Football Preview: Canada v USA (CONCACAF Under – 17 Championship)

Although the Canadians have not lost a single match in the tournament, they are still behind the USA national under-17 team because the Reds’ one scrimmage against Honduras went into a
draw whereas the Stars and Stripes have won all the matches in the tournament.

Both Canada and USA face each other in the final of the CONCACAF U-17 Championship.

The Reds however have been brilliant in the contest from the start as they beat Barbados in the pool match by a whopping lead of eight goals. The scorecard read 8 – 0 at the final whistle
tilting the result to the North Americans’ side.

The next match was tied between Canadians and Honduras as both teams failed to find the net at the end of the 90-minute stretch.

 The other team that will be playing the final of the tournament is USA. Wilmer Cabrera’ boys have put a great show in front of the audience in the stadiums and soccer follower back in
America. The team has continued its winning streak even in the semi-final when they battered the defence of the Jamaican team with scores in first and the second half. Captain of the team, Marc Pelosi played a vital role in bagging the match although the whole
team was a heavier side as compared to the hosts of the tournament. Pelosi was involved in both the goals in the match. He netted the first and assisted the second, scored by Andrew Oliver.

Canada

The manager of the national outfit, Sean Fleming will be looking to repeat the recent history made by the team as they secured a berth in the Under-17 World Cup staged in Mexico. The coach
will try to get the most out of the players in the final of the run for the continental trophy to continue the band of unbeaten games. Fleming has already possessed some of the best players available in the country as he admitted after his team’s win against
Trinidad and Tobago in the quarter-final.

Toronto FC owns most of the players in the national team’s roster. Seven players belong to the club’s academy back in Canada. Goalkeeper Xander Huggin, midfielder Michael Petrasso and
strikers like Dylan Carreiro, Jay Chapman and Omari Morris belong to the TFC academy.

However, the manager will be taking the starting eleven irrespective of the clubs the boys play. The team will be consisting of the best that have shown the coach their best in the Caribbean.

Michael Petrasso, Christopher Nanco and Keven Aleman will be in the starting line-up for sure. The latter two players have scored in two matches apiece. Aleman and Nanco scored against
Barbados which the team won 8 – 0. The duo again struck the back of the net in the quarter-final against Trinidad and Tobago, the match that won the team a berth in the U-17 World Cup.

Michael Petrasso will be the player worth watching in the game as he will try to repeat the 3-goal haul in the final of the race for the title.

USA

The Stars and Stripes have already taken everyone in Jamaica aback with the startling performance since the kick-off match against Cuba. The team won the clash 3 – 1 with scores from Alfred
Koroma, Andrew Oliver and Esteban Rodriguez.

The wins never stopped for the Stars and Stripes after that and the group has thrashed every team that came against them till the last faceoff against Jamaica.

The team will be looking for the unbeaten haul by defeating Canada and Cabrera will bring all the best talent in the team available, to the pitch on Sunday.

Skipper and midfielder Pelosi, and Oliver will be the players in best of their forms as they have proven their mettle in all the tournament matches. Oliver has scored in all the matches
except the quarter-final against El Salvador. The player has tallied three goals in four tournament matches. The player will be trying his best to find the net again in the final match.

This will be Canada’s first continental tournament in history if they manage to defeat the US opposition in the last match. However, the young Stars will not give away the match so easily
and the match will be worth seeing as the two opponents enter the pitch.

Following is the possible line-up for both Sean Fleming and Wilmer Cabrera, respectively.

Canada

Maxime Crépeau, Adam Polakiewicz, Parker Seymour, Daniel Stanese, Keven Aleman, Dylan Carreiro, Jay Chapman, Luca Gasporotto, Christopher Nanco, Michael Petrasso, Omari Morris

USA

Kendall McIntosh, Andrew Souders, Mobi Fehr, Zach Carroll, Matt Dunn, Esteban Rodriguez, Alejandro Guido, Marc Pelosi, Alfred Koroma, Andrew Oliver, Jack McBean