Canada Under-20 coach Rob Gale has called 20 players into camp for the CONCACAF U-20 Championship – which doubles as the qualifier for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup – that starts later this month in Costa Rica.
Gale's squad does not include any senior MLS players but does include five players from USL side Toronto FC II – including forward Shaan Hundal, pictured above – one from Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, one from the Whitecaps' Under-18 Residency program and one who played most recently for former USL club FC Montreal.
"These are the tests you want for your players [because] you want to expose them to tough matches so they can learn as they develop towards the men's national team," Gale said in a statement provided by the Canadian Soccer Association. "At this level, there are no easy games, so it is vital that we get our moments right and they get the performances we need on the day."
In group play, Canada will face Honduras on Feb. 17, Mexico on Feb. 20 and Antigua & Barbuda on Feb. 23. The top two teams in each of the three groups will advance to a second group stage, where they are split into two groups of three.
The top two teams in that second stage will qualify for the U-20 World Cup, while the top team in each group also qualify for the final on March 5.
Roster by position
GOALKEEPERS (2): Dayne St. Clair (University of Maryland), Thomas Hasal (Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-18 Residency)
DEFENDERS (6): Zachary Brault-Guillard (Olympique Lyonnais / France), Gabriel Boakye (Energie Cottbus U-19/Germany), Kosovar Sadiki (Stoke City U-23 / England), Thomas Meilleur-Giguère (Unattached), Kamal Miller (Syracuse University), Kadin Chung (Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Liam Fraser (Toronto FC II), Diego Gutierrez (CD Palestino / Chile), Tristan Borges (SC Heerenveen / Netherlands), Dante Campbell (Toronto FC II), Aidan Daniels (Toronto FC II), Emmanuel Zambazis (Iraklis 1908 FC / Greece)
FORWARDS (6): Luca Uccello (Toronto FC II), Dario Zanatta (Heart of Midlothian FC / Scotland), Kris Twardek (Millwall FC / England), Shaan Hundal (Toronto FC II), Aymar Sigue (Penn State University), Liam Millar (Liverpool FC U-18 / England)
