Alberta’s Pribytov, Makarov named to Canada’s U-17 squad for UEFA Friendship Cup

Photo by Canada Soccer (CS)

NYON — Two Alberta teenagers are going to Switzerland.

Cavalry FC defender Daniel Pribytov and FC Supra's Alexander Makarov have been named to Canada's men's U-17 squad for the UEFA Friendship Cup, running Sept. 24 to Oct. 3 at the Centre sportif de Colovray in Nyon.

Canada landed in Group B with Brazil, Côte d'Ivoire and Spain. That is about as stiff a test as youth soccer offers. Canada opens against Brazil on Sept. 24, faces Côte d'Ivoire on Sept. 27 and closes the group against Spain on Sept. 30. Placement matches go Oct. 3.

It is the third edition of the tournament, built for the 2009-born age group, with teams from five of the six confederations. Korea Republic, Egypt and Colombia round out a field that reads like a youth World Cup preview.

"The UEFA Friendship Cup is exactly the kind of experience that accelerates our players' development: different opponents, different styles, different environment," head coach Shane Lammie said. "We're excited to see how this group will perform with the opportunity to play against some high-quality teams."

For Pribytov and Makarov, it is a showcase. For Canadian fans, it is an easy watch: every match streams live and free on the UEFA YouTube channel and UEFA.tv.

The squad pulls from Toronto FC, CF Montréal, Valencia, Levante, LA Galaxy and beyond, a reminder of how spread out Canada's youth talent pool has become. But the Alberta presence is what gives this tournament a local hook worth following.