Three Burnaby soccer players will be looking to put their collective feet forward towards qualifying Canada for the under-17 world championships.
Former u-15 national team players forward Terran Campbell and defender Matthew Baldisimo will join goalkeeper Luciano Trasolini, who made his u-17 national team debut last month, at the CONCACAF u-17 soccer championships in Honduras next week.
The three Vancouver Whitecaps FC residency products were officially named members of Canada’s 20-man national team squad on Tuesday for the upcoming world championship qualifier set to begin on Feb. 28, when Canada takes on Haiti.
“I’m excited, very excited. I just kept thinking about my dad and grandpa. that’s who I’m doing it for,” said Trasolini. “They’ve been so involved in my future.”
Campbell and Baldisimo, who both made their national team debuts in Mexico at u-15, agreed it’s always a good feeling to put on the Maple Leaf jersey.
The Canadian team also has dates against Costa Rica on March 3; Mexico on March 6; St. Lucia on March 9; and Panama on March 12.
The Burnaby boys prepared themselves for the task ahead on Canada’s pre-qualifying camp to Central America in January, where they played games against Guatemala and El Salvador.
“I’ve come a long way from when I first started,” said Campbell. “I’m getting a lot more comfortable putting the jersey on.”
Baldisimo also displayed a similar confidence.
“I know I was going up against two of the best countries in the world. I thought I played pretty well against them. I was chosen. It’s like a sense of pride mixed with nervousness.”
Canada qualifed for the last two u-17 world championships. They also had back-to-back appearances at the worlds in 1993 and ’95.
But winning three consecutive appearances at the worlds has so far eluded the red and white.
“It’s going to take a very disciplined, committed team effort,” said Canada’s head coach Sean Fleming in a Canada Soccer press release. “We know with the qualifying procedure how difficult it will be with games every third day with the heat, and we know the quality of the opponents. It’s a very tough group compared to the other group, in my opinion.”
The two group winners advance to the final, while also earning a berth into the worlds.
The second- and third-place teams play off for the two remaining spots at the world championships.
“We have a great group of players. I have confidence we’ll qualify,” Trasolini said. “Yeah, I’m going to take (the opportunity). I just got to be myself.”
Campbell agreed.
“You want to get into the game and just play your game,” Campbell said. “I hope our squad can do the best we can. There is a lot of pressure. Every single player on our team wants that, and I know we can achieve it.”
Baldisimo, who at 5-8 is used to defending against bigger and taller opponents, is equally ready to take on this challenge.
“It’s like a whole country not just a city,” he said. “I step on the field and it all comes back to me, doing all the right things. …
“It’s more like willpower, it’s a mental game.”
