But, FIFA does have Canada slated to play Costa Rica on May 28 in Edmonton on its master schedule.

All Canada will need to do is get a draw with Nicaragua Friday to get into the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship.

While the TFC Academy and Whitecaps Residency players take up 60 per cent of the roster, the player on this squad that has the best chance of breaking into a senior pro squad this season is FC Edmonton Reserves’ Hanson Boakai. Not many training days go by without someone at FCE raving about his potential.

Two goals from Vancouver Whitecap Caleb Clarke supplied all of the offence that coach Nick Dasovic’s charges needed, as Canada beat the host Costa Ricans by a 2-0 count.

Christine Sinclair scored twice and set up another goal to lead Canada to a dominating 5-1 win over Costa Rica Monday and first place in Group A at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Canada got goals from veterans Christina Julien and Christine Sinclair, and the first-ever senior international marker from 18-year-old Amy Pietrangelo, as it beat Costa Rica 3-1 in their opening game of the Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Jamison Olave is known as one of the meanest, toughest central defenders in Major League Soccer. But the Real Salt Lake anchor guaranteed that his club would be the first MLS side to go to the CONCACAF Champions League final with a thumping volley off a scrambled corner kick to give RSL the precious road goal it needed to get by Costa Rican giants, Saprissa.

Despite reports from AP this morning suggesting Canada, Costa Rica and Spain could replace Japan as one of the guest teams in this summer’s (or, in South America, winter) Copa America, the Canadian Soccer Association confirms no one from CONMEBOL has reached out to it.

Canada lost twice Friday at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Guatemala. The Canadians were overwhelmed 3-0 by Costa Rica in their final group-stage match. And, if not for some wonderful saves from Julien Latendresse-Levesque, the scoreline could have been much, much worse.

With seven members of his national championship side off to the pro ranks, coach Caleb Porter has to replenish the cupboards at the University of Akron. What Porter has established in his five years has helped the cause. “We’re always going to have to work hard,” Porter says of recruiting. “Everybody wants those (top recruits) guys and we’re going to have to work to get them. I think our biggest sell right now is not so much that we’ve won but it’s the way we play. The way we play helps to develop players for the next level.