Ben Paton (#8) and Jonathan David (#15) were called up to the Canada under-17 national team for a November training camp and a pair friendlies against host Jamaica. (Photo courtesy of Canada Soccer)
OTTAWA – The Canada under-17 national team will open an 11-day camp on November 20 with a 20-player squad, Canada Soccer announced Friday.
The side will train in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, until November 25, before traveling to Jamaica for a pair of friendlies against its counterpart from the host nation on November 27 and 29 in Clarendon and Kingston, respectively.
"We continue to assess and give experience to our players," said Canada head coach Paul Stalteri. "A few will play their first international matches for Canada in Jamaica, so that's good for them and good for us to see them in action."
Defenders Emile Legault and Jake Ruby, midfielder Matthew Roberts and forward Jose Hernandez will each have an opportunity to make their international youth debuts.
Also meriting selection was 16-year-old midfielder Alphonso Davies, who just wrapped up his first Major League Soccer season with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, scoring the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory at Sporting Kansas City in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League on September 13, 2016.
Both Canada and Jamaica are preparing for the next CONCACAF Under-17 Championship, which will be played April 21-May 7, 2017, in Panama.
ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS: Gianluca Catalano (Toronto FC), Sebastian Sgarbossa (Waterloo United)
DEFENDERS: Julian Dunn-Johnson (Toronto FC), Gabriel Escobar (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Yohan Le Bourhis (Impact de Montreal), Émile Legault (Auxerre/France), Terique Mohammed (Toronto FC), Antonio Rocco Romeo (Toronto FC), Jake Ruby (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
MIDFIELDERS: Olakunle Dada-Luke (Toronto FC), Alphonso Davies (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Jordan Faria (Toronto FC), Benson Fazili (Ottawa Internationals SC), Alessandro Hojabrpour (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Noble Okello (Toronto FC), Ben Paton (Blackburn Rovers/England), Matthew Roberts (Swansea City/Wales), Steffen Yeates (Toronto FC)
FORWARDS: Jonathan David (Ottawa Internationals SC), Jose Hernandez (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
