CSA & Whitecaps FC
Three Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency players have been called up to the latest training camp with Canada's U-17 men's national team.
Kevin Cobby, Coulton Jackson, and Russell Teibert have all been named in head coach Sean Fleming's 18-player squad that will first train in Tampa, Florida, from February 6 to 12 before heading to Guatemala City, Guatemala, for the remainder of the camp, which will conclude on February 17.
Canada will play three international friendly matches during that time. They face USA U-17's on Wednesday before taking on Guatemala's U-17 side in two matches on Saturday and next Monday.
Cobby, Jackson, and Teibert all return to the squad after taking part in an initial training camp in Mexico last November and December. The trio all saw action in friendly matches versus top Mexican club sides, as they aim to impress Fleming ahead of the CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Tijuana, Mexico, this spring. Acting as the qualifying tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup later this year, Canada face Cuba, Honduras, and USA in Group A and need to finish in the top two in order to make Nigeria 2009. Canada last played in a U-17 World Cup back in 1995 in Ecuador.
"This will be a great test, as these boys play their first international match on Wednesday," Fleming told CanadaSoccer.com. "I hope that we are able to build on the good performances during our last camp in Guadalajara, Mexico."
Midfielders Cobby and Teibert, both 16-years-old, joined Whitecaps Residency last August after spells with Toronto FC Academy's U-16 side and the Ontario provincial team program. Last December, the pair played in all five matches of the Residency team's successful 12-day tour of Japan. Jackson, who turns 17 on Tuesday, also appeared in Residency's five games in Japan, despite initially joining the Whitecaps Delta Prospects Academy last September. The Surrey, BC, native, who can play as a striker or as an attacking midfielder, is also a member of the Delta WFC side that currently plays in the Men's Premier Division of the Vancouver Metro Soccer League.
Three other British Columbia players were also selected in the squad. They include goalkeeper Richard Causton from Coquitlam, BC, defender Derrick Bassi from Delta, BC, and forward Kule Kambere from Surrey, BC.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency and Delta Prospects Academy are full-time programs dedicated to developing North America’s top youth players in Vancouver. The programs allow elite youth players from U-16 to U-19 to achieve professional opportunities with the Whitecaps men’s team and world-class European clubs using the European club model of identification, development, and placement.
