Former Richmond FC player Patrick Metcalfe has been named to Canada’s under 23 national squad, continuing a meteoric rise since his days banging them in at Hugh Boyd Field in RFC blue.
22 year old Metcalfe, who made his first start for the local MLS Vancouver Whitecaps squad over the summer, will turn out in Concacaf Olympic qualifying games against El Salvador, Haiti, and Honduras, leaving his Steveston-based parents beaming with pride.
More, from the Richmond News:
“We are so excited for him! It’s such a dream to be able to represent Canada and to have been given this opportunity,” his parents told the News. “We just Facetimed him last night from his hotel room in Guadalajara and he is super happy.”
Metcalfe is in pre-season training with his Whitecaps squad currently.
“This is a great opportunity for Canada and the men’s national team program to have this chance to qualify for the Olympic Games through Concacaf men’s Olympic qualifying,” said Mauro Biello, Canada Soccer’s Men’s Olympic National Team Coach.
“We are in a competitive group ahead of a difficult knockout stage, but we have a chance to do something special with this group of young players.”
The squad will be missing nine players from Toronto FC, after that squad had a recent COVID-19 scare.
CBC:
Biello’s final 20-man roster features five players from the Vancouver Whitecaps (Derek Cornelius, Michael Baldisimo, Ryan Raposo, Theo Bair and Patrick Metcalf) and four from CF Montreal (James Pantemis, Zachary Brault-Guillard, Zorhan Bassong and Ballou Tabla).
Everyone in Richmond’s football community will be hoping our Patrick can get plenty of minutes, and help the nation move forward in the competition.
Congrats!