Canada’s disappointing run in CONCACAF earlier this year belied the progressive steps the nation’s development continues to take. The Canadian U20 team crashed out of World Cup qualifying with a near-basement finish in its group, while the U17s wasted a promising start and just missed the cutoff for the play-in match.
The results were so surprising precisely because Canada continues to take strides in the overall talent funneling through its academies. These three up-and-coming academy stars are proof that Canada’s MLS sides are doing work on the development front.
Badreddine Boulajoul, Montreal Impact
First team winning sprees are useful things, and Montreal hasn’t been the beneficiary of one in a while. In the sense that the rising tide lifts all ships, successful senior runs tend to trickle down to the academies that undergird them. If winning and development is the expectation, rather than the exception, then everyone tends to be that much more locked in. So don’t overlook the Montreal Impact’s current improbable run to the brink of a CONCACAF Champions League title. It wouldn’t just be the first in MLS history. It would also be an enormous boon to Montreal’s development apparatus.
