Who’s the best team in the entire country? This question is quite frequently asked in Canada and truthfully no one will ever have the exact answer as there is no Canadian National competition that involves all teams.
Here at The Playbook however we will try to ‘put the pieces together’ and provide a “monthly insight” into who we the best U17 (2006 Teams) are across the country.
Enjoy the read below as this is our 1st Edition of who we think are the best despite province, competition or league.
- Toronto FC Academy U17
Coming in at #1 we have Toronto FC U17 Academy. TFC U17 is one of the top teams in arguably the best youth league in North America (MLS Next) and with 8 players who were called in to our U17 National team at the CONCACAF Qualifiers it safe to say their is no disputing them being #1. Players to watch within this group are CB Lazar Stefanovic and Theo Rigopoulos who already have pro minutes with TFC 2 and names should be first on the team sheet for the upcoming U17 World Cup.
- CF Montreal Academy U17
CF Montreal are a talented group that have a lot of depth in this U17 Squad. Captained by Mauro Biello the excellent CM who also represents our U17 National Team, this group despite the opponent always stays competitive. In late 2022 they were a recipient of a bad result vs Toronto FC U17 where TFC beat them 4-1. But early in 2023 they were able to draw the juggernaut TFC U17 team in MLS Next league play. After a competitive GA Cup where the team had some decent results against some of the worlds best it will be interesting to see how they do at the ‘MLS Next Flex’ in Maryland (May 12th-16th) and hopefully MLS Next Playoffs in June.
- Vancouver Whitecaps Academy U17
Despite being the 3rd MLS Academy team in our rankings that doesn’t exclude the talent on this Whitecaps U17 Team. It was hard decision for us to have them or Montreal in the #2 spot but just based on past performances versus similar competition we decided to put them at #3. Whitecaps are led by CanM17 midfielder Jeevan Badwal and have some interesting players in fullback Aiden Fong and midfielder Liam Mackenzie. Similarly to CF Montreal it will be interesting to see how this group finishes out their MLS Next season as they have certainly had some ups and downs.
- North Mississauga League One Reserve
The first non-MLS academy to get nominated in this ranking is North Mississauga League 1 Reserve. Led by Captain/ lethal goal-scorer Anthony Morano (ST) the Peel Region juggernaut is a very well known group out of the province of Ontario. This team has won every competition thrown at them in the last 12 months. Last year participating in the Ontario Premier Development League (OPDL) they won the league outright and also the Charity Shield ( which is essentially OPDL Playoffs). Other standouts on the team include Gabriel Carvalho (LB) who has previously been given a development contract with Atletico Ottawa in 2022. Also former TFC Academy U17 players Mark Crisitni (MID) and Michael Campoli (CB) really take the group to the next level.
- Club de Soccer Mont-Royal Outremont
Similar to North Mississauga, CS MRO 2006 Group is a very well known team out of the Quebec Region. Just like their counterparts to the West, MRO won every competition thrown at them last year as they took home the U16 AAA league crown, while also winning the U16 AAA playoffs. The team is extremely well coached and play a really nice brand of football. From a talent perspective they aren’t lacking either as midfielder Sasha Zelinsko is one of the best 2006 born players in his age group. Not to mention Enzo Vargas (CDM) and Lokmen Benouarech (ST) who are special in their own right, the team will be a favourite to make and win Canada Soccer Toyota Nationals out of Quebec this year.
- Born to Be Academy 2006
The first Alberta team in our 1st Edition Team Rankings is BTB 2006 Boys. The team will be one of the favourites to come out of Alberta this year and qualify for Toyota Nationals at the U17 level. Led by Rayaan Eloumi (CAM) , Reno Nero (Winger) and Ben Nash (LB) the group has had some impressive results over the last year. BTB is also not scared of competition as they have faced Toronto FC U17 (#1 in our rankings) and lost 2-0, North Mississauga League One Reserve in the 2022 Top Rated Showcase (tied 3-3), and finished 3rd place (playing a full year up against 2005’s) in their provincial league. Some would argue that BTB deserves to be the “best non-MLS Academy team” in this ranking but only time will tell.
- Sigma FC League 1 Reserve
Some people might be surprised to see Sigma FC on this list… but trust us they deserve it. The 2006 team didn’t have a great showing last year in OPDL but they have certainly made strides since. Anchoring their back line is Canada U17 International Simon Guardiero who has already seen minutes in League 1 Ontario this season. But the biggest impact to this team is newcomer Kevaughn (KJ) Tavernier. Tavernier made his way to Sigma from Glen Shields Juventus where he was a well known name in Ontario Soccer for his goal-scoring prowess. He has literally “hit the ground running” for his new club as KJ took home League 1 Ontario Gatorade Performance of the Week for Sigma in opening day action scoring 2 goals in his League 1 Canada debut. KJ will certainly push for U17 national team consideration over these next few months as rumors have it that the player is close to some sort of contract with Forge FC which would make him a prime candidate for the U17s before the World Cup in November.
- North Toronto League One Reserve
The fourth Ontario based team to touch our 2006 Boys Rankings is North Toronto League One Reserve. The group is fresh off the FTF Spring Showdown Showcase which saw them finish 1st place winning all 4 games in the event. The team is led by talented midfielder Nico Barros who captured MVP of the event but there are many other talented players in the team like CB Noah Pickering and Striker Jquan Odlum Auguste. North Mississauga and Sigma FC (previously mentioned), certainly look like their biggest competition to try and capture the U19 League 1 Reserve title this year as they just recently fell to Sigma 3-2 this past weekend.
- Surrey United U17 BCSPL
The only BC team to make our Team Rankings is Surrey United 2006 Boys. The team are currently in the second half of their season and lead the table with 8 wins and 1 loss with 33 GF and 11 GA. Surrey United has been very consistent throughout the years, managing to battle for a title race and provincial championship year after year. A few standout players in their spine include Dante Colebourne, Daniel Hobson, Milad Jalo, Jorryn Gill and Ebi Igali. Due to their dominance throughout the spine, they control games and generate a lot of set piece opportunities to which they capitalize on. What differentiates them is their depth of options on the pitch and off the bench. It is evident from watching this team, that the culture to compete is dictated on the high standards they set for themselves.
- Suburban FC U17 AAA
Our last team to make the top 10 is Suburban FC out of Nova Scotia. The team is led by midfielder Lockie Sylvester who is one of the top talents in Canada from the midfielder position in the 2006 age group. In the back CB Xavier Manning is as strong as an ox and LB Kysac Macdonald is a treat to watch. Suburban will have their hands full this summer with strong sides in Nova Scotia like Halifax City but as of right now from a pure individual talent perspective we like them here.
Outside looking in: West Ottawa SC, Calgary Foothills, Halifax City SC, Rush Academy League One Reserve U19. Calgary West, Scarborough Academy, AS Laval, Vaughan League One Reserve U19, Blainville U17, Fusion FC, Vancouver Island Wave