Trio selected to Canadian U-17 squad

April 14, 2009

CSA & Whitecaps FC

Vancouver Whitecaps FC, in conjunction with the Canadian Soccer Association, announce that Kevin Cobby, Coulton Jackson, and Russell Teibert have all been called up to Canada's U-17 men's national team.

The trio - who are all members of the Whitecaps Residency program - have been selected in head coach Sean Fleming's 20-player squad for the 2009 CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Tijuana, Mexico. Serving as the qualifying tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria later this year, Canada will play in Group A and face Honduras next Tuesday, United States on Thursday, April 23, and Cuba on Saturday, April 25. Fleming's side will need to finish in the top two in order to make Nigeria 2009. Canada last appeared in a U-17 World Cup back in 1995 in Ecuador.

Cobby, Jackson, and Teibert all return to the squad after taking part in three recent U-17 national team camps. The first camp took place in Mexico in November and December 2008 before the squad reconvened this past February in Florida and Guatemala. The most recent camp was in Costa Rica in late March and early April. During their time in Central America, Canada faced Costa Rica's U-17 and U-18 national teams.

Cobby, 17-years-old, joined the Whitecaps Residency program on September 10, 2008, after spells with Toronto FC Academy's U-16 side and the Ontario provincial team program. Last December, the native of Toronto, Ontario, played in all five matches of the Residency team's successful 12-day tour of Japan. He made his U-17 international debut during a 5-2 friendly win over USA in St. Petersburg, Florida, on February 11.

Fellow midfielder Teibert, 16-years-old, joins the squad after helping Whitecaps Residency reach the U-19 Super Group final at Dallas Cup XXX last week. Like Cobby, the native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, is a former member of Toronto FC Academy's U-16 side and the Ontario provincial team program. The midfielder has scored two goals in five U-17 international appearances with Canada, with his latest strike coming in a 3-2 defeat to Costa Rica U-17's on April 4.

Jackson, 17-years-old, signed on with Whitecaps Residency on February 10 after also appearing in the team's five friendly matches in Japan last December. The native of Surrey, BC - who can play as a striker or as an attacking midfielder - initially joined the Whitecaps Delta Prospects Academy last September before moving up to the full-time Residency program. With Canada U-17's, Jackson also found the scoresheet in the 5-2 win over USA.

Also selected into Fleming's squad for Mexico 2009 is goalkeeper Richard Causton. The native of Coquitlam, BC, has been training with the Residency program since the beginning of February, having been a part of the Canadian Soccer Association's National Training Centre (British Columbia region) program during the 2007-08 year. Last summer, Causton represented British Columbia at the Canadian U-16 All-Star Championship in Brossard, Quebec.

Also included in the squad is former Whitecaps Prospects centre back Derrick Bassi. The native of Delta, BC, is currently with the academy squad at English Premier League club Middlesbrough FC. The former North Delta Selects defender was a member of the BC provincial team program and the CSA's National Training Centre (BC region) program.

Whitecaps 2009 season tickets are now on sale. Season tickets include all men’s and women's team regular season and playoff home matches at Swangard Stadium, Nutrilite Canadian Championship home matches against Toronto FC and Montreal Impact, as well as priority listing for Vancouver MLS 2011 in BC Place. For more information on the 2009 season ticket packages, click here or call 604.669.WAVE (9283).

Return To Whitecaps News