Kenneth Heiner-Moller took over as Canada Soccer’s sporting director, in charge of national teams, back in January this year.Francisco Seco/The Associated Press
As the World Cup draws to a close, Kenneth Heiner-Moller is planning how to best prepare Canada for future tournaments.
The 55-year-old Dane oversees a broad canvas in his role as Canada Soccer’s sporting director, in charge of national teams. While looking to get the most bang out of the organization’s buck, Heiner-Moller is also pondering how best to develop young talent for World Cups to come.
Next up is the CONCACAF men’s under-20 championship in Mexico with Canada senior coach Jesse Marsch running the show, aided by assistant coaches Mauro Biello and Andrea Di Pietrantonio, and men’s national youth director Andrew Olivieri.
“This is just a great opportunity, coming straight out of a World Cup, and Jesse having the longer headlights on – looking four years ahead,” Heiner-Moller, a former Canadian women’s coach, said in an interview.
“It’s about actually being hands-on with the players,” he added. “I think it’s going to be beneficial for Jesse; it’s going to be very beneficial for the players as well.”
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The 12-team tournament, which runs July 24 to Aug. 9, serves as a qualifier for both the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games.
The four semi-finalists book their tickets to the U-20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, while the top finisher other than the U.S., which has already qualified as Olympic host, will earn CONCACAF’s second berth in the Los Angeles Games.
The tournament champion, along with the top finisher from each of CONCACAF’s Caribbean, Central American, and North American zones, will also qualify for the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima.
Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue has made increased support for youth programs a pillar in his revitalization of the organization and Heiner-Moller, with his eye on the future, is only too happy to oblige.
He plans more alignment through the ranks, both on and off the pitch, and more connection between the men’s and women’s programs as well as the junior and senior ranks.
Casey Stoney, coach of the senior women’s team, will be going to Poland in September to help the Canadian entry at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
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Being on the same page just makes sense, ensuring all of Canada’s teams are in lockstep. It also sets up the future, with coaches or other technical staff able to step in quickly if someone moves on.
Canada Soccer is also pondering a youth residency program, while recognizing cost and geography complicate the matter.
“It’s one of the solutions we’re looking into. It’s not ‘the’ solution but one of the solutions to make sure the great summer we just had was not just a summer but something that is kicking off to be something that we can continuously do at the World Cup stage for men and women,” said Heiner-Moller.
It’s baby steps to start, with additional funding making for several more youth camps this year. But Heiner-Moller is hoping to add youth national teams and ensure they take advantage of as many FIFA international windows as possible.
“We cannot do that right away,” he said, citing cost. “But down the road I think that has to happen somehow.”
More teams means more exposure to international soccer. But Heiner-Moller cautions that such expansion has to be done intelligently.
Research in Denmark showed 50 per cent of talent that made it to the senior men’s and women’s team came from the under-18 side. Only a “limited percentage” from the U-15 ranks made the senior grade.
Ensuring young players have fun while learning their trade is also key to keeping them in the sport.
“If you spend time with the men’s national team and the women’s national team, they’re having fun still,” said Heiner-Moller.
An under-23 team would be welcome “because it’s such a big jump from under-20 to senior men’s or senior women’s football,” Heiner-Moller said.
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Canada opens U-20 Group C play against Panama on July 26 before facing Honduras on July 29 and Jamaica on Aug. 1, with all three games in Puebla.
The top two teams from each of the three groups, plus the two best third-place finishers, advance to the knockout stage.
It won’t be easy.
Honduras and Panama were preseeded into the field, bypassing qualifying play. Jamaica won its qualifying pool, outscoring the opposition 28-0 while recording five straight wins.
Jahmarie Nolan, a 16-year-old midfielder with Toronto FC’s reserve side, led Jamaica with five goals and an assist.
Canada qualified for the CONCACAF Championship by virtue of topping Group F – on goal difference – in qualifying play in Nicaragua earlier this year.
The Canadians defeated the U.S. Virgin Islands (14-0), Martinique (8-0) and Aruba (2-0) before losing 1-0 to Nicaragua.
The 21-man Canadian roster features three players from both the Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps ranks and two each from CF Montreal and Orlando City. There are also players from the Atlanta United, FC Cincinnati and Los Angeles FC systems.
Inter Toronto’s Shola Jimoh, Atletico Ottawa’s Sergei Kozlovskiy, Vancouver FC’s Emrick Fotsing and Forge FC’s Zayne Bruno carry Canadian Premier League colours.
Goalkeeper Nathaniel Abraham, a Toronto FC academy product now at the University of Louisville, is the lone NCAA representative.
The three European-based players are goalkeeper Izan Server (Celta Vigo, Spain), defender Max Vogele (IFK Stocksund, Sweden) and midfielder Jesse Saputo (Bologna, Italy), who is the son of CF Montreal owner Joey Saputo.
Alternates Marsel Bibishkov (Vancouver FC) and Valter Sedin (Hammarby IF, Sweden), the son of former Vancouver Canucks captain Henrik Sedin, will travel with the team in case an injury replacement is needed in the lead-up to the tournament.
Given the CONCACAF Championship does not fall during a FIFA international window, clubs do not have to release players for it.
Heiner-Moller says because of that Canada was denied “more than a handful” of players. But he’s quick to note every team faced the same challenge in securing talent.
The Canadian under-20 side went 1-3-0 in June in France at the 10-team Maurice Revello Tournament, formerly known as the Toulon Tournament, blanking Venezuela 2-0 before losing to Japan (1-0), Ivory Coast (1-0) and eventual winner Portugal (6-1).
The CONCACAF Championship roster features 17 players from the French tournament. Olivieri coached that squad.