Key moments for the Kia TFC Academy in 2015:
Kia TFC Academy Seniors
The Toronto FC Academy Senior team had high expectations in League1 Ontario following their 2014 championship in the very first season of the new league.
Many of the players that were a part of the championship team the year before moved on to play for Toronto FC II this season including 2014 League1 MVP and Golden Boot winner Mo Babouli who scored 26 goals in all competitions last season.
The squad, led by Captain Steven Furlano, finished fifth in the league with an overall record of 13-1-8.
Offensively the team was led by Cyrus Rollocks – who finished fourth in league scoring with 14 goals – and Richie Ennin who had seven on the season.
After a slow start the team finished up their season on a strong note, winning their last 10 matches and outscoring their opponents 38-8 during that span.
In the Premier Development League (PDL) the team finished fourth with an overall record of 3-8-3 in the Great Lakes Division.
The PDL roster included a mix of players from the League1 team and Academy athletes that play in the NCAA, as well as many players who also played for Toronto FC II during the season including Gabriel Boakye, Liam Fraser, Marcus Godinho, and Anthony Osorio to name a few.
This group was also slotted into the Champions Division for the final Generation adidas Cup event in April and finished fifth overall.
Kia TFC Academy Juniors
The U-16’s went undefeated against Inter Milan, Udinese, and USD Gravis in an international tournament back in August.
Gianluca Catalano, Jordan Faria, and Josh Moreira – all eligible for U-15 competitions – were selected to represent Canada’s Men’s U-15 team in a five-nation tournament in the same month.
In October the team went 2-1-0 in the first round of the 2015 Generation adidas Cup east region qualifiers.
Eight players – Gianluca Catalano, Jordan Faria, Brogan Engbers, Dante Campbell, Klaidi Cela, Marko Mandekic, Glenn Muenkat and Shaan Hundal – were then selected to participate in a 10-day U-18 development camp with the Canadian national team.
Goalkeeper Brogan Engbers and defender Klaidi Cela’s impressive season with the Juniors earned them a call-up to Toronto FC II during the season.
Kia TFC Academy U-15’s
The U-15’s had a strong outing in a tournament held in Italy back in May. The team went 5-1-1 and was voted Team of the Tournament by the tournament organizers. Unfortunately for the boys their one loss came in the finals against Serbian club FK VOJVODINA.
Three players from the team were selected to represent Canada in a tournament in August: Christopher Castillo, Luca Petrasso, and Olakunle Dada-Luke.
Kia TFC Academy U-13’s and U-14’s
In June a U-14/U-15 roster participated in the US Soccer Development Academy Showcase picking up wins against D.C. United and BW Gottschee Academy, while suffering a 3-2 loss against Seattle Sounders FC. Most recently a U-13/U-14 roster played in another three matches in October, beating Houston Dynamo, tying Internationals and losing to FC Dallas.
In May the U-13’s participated in a tournament held in Italy finishing with a record of 1-4-0 in the tournament against tough competition such as AFC Ajax and FC Groningen.
Also in May the U-14’s played in a tournament held in France and finished with a record of 2-4-2.
Kia TFC Academy U-11’s and U-12’s
The U-12’s took home the title in the first ever 7v7 Generation adidas Cup in April. Nakye Duncan was named tournament MVP and Christian Calabro was awarded the Golden Glove.
Being crowned champions of the GA Cup meant that the U-12’s would qualify for a tournament in Spain. The boys finished with a record of 2-1-1 in the tournament, defeating ED Xuventu Oroso and Deportivo La Coruna, tying against FC Barcelona, and losing to AFC Ajax.
The U-11’s and U-12’s also held their second annual three-day Fall Invitational Tournament in October with MLS academies Chicago Fire and Houston Dynamo Academy, Ottawa-based OSU Force Academy, and local clubs Vaughan SC and Aurora Youth SC all participating.
