Mondiale U17 Brasile 2019 - CANADA

https://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/teams/team/1888260/profile/

FIFA U-17 World Cup history

Although the 2019 edition will be Canada’s seventh appearance at the U-17 World Cup, their track record is less than impressive. While their maiden adventure in 1987 was enjoyable in their role of hosts, they have never made it past the group stage and only twice in the last 24 years have they qualified for the finals, at Mexico 2011 and UAE 2013.

Road to Brazil

After finishing second to USA in the group stage, Canada went on to beat Curacao 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals. They then impressively knocked out Costa Rica, coming back from 1-0 down to take the tie to extra-time and win 4-3 on penalties. While this was enough for a ticket to Brazil 2019, they fell at the next hurdle to the Stars and Stripes and missed out on what would have been only their second-ever Concacaf U-17 Championship final.

The coach

Andrew Olivieri is a former goalkeeper who represented Canada at the Men's Olympic Football Tournament Athens 2004 and gained a solitary senior cap. He began coaching in 2004 while still a player and forged a career at provincial and national level, before working for the Canadian Soccer Association between 2012 and '14 in the capacity of Women's Excel Director. He then returned to the men’s game in 2018 to take charge of the U-20 and U-17 national sides.

Did you know?

• Jayden Nelson was Canada’s top scorer during the qualifiers, notching 5 of their 15 goals.
• Uzbekistan-born midfielder Kamron Habibullah topped the assist chart for his country in qualification with a total of 4.

• Their first FIFA U-17 World Cup since 2013
• A win on this stage has eluded them in six prior appearances

For Canada, the FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019 presents a chance to measure the strides their men's youth program has made in the last decade.

Though the Canada U-17 national team have not qualified for the World Cup since 2013, they will be competing at the world finals for the fourth time since 2009. Both the U-15 and U-17 teams reached the semi-finals of their respective Concacaf Championships this year for the first time in nearly two decades.

“This group has a chance to put forth the best performance by a Canadian team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup and put the shirt in a better place,” said head coach Andrew Olivieri in a statement. “The FIFA U-17 World Cup will provide valuable experience for these young players as they compete in meaningful matches in a big competition."

Few teams at Brazil 2019 punched their ticket in more dramatic fashion. After top-three finishes at the Concacaf U-17 Championship in 2011 and 2013, the Canadians toiled outside the World Cup qualifying places in 2015 and 2017. This past May, it all came down to a penalty shoot-out against rivals Costa Rica.

Following a tense 120 minutes that ended 1-1, goalkeeper Marc Kouadio and captain Gianfranco Facchineri bookended the shoot-out with heroics that sent Canada through to their seventh FIFA U-17 World Cup. Kouadio made a full-extension stop of Costa Rica's opening attempt, diving to his right, while Facchineri ripped the deciding kick into the back-left corner of the net, as his side prevailed 4-3 on penalties.

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Canada succumbed to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of USA in the semi-finals, who in turn fell 2-1 to Mexico in the continental final. But the Canadians maintain plenty of pride heading into their opening match against hosts Brazil on 26 October.

“It’s a special day and I think that what these young men have already accomplished in taking us to a FIFA U-17 World Cup will really start to sink in for them,” Olivieri said immediately after the draw was held in Zurich. "It speaks volumes for what we can achieve as a country when we work so hard together.

“I’ve had a few [players] already message me how excited and happy they are to get such a great first match,” added Olivieri in an interview with The Canadian Press. “I don’t think you can ask for more than to play a team of Brazil’s quality. But to do it in the opening match is that much more special for them. It’s exciting.”

Still looking for their first win at a FIFA U-17 World Cup, the Canucks will follow up their Group A opener with fixtures against tournament debutants Angola (29 October) and eight-time participants New Zealand (1 November). All three matches will be played at the Bezerrão Stadium in Brasilia.

With the Seleção as the only team in Group A to have ever advanced past the Round of 16, a clear opportunity exists for Canada to make history and prove themselves as a footballing nation on the rise.

Group A
Nickname: #Canucks, #LesRouges
Confederation: #CONCACAF North/Central America & Caribbean
Appearances: 7 Out of 18
Qualification: CONCACAF U17 Championships Semifinalist
Best Finish: Group Stage