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#canm17 #U17WC
Story by Richard Scott
It’s always a big moment representing your country on the international stage, but the chance to feature at this month’s FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023 could provide an incredible stepping stone to the development of any young footballer’s career. Just ask Deandre Kerr, who four years ago was called into the Canada U-17 squad just a few months before the big event at Brazil.
Kerr made that final squad in 2019 and he featured in all three Canada matches before they were eliminated from the group phase. After playing college soccer during the global pandemic, he turned pro in 2022 and has since played two full seasons at Toronto FC in Major League Soccer. He’s already made 54 appearances across two seasons and scored eight goals in all competitions before his 21st birthday. He was the Canadian joint leader for MLS goals in 2023 (five goals, tied with Mathieu Choinière).
“It was a great experience and opportunity to represent my country at that age in a FIFA World Cup,” said Kerr ahead of Indonesia 2023. “Brazil 2019 was such a huge stage and playing in a stadium with those fans and my parents in the crowd, it was just an amazing thing.”
This year marks Canada’s eighth participation at the FIFA U-17 World Cup since the tournament was hosted in Canada back in 1987 (when it was in fact still a U-16 tournament). The biennial tournament features 24 nations from around the world with Canada up against Spain, Uzbekistan and Mali in the group phase at Indonesia 2023. Canada qualified for the tournament back in February through the Concacaf Under-17 Championship in Guatemala.
While Kerr wasn’t part of the qualification phase in 2019, he was a key call up before the final squad was picked for Brazil in October. He had already played for Canada at the Concacaf Under-15 Championship in 2017, so he found his integration to the U-17 squad seamless with coach Andrew Olivieri and his staff. When the tournament kicked off against the hosts Brazil in Gama, Kerr was in Canada’s starting XI at right midfield.
“I just tried to blend in and learn as quickly as possible what the coaches wanted and how we wanted to play,” said Kerr. “From there, it was just playing football.”
Canada have yet to escape the group phase at the FIFA U-17 World Cup and it’s a clear target the 2023 squad have set out to achieve. After a tough opener in 2019 against the eventual world champions Brazil, Canada lost a heartbreaker to Angola in the last minute before they were eliminated in the group finale against New Zealand. Canada’s story might have been different had an early Kamron Habibullah chance against Angola not hit the crossbar or if Jayden Nelson’s apparent equaliser from a lightning move against New Zealand not been called back on an offside play.
From that 2019 squad, Kerr is one of a few players that has already made the jump to the professional level. Kerr, Kobe Franklin, Ralph Priso, Sean Rea and Jacen Russell-Rowe were all active in Major League Soccer this past season while Nelson has made a move from Toronto FC to Rosenborg BK in Norway. Other players have already featured in MLS NEXT Pro or the Canadian Premier League.
“With the FIFA U-17 World Cup, I got a sneak peak to what the next level is like and what top players are like,” said Kerr of his experience in 2019. “Here at the pro level, I’m still learning and still adjusting on the level I need to be at every day in training and the level I need to be at for games.”
Looking back at Brazil 2019, Canada’s tournament opener against the hosts, despite the result, remains a positive memory for Kerr from his youth international career with Canada.
“I think that was the best moment, playing against a nation like Brazil, the best in the tournament (and) in their own country,” said Kerr. “Just walking out and just hearing the national anthems play… just thinking about it, that was the greatest moment for me.”
Kerr plans to follow the new Canada squad through their journey in Indonesia at this year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup. The action starts Friday 10 November when Canada takes on the European semifinalists Spain in a Group B match at Stadion Manahan. All of Canada’s matches will be broadcast live in Canada on TSN and RDS. Fans can find extended coverage across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter featuring the hashtag #canm17.
“I would say just embrace the experience, embrace the opportunity,” offered Kerr to this year’s squad ahead of their opening match. “It’s a big stage, but at the end of the day, as a footballer to say you’re representing your country at a FIFA World Cup, there’s nothing prouder than that. So just play with pride and embrace it.”
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