3 KEY takeaways from CanM20's U20 Concacaf Championship qualifiers
Canada’s Men’s Under 20 National Team took care of business this week, as they cruised through their qualifying group for the U20 Concacaf Championships, winning all three games by a combined score of 15-0.
As a result, they were able to book their spot at those Championships, which will be held this July in Mexico, doing so without breaking much of a sweat in the end.
Thanks to some key offensive performances, as Canada put up eight goals in their opener against Dominica, potted four in their next one against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and then added three against Trinidad and Tobago in their third and decisive match, Canada was able to cruise through what had looked like a potentially tricky group with relative ease.
See you this July in Mexico! 🇲🇽 #CANM20 pic.twitter.com/5NjpF1JDIx
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) February 28, 2024
Now, that’s allowed them to keep their big dream alive and qualify for the U20 World Cup, something that they’re looking to do for the first time since 2007. Now, they can achieve that this summer, at those Concacaf Championships, where they’ll need to finish top four among the 12 teams participating to earn a spot at next year’s U20 World Cup in Chile.
Something they couldn’t do if they didn’t reach that stage of proceedings, they’ll feel relieved that they achieved that important goal in this camp, allowing them to continue and dream of being able to take the field in Chile down the road.
However, before they take the next step towards achieving that, here’s a look at what stood out from their qualifying journey over the past week.
Offensive breakout a huge relief:
It goes without saying, but it can be important to remind ourselves - goals win games.
And it’s not just the simple act of scoring the goals, but when they’re scored, as that can influence the game massively.
Because of that, not only was it exciting to see Canada find the net 15 times across these three games, but to see the timing of their goals, too.
First, in their opener against Dominica, they breached the net after just eight minutes, and then were up 3-0 after 30, doing well to quickly get the game out of reach as they cruised to an 8-0 result, which is exactly what you want to see in a game where Canada was expected to dominate.
Then, against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Canada followed a similar blueprint, going up 1-0 after 23 minutes, and then washing their opponents away with a flurry of goals to begin the second half, which saw them go up 3-0 by the 60th minute, once again allowing them to cruise to the finish line without much worry.
Lastly, against Trinidad and Tobago, Canada once again timed their goals perfectly, scoring inside 10 minutes to get an early lead, before nabbing one in the 54th minute and finishing things off with a late insurance marker.
GOAL 🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 27, 2024
Myles Morgan scores a beautiful goal to give the U-20s a 1-0 lead vs. Trinidad and Tobago in this final Concacaf U-20 Championship qualifier match!
Watch the #CanM20 on OneSoccer!
🔴https://t.co/vQgMnPtqL0 pic.twitter.com/DQhZi1cYK8
As a result, not only did Canada score lots of goals, but were essentially in control of all of their matches because of those goals, doing well to get on the board early, and then distancing themselves at key moments.
That’s huge, as it took a lot of pressure off their defence, which didn’t have to worry about being perfect, knowing that their attacking players were going to step up with the goals.
And that’s important, as Canada has sometimes struggled to score in these sorts of games in the past. For example, in their U17 cycle last year, which featured a decent number of these U20 players, Canada scored just 11 goals in six Concacaf matches.
Of course, it’s important to mention that those games were all at the Concacaf Championships, and were against stiffer competition (including two against the US), but it’s still encouraging to see that.
Plus, it was good to see that the goalscoring was coming from multiple sources, too. Sergei Kozlovskiy (2), Kevaughn Tavernier (2), Santiago López (3), Tavio Ciccarelli (3), and Myles Morgan (4) all scored multiple goals in this tournament, helping Canada spread the offensive load around a little.
You add in that Alessandro Biello had a goal and an assist, Jesse Costa had a pair of assists, and someone like Kimani Stewart-Baynes was unlucky to not finish with more than just an assist after creating several dangerous opportunities, and that further shows how well-rounded this offensive group was.
GOAL 🇨🇦🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 25, 2024
Alessandro Biello makes it 2-0 for the #CanMNT U-20s vs. St. Vincent and the Grenadines in this Concacaf U-20 Championship qualifier 😎
🔴 Watch #CanM20 on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/IVURCYuUJy
Because of that, look for them to build off this heading into the summer, as that could be a huge asset for them at the Championships. Even if they weren’t tested in this camp, their defence is good enough to keep games close no matter the opponent, but that goalscoring could be the difference between them making the World Cup or falling in the quarter-finals, so they’ll want to see more of this going forward.
New faces and U17 midfielders headline standout players:
Otherwise, it’s positive to note that several players stood out across these three games, which could make for some tough roster decisions heading into the summer, where a few more names might be thrust into contention for that squad depending on how the next few months go for them at the club level.
Because of that, it’ll be important to remember who stood out in this camp, as that could give them an edge when pitted against any new faces that get thrust into the mix, especially if a player like Luc De Fougerolles, who has already earned first-team call-ups, ends up also joining the team given that he remains eligible for this cycle.
To begin, the big standout from this camp was Pumas’s Santiago López, who caught many by surprise with his play up front, as seen by his three goals and an assist. But while his offensive contributions were key, as well as the creativity that he showed on the ball, what stood out was how he played, as he was relentless up front, playing with all sorts of intensity on both sides of the ball.
GOAL 🇨🇦🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 28, 2024
Santiago López hammers home his third goal of the tournament to give Canada a 2-0 lead against Trinidad and Tobago. This will probably put the match out of reach, Trinidad and Tobago would need three goals!
Watch the #CanM20 on OneSoccer!
🔴https://t.co/jcqlu4vfWU pic.twitter.com/tpOvSNhX91
Plus, he showed great leadership, too, standing up for his teammates on a few occasions, which quickly endeared him to fans who weren’t familiar with him before.
For someone who wasn’t even on the radar of most before this call-up, as his Canadian eligibility came as a surprise to many onlookers, he quickly showed that he could be a name worth leaning on this summer, as he has a strong mix of pro experience, talent and mentality to be a force at that tournament.
Elsewhere, Myles Morgan was a standout up front, as he showed good instincts in the box on his four goals, doing well to operate as a poacher, while Tavio Ciccarelli proved that he can also be dangerous, one who can create shots for himself through his dribbling.
Along with Kimani Stewart-Baynes, whose quick feet caused a lot of problems for defences, Jesse Costa, whose passing helped unlock defences, and Kevaughn Tavernier, who showed great awareness in his off-ball movement, those were some of the standouts in the attack.
Then, in midfield, Jeevan Badwal and Alessandro Biello both impressed, as the pair built off solid performances in the U17 cycle, where they were also key pieces in the heart of that midfield. Two cerebral midfielders who can pass the ball well, they complemented each other nicely, doing a good job of providing service to the forwards, while also chipping in with some offensive contributions of their own.
Lastly, defensively, Christian Greco-Taylor impressed at full back with his ability to cover ground, while centre backs Adam Pearlman, Lazar Stefanovic and Ethan Schilte-Brown all did what they needed to when called upon defensively in games, which also applied to goalkeepers Ivan Pavela and Grégoire Swiderski.
So overall, there was a lot to be pleased with, as while Canada was always favoured to win this group, they were going to need some strong performances to get the job done, which they did in the end. 
What to expect this summer?
Now, a huge five months awaits this team, as they prepare for those Championships down in Mexico.
According to head coach Andrew Olivieri, it sounds like there are plans to play at least one game together before the tournament, which should provide more opportunities for faces to audition ahead of July, which is key.
Until then, however, as Olivieri also noted, the big thing now for these players will be to go and perform for their clubs, especially for those who are about to begin professional seasons, and do what they can to be in the best form for when this summer approaches.
As he mentioned, this tournament is viewed as a huge opportunity for this Canadian program, who want to qualify for the U20 World Cup at all costs, so they’ll want as much competition in this squad as possible ahead of this summer, which will hopefully include the likes of De Fougerolles and more.
Job done for the #CanM20's, who reached the 2024 U20 Concacaf Championships after sweeping through qualifiers with 3 wins out of 3, scoring 15 and conceding none
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) February 28, 2024
A tough tournament awaits them in Mexico in July, as they look to return to the U20 WC for the 1st time since 2007
Because of that, while what players showed in this camp will certainly be remembered, players must go out and make the most of their club situations, setting themselves up to make this final group.
Based on this camp, there’s no reason why Canada can’t make a run at the top 4 at the Concacaf Championships, but if they’re to do that, what they do between now and July is crucial, from how their players perform to the friendlies that they book.
