. Canada open the CONCACAF U-17 Championship on Saturday against Trinidad and Tobago.
“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,” Fleming said in a press release. “The chemistry in the group is good and the players that are here have shown 100 percent commitment to the cause.”
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All 11 of the players from MLS-affiliated academies made the final squad as three players were released from the squad after the team’s four-day training camp in Florida prior to heading to Panama, where the CONCACAF tournament is being held.
Canada were drawn into Group C alongside T&T and Costa Rica. They face Los Ticos on April 10.
The four semfinalists qualify for the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Canada will be attempting to qualify for their second consecutive tournament.
CANADIAN U-17 NATIONAL TEAM SQUAD
Goalkeepers (2): Marco Carducci (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency), Daniel Milton (Ajax Thunder),
Defenders (6): Alex Comsia (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency), Mathieu Laurent (Mississauga Falcons), Elias Roubos (Toronto FC Academy), Kevon Black (Toronto FC Academy), Ian Fernandes (Toronto FC Academy), Aron Mkungilwa (Academie Impact Montreal).
Midfielders (8): Mikael Cantave (Orvault Sport Football/France), Kianz Gonzales-Froese (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency), Jordan Haynes (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency), Derek Sequeira (Toronto FC Academy), Ali Muse (WSA Winnipeg), Marco Bustos (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency), Andrew Gordon (Woodbridge Strikers), Matthew Chow (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency).
Forwards (4): Hanson Boakai (FC Edmonton), Jordan Hamilton (Toronto FC Academy), El Mehdi Ibn Brahim (Braves d’Ahuntsic), Derek Cornelius (Unionville U-21).
