CONCACAF announced Monday the final 20-man rosters for teams qualified for this year’s CONCACAF Under-17 Championship, to be played Feb. 27 to March 15 in Honduras.
The US roster includes six MLS academy players, while Canada’s roster includes 15 MLS academy players. The 12-team tournament will be played at Francisco Morazán Stadium and Olympic Stadium in San Pedro Sula.
The US, who wrapped up camp over the weekend with a 4-0 win Sunday over Bermuda, were drawn into Group A, along with Jamaica, Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago and Cuba, and will open play Friday against Cuba.
Canada are in Group B, along with Haiti, Panama, Mexico, St. Lucia and Costa Rica, and kick off their tournament Saturday against Haiti.
There are also a handful of MLS academy players included by other tournament teams. New York Red Bulls midfielder Zaire Tobijah George Bartley and Orlando City SC forward Nathaniel Ayodele Adamolekun were included in Jamaica’s roster. Chivas USA product Iván Gutiérrez, a midfielder, was named to Mexico’s team. Houston Dynamo midfielder Giandemir Jaen Rios was called up by Panama. And Philadelphia Union forward Jerren Nixon was named by Trinidad & Tobago.
Group play will be followed by a one-day Championship Phase on March 15, which will determine two of the four FIFA Under-17 World Cup berths and the Confederation champion at this level.
The top team from each group after round-robin play will qualify directly to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup Chile 2015, while the second- and third-place nations from each group will play in the final-day knockout phase, with the chance to dispute one of a pair of play-in matches which will determine CONCACAF's other two under-17 World Cup spots.
Here are the US and Canada rosters:
USA
GOALKEEPERS (2): William Pulisic (Richmond United/USA); Kevin Silva (Players Development Academy/USA)
DEFENDERS (7): Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls/USA); Hugo Arellano (LA Galaxy/USA); Daniel Barbir (West Bromwich Albion FC/ENG); Tanner Dieterich (Real Salt Lake Arizona/USA); John Nelson (Internationals Soccer Club/USA); Matthew Olosunde (New York Red Bulls/USA); Alexis Velela (San Diego Surf/USA)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Eric Calvillo (Real SoCal/USA); Lucas de la Torre (Fulham FC/ENG); Thomas McCabe (Players Development Academy/USA); Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund/GER); Alejandro Zendejas Saavedra (FC Dallas/USA)
FORWARDS (6): Pierre da Silva (Orlando City SC/USA); Orrin Gaines II (Lonestar SC/USA); Joe Gallardo Jr (Monterrey/MEX); Joshua Perez (unattached); Brandon Vazquez (Club Tijuana/MEX); Haji Wright (unattached)
CANADA
GOALKEEPERS (2): Brogan Engbers (Toronto FC/CAN); Luciano Trasolini (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN)
DEFENDERS (6): Matthew Baldisimo (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN); Gabriel Boakye (Toronto FC/CAN); Kadin Chung (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN); Andrew Dias (Toronto FC/CAN); Thomas Mickoski (North Toronto Nitros/CAN); Kosovar Sadiki (Stoke City FC/ENG)
MIDFIELDES (9): Tristan Borges (Toronto FC/CAN); Dante Campbell (Toronto FC/CAN); Aidan Daniels (Toronto FC/CAN); Richlord Ennin (Toronto FC/CAN); Duwayne Ewart (unattached); Malik Johnson (Toronto FC/CAN); Harrison Paton (Fulham FC/ENG); Munir Saleh (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN); Ballou Tabla (unattached)
FORWARDS (3): Terran Campbell (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN); Cyrus Rollocks (Toronto FC/CAN); Daniel Sagno (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN)
