For the second year in a row, midfielder Bryce Alderson has been named Canada’s U-17 male player of the year.

Former Toronto FC coach Nick Dasovic is the new coach of the Canadian men’s U-20 team.

With the announcement that reigning Canadian U-17 player of the year Bryce Alderson has been promoted from the Whitecaps Residency to the MLS roster, the club has given its most exciting teen prospect the chance to step up — and also helped silence the critics who noted the lack of Canadians on the first team through the 2011 season.

All four of Canada’s MLS and Division-2 professional sides are represented on the roster of the U-18 developmental squad.

But, on a historic night for Canadian soccer — and a historic night for the U-17 World Cup — goalkeeper Quillan Roberts provided one of the most remarkable goals anyone from this country has scored in an international match at any level. His goal gave Canada a 2-2 draw with England, keeping this country’s hopes alive entering Saturday’s Group C finale against Rwanda.

Keeper Maxime Crepeau is out for two weeks — and likely the rest of the tourney if Canada was to advance out of Group C.

And, there were no shocks in the script. Mexico thumped Canada 3-0. By making it to the semifinals, Mexico qualifies for the U-20 World Cup.The Canadian kids get their tickets home.

FC Edmonton’s roster is filled with players who are hoping that featuring for the NASL club will get them back on the radar of the Canadian national program. For left back Niko Saler, those hopes were heightened on Tuesday. Saler, currently in Arizona training with FC Edmonton as the club prepares for its inaugural NASL season, got the call and will join the Canadian U-20 team for its training camp in Florida ahead of the upcoming CONCACAF U-20 championships in Guatemala.

It took until extra time of the final game of the CONCACAF U-17 Championship for Canada’s spotless defensive record to be broken — and then the goals came in droves. The Canadians, who hadn’t given up a goal in the round robin, quarter-finals or semifinals, made it through 90 minutes of scoreless soccer with the Americans in the championship game Sunday in Montego Bay, Jamaica. But, the U.S. teens struck three times in extra time to take the regional championship with a 3-0 victory.

Keven Aleman and Bryce Alderson come from the junior wings of two rival Canadian franchises — Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps — but they have the same goal. To get to the U-17 World Cup. And that’s a dream they can realize on Wednesday.