CaribYoungStars 2015

7/25/2019 CaribYoungStars 2015

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FOREWORD: JASON ROBERTS

Although I was born in London, England, I donned the Grenada shirt at international level because my father was born on

the island, while my mother was born in French Guiana. I always felt that representing Grenada would mean so much to

both myself and my family and I was proved right.

I proudly represented the Spice Boyz during two World Cup qualifying cycles and can say that it was one of the highlights

of my football career.

I think #CaribYoungStars is an excellent project which can only be benecial for Caribbean football. It is important we

recognise and embrace the immense young talent that exists within the Caribbean, which can often go unnoticed by the

global mainstream media.

I have witnessed so much young Grenadian talent through my work with the Jason Roberts Foundation, a registered

charity which Supportsyoung people, Celebratesdiversity and promotes Respectacross the UK and Grenada allthrough sport. Opportunity is vital.

I wish to see a greater Caribbean presence overseas, especially in Europe. A lot of players hailing from these islands are

so talented and have so much to offer to the global leagues. We have seen the regions outstanding achievements in

track + eld over the years. From a personal perspective, I am pleased to see Jamal Ray Charles representing Grenada

on the list. He could be a key player for our country in the years to come.

I realise that a lot of hard work has gone into making this comprehensive document so a big thank you to Nathan, his

team, and all those who have contributed.

I wish every player featured on this list a successful future and look forward to following their careers with a great deal of

interest.

Regards,

Jason Roberts MBE

Former Premier League and Grenada international footballer, BBC Sport pundit


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EDITORS MESSAGE

Hello and a warm welcome to the inaugural edition of #CaribYoungStars2015 - The Hottest Prospects in

Caribbean Football. Ive been running this website for three and a half years and during that time Ive came across

plenty of young, exciting Caribbean talent from a wide variety of different islands. Last December I had the idea ofcreating something which could document and highlight the brightest young footballing talent within the region, so

I sent out a few emails and 12 months later we have #CaribYoungStars. A total of 25 players make up the Class

of 2015, all aged 23 or under as of 31/12/2015. Some inclusions are Caribbean-born while others are part of the

diaspora - we have accommodated both. 13 nationalities are represented altogether, with Jamaica boasting the

biggest representation (7). There are six defenders, 11 midelders and eight strikers on the list.

Of course, not everybody will agree with the nal selections, thats only natural. I have tried to be as thorough and

measured as possible when deciding who should make the nal cut, asking the thoughts of various well informed

and well respected journalists, coaches and fans within Caribbean football. A lot of hard work and effort has goneinto monitoring these players over the last year to provide the best possible insight and opinion on each player.

I do hope you enjoy reading this as much as myself and my team have enjoyed producing it. From the very outset

my aim for this project hasnt changed: to raise awareness of and appreciate the extraordinary and often under-re-

ported young talent that exists within the Caribbean. There are some wonderfully gifted footballers all over the

region and I hope this project helps shine a light on that, if nothing else.

Happy reading!

Thank you.

Regards,

Nathan Carr

Owner/Founder of The Home of Caribbean Football


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THE LIST: CLASS OF 2015

Tevaughn Harriette

Quinton GrifthRanaldo Bailey

Maykel Reyes

Papito Merencia

Jean Carlos Lopez

Jamal Ray Charles

Pernell Schultz

Zachary Herivaux

Jeff Louis

Derrick Etienne Jr

Kemar Lawrence

Michael Seaton

Cardel Benbow

Alvas Powell

Andre Lewis

Damion Lowe

Martin Davis

Oalex AndersonHarry Panayiotou

Caniggia Elva

Janoi Donacien

Levi Garcia

Neveal Hackshaw

Kadeem Corbin


5/30

At 20 years of age, Tevaughn Har-

riette is a regular starter for his

country and captain of his club

Asots Arcade Parham FC, which

emphasizes the players preco-cious talent

Harriette has been one of the top players in the Antiguan Premier

League for a number of years, yet was only introduced to the inter-

national game in 2014. National team manager Rolston Williams

called him up for Caribbean Cup duty and he didnt disappoint,

scoring in a 6-0 rout of Anguilla on his debut. Ever since Harriette

has been a familiar inclusion in the Benna Boys squads. He netted

twice over two legs against Saint Lucia in the second round of

World Cup qualifying in June, helping his team qualify for the thirdphase where they lost to Guatemala.

Scoring goals seems to come naturally to Harriette, who nished

top scorer in the 2014-15 season as Parham were crowned do-

mestic league champions. He is an instinctive, predatory striker

who can produce chances for himself in reduced space. Because

of his pace, Harriette tends to play on the shoulder of the last de-

fender and latch onto long balls played over the top. While close-

range nishing is arguably his biggest strength, he is also capable

of shooting from distance as evidenced by his rst strike against

Saint Lucia.

So has Harriette got any experience playing overseas? In 2014 he

spent time out on loan at semi-pro EPLWA side Vancouver Victory,

based in Washington, US. There he played a fair few games and

scored a goal against Bellingham United. This was a good move in

terms of character-building with Harriette away from his family and

visiting the US for the very rst time. He told The Columbianthat

the weather was freezing when he arrived in May.

But overall the Victory loan stint proved a valuable learning curve.

In January 2015, Harriette attended the MLS-Caribbean Combine

held in Puerto Rico. He didnt quite do enough to sufciently im-

press MLS scouts present, but this was another benecial experi -ence nonetheless.

His latest trial came in November as Harriette spent 30 days in

Vietnam training with Shb Da Nang FC.

Perhaps ttingly the nal words should go to Harriette himself. I

like tricks; I like to dazzle. Dribbling and leaving your opponent on

his backside is what life is for, commented Harriette on his Face-

book page in August. If I achieve what I want to, then Ill mark a

distinct era in football.

Writer/Scout: Nathan Carr


6/30

Coming off an excellent 2014 where he lead the Battery in playing

minutes, a knee injury in week one of the leagues season forced

him to miss nearly half the matches in regular season play. After

recovering from surgery, he returned to play in June and nished

the campaign with two of the USLs Team of the Week honours.

He also earned two assists from the wing-back position that theyoung Antiguan now plays.

Shortly after returning from injury, Grifth played the rst half in an

international exhibition against English Premier League side West

Brom Albion.

Grifth captained Antigua & Barbuda in Septembers Russia 2018

qualier versus Guatemala. Winning the rst tie 1-0, they were

defeated in the second match 2-1.

In October, Grifths agent announced a limited contract with the

Antiguan top-ight team, Greenbay Hoppers, running through to

February. Grifth will then return to play for the Battery in the 2016

season.

Grifths speed is his biggest asset as a player. He represented his

country in track and eld, running the 100, 200 and 800 metres be-

fore committing to football. He is also an accomplished lawn tennis

player. While speed may be his most quantiable talent, his skill on

the ball should also be noted. Often overlapping down the wings

from the wing-back position, he possesses the ability to deliver

deadly crosses into the box too.

Grifth shows great leadership skills. Although young, his person-

ality on and off the eld makes him highly likeable, a trait noticed

by both his club and country coaches. Arguably, his injury with

the Battery prevented him from gaining the ofcial captaincy at

the club. Grifth is , however, skipper for Antigua & Barbuda and

Greenbay Hoppers.

Currently, Grifth is signed to play with the Battery until 2018. His

raw speed and leadership qualities will continue to develop for the

23-year-old, making him a prime contender for MLS.

Writer/Scout: Mike Buytas

Quinton Grifth start-

ed 2015 playing with

the Charleston Bat-

tery, a storied and his-

torical title contender

in the USL...


7/30

Possessing the stature and build to

be an intimidating stop-gap at the

heart of defence, he adds to hispresence, exceptional composure

and maturity. Technically, he pos-

sesses an excellent passing range

and vision and a quick accelera-

tion to cover any distance made

up by attackers. Very robust in the

challenge, he is also a very patient

tackler, never diving into challenges

and as a result is rarely booked.

Ideally, he is a commanding head-

er of the ball, good at snufng out

aerial threats especially from set

pieces. With his build he is not the

most agile player but his mental

and physical strengths are argua-

bly more relied upon within his job

description.

During the 2015 BFA season, at a

meek 18 years, he represented the

University of the West Indies Black-

birds, after turning out for Gall Hill

FC the previous season. He was the

foundation of a side that nished 3rd

in the BFA Premier League, winning

10 of their 18 games and conced-

ing the joint second lowest amount

of goals (17). Only one team, the

champions Barbados Defence ForceS.P. conceded a lesser amount.

In recognition of his outstanding

performances he was called up to

the senior national team for gamesagainst Guyana and Saint Vincent

& the Grenadines. He went on to

earn eight international caps for the

season as he featured in friendlies

versus Guyana, Saint Vincent and

Saint Kitts & Nevis, as well as in

two-legged World Cup qualiers

versus US Virgin Islands and Aruba.

Unfortunately for Bailey and the

BFA, FIFA expelled Barbados from

the qualifying process for elding an

ineligible player in the second leg

versus Aruba in Bridgetown and as

a result gave their opponents the

extended chance to advance.

Given his ne form for club and

country, an extended run on the

international scene would only have

beneted his career and outside

prospects but for Bailey an opportu-

nity would eventually arrive.

In April, he was called up to attend

trials at the Sky Blues, Ballyme-

na United FC in Northern Ireland.

Though he missed out on domes-

tic club games as a result, Bailey

showed great class and ability at thesemi-professional club, but ulti-

mately did not sign due to nancial

difculties faced by the club. This

was his second stint on trial for the

year as he was called up for theannual MLS-Caribbean Combine in

Bayamon, Puerto Rico in January.

The Combine is an annual show-

case of Caribbean football talent

between the ages of 18-21 and

provides opportunities for players

to be observed by MLS scouts with

the hopes of being invited to the

MLS Combine, a showcase event

held prior to the annual MLS Super

Draft. Disappointingly, no Caribbean

players were selected.

In September, Bailey signed his rst

professional contract with Morvant

Caledonia United in the TT Pro

League, becoming the second Bar-

badian to represent the club in their

36-year existence. Hell be looking

to add to the clubs budding history,

with them being crowned CFU Club

Championship champions as recent-

ly as 2012.

A grounded young man with strong

faith and a bright future, added to

his impressive ability, Bailey will cer-

tainly be one to watch in the coming

years.

Writer/Scout: Nick Maitland

The island of Barbados boasts

a proud sporting heritage

across a variety of disciplines,and adding to that wealth of tal-

ent is centre-back Ranaldo Bai-

ley. The son of former Barba-

dos goalkeeper Horace Stoute

followed in his fathers foot-

steps, becoming a full interna-

tional in 2014 and signing his

rst professional contract in

2015. Locally, he is regarded as

one of the top central defend-

ers to play in the BFA Premier

League and at 19 that echoes

volumes about his ability...


8/30

Maykel Reyes is widely considered one

of the best young prospects in Cuban

football and potentially the national

teams No.9 for years to come. Over

the last few years, the 22-year-old has

delivered consistently high quality per-

formances for his countrys youth sides

(U-17, 20, 23) and the senior team too.

At such a young age he is Cubas star

striker, the player they look to for goals

and inspiration...

2015 was particularly busy for Reyes both in an

international and club sense. In July, he scored

the winner against Guatemala in Group C of the

CONCACAF Gold Cup which gave Cuba their rst

victory of the tournament and qualied them for

the quarter-nals. He played in two out of the three

group matches and the heavy quarter-nal defeat

to the hosts US. Indeed, Reyes was a bright spark

in what was a very eventful and disruptive Gold

Cup for Cuba, who saw a number of players defect

throughout the campaign. The striker might have

thought about defecting, but he stuck with his team

and decided not to follow the same path as some of

his teammates.

In August, Reyes netted the winning goal in the

semi-nal of Caribbean qualifying for the CONCA-CAF Olympic Qualifying Championship. Leones del

Caribes U-23s beat Jamaica 2-1 and he got the

winner four minutes from time to send his country to

the regional Championship which took place across

October. Reyes notched one goal at the tourna-

ment in the opener versus Panama as Cuba

nished 3rd in Group A. They unfortunately missed

out on making Rio 2016, however, Reyes played

an inuential part in helping his team reach the nal

qualication phase, scoring a total of seven goals in

Caribbean qualifying.

So what is Reyes up to on the club scene? Recently

the Cuban FA opened negotiations with Mexicos

Liga MX about allowing Cuban players to play inthe Mexican top-ight. He has beneted greatly out

of this he and his international teammate Abel

Martinez were invited to train with Santos Laguna

for pre-season. The pair were then asked to train

with Cruz Azul, a club positioned 14th in Liga MX at

the time of writing. Reyes has been signed by Azul

and will play for their second team. This represents

a hugely signicant step forward not just for Reyes

personal career development but all Cuban football-

ers, who cannot become professional in their home-

land because of Cubas strict communist political

regime.

Reyes has been presented with a fantastic oppor-

tunity to work at a higher level and make a name

for himself in Central America. He has proven to be

a prolic goal scorer for his country and his former

club Pinar del Rio. A gangly striker, Reyes is capa-

ble in the air as well as being able to run the chan-nels due to his athleticism. He offers an option in be-

hind the defence but can full the back-to-goal, lone

forward role too, showing deceptively good strength.

A weakness might be his rst touch which could be

further developed with proper, focused training.

The youngster certainly has all the necessary

attributes to score goals and succeed in Mexico. If

he can impress with Azul, then who knows what sort

of opportunities might appear further down the line?

For Reyes its about adjusting to a new way of living,

working hard and believing in himself. Because the

natural ability is certainly there.



9/30

It is at international lev-

el that Curacaon mid-

elder Papito Merencia

has made the biggest

impression

The 21-year-old has been an ever-present part of the

national team ever since making his senior debut in the

ABCS tournament two years ago. Hes the countrys

rst-choice central midelder, able to get up and down

the pitch and a shooting threat from long-range.

Born in Curacaos capital, Willemstad, Merencia spent

the majority of his teenage years at Dutch side ADO

Den Haag. He signed a professional contract there

aged 18 and made his debut four months later.

In 2014, Merencia played a very inuential part in

Curacaos Caribbean Cup campaign, scoring two last-

gasp second round goals to send his country to the nal

round.

He made several important contributions to Curacaos

2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, netting goals ingames against Montserrat (March) and Cuba (June).

Under the tutelage of former Barcelona star Patrick

Kluivert as boss, Merencia learnt a lot about his position

and improved tactically as a player.

For reasons only known to Merencia, his club career

has recently stalled and he was released by Den Haag.

At the backend of last year he had a short trial with FC

Oss in the Dutch second tier, but failed to secure a deal

with the club. Hes currently a free agent and seeking

employers.

A short, stocky midelder who is best employed in the

middle or in behind the striker, Merencia might have

gone off the boil in a club sense over the last 12 months

or so but given a fresh opportunity, he could well our-

ish.

Its ultimately down to the player himself to determine

the trajectory of his career.



10/30

Jean Carlos Lopez is one

of the brightest players

for Dominican Republics

national team and domes-

tic league

A well-balanced and creative central mid-

elder, Lopez was born in the province of

Espaillat, in northern Dominican Republic.

He played for and captained his local team,

Moca FC, winning Liga Mayor titles in 2010,

2012 and 2014. In Octoer, Lopez underwent

a career change by transferring to defending

national champions Atletico Pantoja.

Pantoja won the inaugural Liga Dominica-

na de Futbol a professional league which

started in March and ended in August. The

club are one of the wealthiest in the division

and they exed their muscle in the transfer

market by acquiring Lopez, who is very high-

ly rated across the island. At Moca he was

the star player, regularly producing assists

and scoring goals from the heart of mideld.

It was Lopezs form with Moca during their

urry of titles from 2010 to 2014 which

alerted the attention of the national setup.

He made his Los Quisqueyanos debut as a

19-year-old substitute in a friendly defeat to

Costa Rica in 2013. A year later he played

in Caribbean Cup qualiers as Dominican

Republic reached the competitions second

round and he claimed the Dominican Foot-

baller of the Year award. Last year Lopez

featured in his countrys Russia 2018 sec-

ond round qualifying doubleheader against

Belize. Their World Cup dreams were ended

prematurely, however, after crashing out

5-1 on aggregate. Then in October, Lopez

travelled with the team to face Brazils U-23s

in Manaus. They lost 6-0.

Lopez is one of the rst names on the team

sheet for his country, yet you cant help but

feel his impact is limited within the team.

The FA is notoriously controversial and there

always seems to be a lot of off-eld issues

surrounding the national programme, which

is disruptive toward the players. This was

highlighted in World Cup qualication as they

were eliminated so early on.

The 22-year-old isnt just known in Domini-

can Republic, though. Thanks to his partici-

pation and performances in the MLS-Carib-

bean Combine in January 2015, MLS scouts

became aware of his abilities and invited him

to the MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia. He

was the only Caribbean representative there.

Unfortunately he wasnt picked by any MLS

sides perhaps they saw him as a little too

raw at the time but the very fact he was

selected for the SuperDraft was a step in the

right direction nonetheless.

Carlos Peralta, a well-respected and avid fol-

lower of Dominican football, believes Lopez

needs to improve on his decision making

and shots on target in order to move up

another level. He has impressive vision and

close ball control, but perhaps a tendency to

make the wrong choices in games can be his

downfall.

Lopez will undoubtedly want to make an

impact at his new club Pantoja, but a move

overseas will be on his mind having go t so

close last year. A little rough around the

edges, hes far from being the nished article

yet theres plenty of potential there. Maybe a

USL/NASL/MLS team will invest in 2016.

Writer: Nathan Carr

Scout: Carlos Peralta


11/30

The son of former local footballer

Raphael, who played for Grenadian

outts Fontenoy United and SAFL,

Jamal Ray Charles has wanted to

follow in his fathers footsteps ever

since he was a little boy. He was in-

troduced to the beautiful game from

very early on in his life

Charles played football for the Belair Government Primary School

and Saint Andrews Anglican Secondary School (SAASS) in his native

Grenada. It was with the latter that coach Michael Niko Felix spotted

Charles and picked him for the school team, which he represented for

six years.

During his time at SAASS, Charles received a call-up to the national

U-20s for the rst round of Caribbean qualifying for the CONCACAF

U-20 Championship. Charles scored twice to help Grenada beat Domi-

nica, 3-1, in their opening xture before the team were eliminated after

losing to Aruba two days later. This was Charles rst experience of

donning the Spice Boyz shirt and he seemingly excelled, proving to be

the main attacking outlet up front.

Following schoolboy football, Charles joined Grenadian top-ight team

Paradise FC, based in Saint Andrew where he was born. There he

scored plenty of goals and became one of the nest strikers in thedivision. The national programme took notice and Charles received

his rst senior call-up for the Windward Islands Championship in May.

He made quite an impression: bagging two goals in a 2-0 victory over

hosts Saint Lucia as Grenada nished 3rd overall. This would do his

senior prospects no harm whatsoever.

In June, Grenada were tied against Puerto Rico for the second round

of Russia 2018 qualifying. Although Charles missed the rst leg be-

cause of not having a US visa, he was part of the squad for the return

match in Saint Georges. The 20-year-old was brought on late in the

second half with the task of notching the winner, which would give

Grenada a 2-1 aggregate win. This turned out to be a hugely important

and proud substitute appearance for Charles, whose headed nish

with 10 minutes remaining sent the home crowd wild and his nation

through to the third round. What an amazing moment for him.

This goal was crucial for C harles reputation in Grenada as peoplebegan to more easily recognise and identify him. He continued scoring

goals for Paradise before some US colleges registered interest in July,

however, his grades were signicantly off and therefore the interest

faded. It was only a matter of time before Charles would depart Par-

adise for pastures new, so when TT Pro League side W C onnection

came knocking in August, he was off. Given the No.20 jersey upon

arrival, the forward made his debut versus Santos Laguna in the CON-

CACAF Champions League. Connection lost 4-0 but Charles played

the full 90 minutes. An injury halted his progress, however, he is now

nearly back to full condition.

When on top of his game, Charles can be a real handful for opposition

defenders. His speed, power and long strides he was a triple jump

athlete for SAASS make him an awkward player to face. President

of the Grenada FA, Cheney Joseph, believes Charles needs to gain

some more tactical awareness and assume the role of a No.10. His

primary position is centre-forward and he can deputise admirably out

wide, too, predominantly the left ank. If played in behind the striker

like Joseph suggests, Charles might be allowed a little more room to

drive forward and demonstrate his creative abilities.

Looking forward, Charles has a busy start to the new year in store.

The Grenada FA has nominated him for the Grenadian Male Player of

the Year and he will pick up that award at the FAs awards ceremony

sometime in January. Furthermore, Charles has been invited to the

MLS-Caribbean Combine taking place in Martinique, 1-4 January.

There will be scouts from MLS watching a number of Caribbean play-

ers in training sessions and match practice, w ith the ultimate aim of

the player earning a professional contract. Charles is desperate for a

chance to impress in America or Europe and all going well, his perfor-

mances at the Combine will attract the right kind of interest.

Theres undoubtedly still a lot of room for improvement but Charles

has come on leaps and bounds in 2015. He needs to keep working

hard to earn a contract outside of the Caribbean and continue his ne

form for the Spice Boyz.

Writer: Nathan Carr

Scout: Cheney Joseph


12/30

As with many kids in Guyana, Schultzs rst sport

was cricket, yet a growing passion for footballmeant that he soon traded the bat in and took up

the beautiful game. Having started his career at

Guyanese club Fruta Conquerors, Schultz has al-

ways been viewed as a bright prospect in Guyana,

winning annual awards in youth tournaments before

playing for Fruta Conquerors rst-team in Guyanas

National League.

His form for Fruta resulted in a move to neighbour-

ing Trinidad in January 2014, where he s igned for

Caledonia, a club known for bringing in numerous

Guyanese players over the last few years mainly

due to the fact that their director, Jamaal Shabazz,

is also current Guyana national team head coach.

It took Schultz no time to settle in, he scored twogoals in his rst two starts for the club and then

exploded during the 2014/15 season, scoring 14

league goals in total, almost half of his sides total

goals. Quite remarkable for a young player tasting

professional football for the rst time. Most notably

in a league game against Defence Force in Novem-

ber 2014, he scored a brilliant hat-trick that really

marked his arrival.

Schultz was rst called into the national team aged

18 for Caribbean Cup qualiers in late 2012. An

absence of international football for Guyana since

then meant that he had to wait two and a half years

for his next cap against Barbados in February 2015

He then made the most of his opportunity playing

as a starting striker by scoring both goals in a 2-0

friendly win over Grenada in March. Cruelly, theineligibility of English-born Matthew Briggs in that

same game meant that the match was later forfeit-

ed and Schultz lost his goals, but his performance

in that game suggests he is a striker who could lead

the line for Guyana for the next decade. Having

missed out on playing in Junes World Cup qual-

iers due to injury, Schultz featured in Guyanas

Olympic qualifying campaign last summer, featuring

in all three games and scoring during Guyanas 5-0

drubbing of Aruba.

With a new domestic league having been launched

in Guyana, dubbed the Elite League, rumours

have been circulating in the media that Schultz will

return to his homeland and lace up for his formeremployers Fruta as a marquee signing. Whilst such

a move will benet local Guyanese football, Schultz

ideally needs to stay in the TT Pro League to sus-

tain his development. After all, this is a league nota-

ble for exporting players to the MLS and Europe.

A quiet man of few words, Schultz tends to do his

talking on the pitch. With the TT Pro League up and

running again, as well as national team engage-

ments such as 2016 Caribbean Cup qualiers to

look forward to, its very likely well be seeing more

of Schultz on the score-sheets this year.

Writer/Scout: Santokie Nagulendran

Known as the baby-faced assas-

sin, 21-year old Pernell Schultz

has used 2015 to realise the po-

tential many in Guyana had antici-

pated of him for the last few years.

A diminutive young striker with

the ability to instinctively nd the

back of the net, his performances

for Caledonia AIA (now re-named

as Morvant Caledonia United)

last season in the TT Pro League

caught the eye of many. The highly

respected Trinidadian journalist

Lasana Liburd included him in his

Young Team of the Season for

the league...


13/30

There is a YouTube video

of a 13-year-old Zachary

Herivaux showcasing his

skills which has over an

incredible 200,000 views.

Indeed, people have been

aware of his talents for

some time

Herivaux has an interesting and diversebackground. Born in Japan, he moved

to the US as a three-year-old. Hisfather Pedro, who is from Haiti, played

professionally in Japan and met hiswife there. The family came to America

to give Herivaux a better opportunity ofpursuing a career in football.

He started out at Shalrie Joseph LionsClub, founded in 2009, where he was

coached by his father. Former Caribbe-an Footballer of the Year Joseph was

a New England Revolution player atthe time and served as Herivauxs role

model from an early age. As a child,Herivaux exhibited high levels of ener-

gy and loved running past opponents. Anatural talent for the sport was obvious.

At 13, Herivaux was spotted by Por-tuguese agent Aurelio Pereira, who

discovered Cristiano Ronaldo. He wentto train and play with the prestigious

Sporting Lisbon Academy in Portugal.Following this he visited his homeland,

Japan, to train with Osaka Toin highschool. He learned the importance of

discipline, respect and organisation.

Even at this young age Herivaux hadbeen exposed to various different foot-

ball cultures. In 2011, he was invited to

a US U-15 camp. New England Revo-lution coaches were present and they

liked Herivauxs all-action style. At 15,he joined the Revolution Academy and

went onto make 92 appearances withthe U-16/18 teams, scoring 12 goals

and making 14 assists. At this pointin Herivauxs development, he played

in more attacking positions higher up

the eld. He told Boston.com: I liketo dribble, going at people, setting my

teammates up. I just like attacking,attacking. But as time went by he was

converted to a deeper role, namelydefensive mideld or central defence.

In January last year, he signed a colle-

giate contact with Providence College,expecting to be with them for several

years. However, in May, Herivaux was

offered a professional contract with theRevolution as a Homegrown Player.

He accepted and became only the thirdever Homegrown Player for the club. A

month later the 19-year-old was givenhis senior professional debut in a US

Open Cup defeat to the Charlotte Inde-pendence, coming on as a second-half

substitute.

He primarily operates as a defensivemidelder for the Revolution, but can

deputise anywhere across the backline.

In the MLS offseason in November, hewas asked back by Sporting to train in

Portugal, keeping his tness in check.

On the international front, Herivauxmade his Haitian debut at the CONCA-

CAF U-20 Championship in January.He featured in all ve of the teams

group matches, starting three. In Octo-

ber, he was called up to play in the Rio2016 qualiers. Haiti failed to qualify

yet it provided Herivaux with furtherinternational experience. He is yet to

break into the senior squad and willbe hoping to make an impression with

a busy 2016 calendar ahead for thenational team.

Herivaux admits that there are areas

of his game that need improving, such

as his left foot and leadership on theeld. He is practicing on his weaker foot

on a daily basis and trying to be morevocal around his teammates. He has

a strong mentality and support base inhis family. As long as he continues to

have these two assets, along with hisinnate footballing ability, then Herivaux

can achieve great things for club andcountry.

Writer/Scout:Nathan Carr


14/30

Known by some as the bad

boy of Haitian football, Jeff

Louiss occasional outbursts

and fallouts are compromised

by his natural talent on the

football eld

A left-footed diminutive winger or central attacking mid-

elder, Louis can be as exciting as he is frustrating with

the ball at his feet. There is unpredictability to his game

which can either delight or infuriate.

Born in Haitis capital, Port-au-Prince, Louis began his

career with AS Mirebalais, a club founded in 2000. He

moved to France as a teenager to play at Le Mans in the

French second tier before being picked up by AS Nancy

scouts in 2012.

It was with Les Chardons that Louis really developed

his game as he became an important component of theteams attack, regularly creating goals for his teammates.

He had moved up to a higher level Nancy were a top-

ight outt in the 2012-13 season and not looked out of

place. Although Nancy were eventually relegated, Louis

was clearly a stand-out player and proved that he was

capable of performing at this standard.

In 2014, he moved to Standard Liege in Belgium where

he suffered a rather miserable time, receiving limited

starting spots. At this stage of his career he needed a

fresh start and got just that, moving back to France in July

to represent SM Caen in Ligue 1. Hes struggled to really

get in the team so far this campaign, managing only one

90 minute game back in September. Hes mainly been

used as a second-half substitute by manager PatriceGarande, who sees Louis as an impact player late on in

matches.

On the international front, Louis experience with the

national team hasnt always been plain sailing. Hes previ-

ously had various problems and disagreements with the

administration, being left out of some squads and select-

ed in others. He nearly didnt go to the 2013 CONCACAF

Gold Cup because of reported disciplinary reasons but

his performances for Haiti at that tournament were excel-

lent. He played twice in the group stages of last years

version before having to leave the US to nalise his Caen

deal.

Louis was left out of Septembers Russia 2018 qualiers

before being recalled for Novembers batch of games

against Costa Rica and Jamaica. However, he wasnt

included in Les Grenadiers Copa America Centenario

Playoff squad.

It remains to be seen whether or not newly appointed

boss Patrice Neveu will take a shine to the 23-year-old.

Louis can be unplayable when in the mood, but there are

still lingering questions marks over his self-discipline and

attitude.

In 2016 Louis needs to try and settle at Caen and im-

prove relations with his national team.



15/30

In the space of just 12 months

Derrick Etienne Jr. has gone

from captaining the New York

Red Bulls (NYRB) U-18s to sign-

ing his rst professional con-

tract with the club as a Home-

grown Player. He will therefore

be showcasing his skills to MLSaudiences during 2016

Born in the US to a Haitian family, his

father Derrick Etienne played profes-

sionally for the Long Island Rough

Riders and Haitian senior team, as well

as his uncle Darrell. Etienne himself has

represented Les Grenadiers at U-17, 20

and 23 levels, an experience which he

calls a blessing.

Indeed, Etienne has known football

ever since he can remember. His father

explained to Virginia Sports: As soon

as he could walk, he got a ball. As a

12-year-old he joined the NYRB Acad-

emy, playing two years above his agecategory for the U-14s. During this time

he left high school to be home schooled

instead, channelling the majority of his

energy into playing football with NYRB.

He climbed up the Academy ladder,

tasting championship success with the

U-16s and being made skipper of the

U-18 side.

He committed to a year at Virginia

University, playing for NYRBs Reserves

(NYRBII) in the USL whilst retaining his

collegiate eligibility. Etienne made his

NYRBII debut in March and registered

his rst goal against FC Montreal twomonths later. Six days on he netted

again, this time in a defeat to Rich-

mond Kickers. Both of his goals were

exceptionally well executed the rst a

sweetly struck volley into the bottom left

corner and the second an amazing solo

run and cool nish from a tight angle.

Etienne ended his spell with NYRBII in

the summer, but it was a hugely ben-

ecial experience for him. He trained

with several rst-team players and was

exposed to a new, higher level of com-

petition in the USL.

In August, Etienne made his collegiate

debut for Cavaliers, the football team

of Virginia University. A month later he

scored his rst goal at collegiate level,and what a phenomenal goal it was.

Etienne picked the ball up just inside the

opposition half, ran past an incredible

ve players and stuck the ball in the

back of the net with ease. Cavaliers won

1-0. He had created something out of

absolutely nothing, a trademark of his.

Predominantly a left-sided midelder,

but also capable of playing as a No.10,

Etienne possesses superb dribbling

skills, very good speed and a vast

collection of tricks. He has a Velcro-like

touch making him a very difcult play-

er to tackle. J.R. Eskilson describedEtienne as having the ability to create

magic from nothing at the US Devel-

opment Academy Winter Showcase in

2014.

Etienne is naturally an attack-minded

player who wants to test his marker and

reach the by-line, but at Cavaliers he

learned the defensive tasks that ac-

company playing out wide. Head coach

George Gelnovatch said he wanted to

make Etienne not just a dangerous guy,

but a reliable guy meaning he does a

job collectively for the team. This helped

improve his all-round game. Etienne

was named in the ACC All-Freshman

Team for 2015.

In December, Etienne was rewardedfor his excellent performances with

the NYRB Academy by being given a

professional MLS contract. He has been

given the No.7 shirt and will be a part

of the senior squad for 2016. This year

is all about focus for Etienne he has

all the talent and intelligence, but he

must knuckle down with NYRB to try

and make the right impression early on

in his senior career. On the international

front, too, the 19-year-old will be hoping

to catch the eye of Haitis newly appoint-

ed manager Patrice Neveu with World

Cup and Caribbean Cup qualiers set to

come.



16/30

A dominant 2014 followed in which

Lawrence excelled against quality oppo-

nents in Egypt, Switzerland, and Serbia

before putting in an all-star showing

at the 2014 Caribbean Cup as part of

a rock-solid Jamaican defence that

allowed just a single goal on the way to

the title.

2015 was an even better year for

Lawrence. In March, he signed his rst

professional contract with the New York

Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. Law-

rences success here was an exercise

in persistence it took not one or two,

but three shots at MLS before he nally

found a place in the league. Lawrences

rst attempt came after he accepted an

invite to the inaugural MLS-CaribbeanCombine in 2014, where he failed to

gain an invitation from the league to

attend the main Combine.

Later that year, Lawrence received his

second opportunity in the form of a trial

with DC United, but went unsigned. It

was on his third attempt, a trial with the

New York Red Bulls in early 2015, that

Lawrence nally found success. Upon

securing a contract, he immediately ex-

posed MLS error in failing to bring him

in sooner, displacing long-time starter

and Costa Rican international Roy Miller

and becoming the teams top l eft-back.

A strong season followed in which Law-

rence became arguably the leagues top

young left-back, scoring once and as-

sisting four times while earning a place

on MLS 24 under 24 list in September

and helping the Red Bulls secure the

Supporters Shield.

Things looked up internationally as

well. In three games at the 2015 Copa

America, the left-back didnt put a foot

wrong despite competing against argu-

ably the best opposition in the world.

He went one-on-one with Lionel Messi

on multiple occasions and not only held

his own, but shut him down - Lawrence

is a very big reason why Messi failed to

score against Jamaica in a narrow 1-0

loss for the Reggae Boyz. Even whenelite attackers from Uruguay, Argentina,

and a very capable Paraguay came at

him, Lawrence didnt inch. He showed

so much quality that observers at

WhoScored.com and ESPNFC named

him to their all-tournament teams.

Though Jamaica failed to secure a point

in three matches played (all of which

were lost by a 1-0 margin),

Lawrence drew effusive praise from lots

of fans, scouts, coaches, and media ob-

servers during the tournament, earning

the respect of many. Lawrence fol-

lowed this up with another team of the

tournament showing at the 2015 Gold

Cup, where he was again named to the

all-tournament team.

Lawrences consistently strong perfor-

mances against top talent at interna-

tional level and in MLS show that he is

a player destined for a major European

league. There are aws to his game: his

crossing ability is not perfect and, like

any defender, he can make mistakes.

The key to Lawrences value, howev-

er, is how few and far between those

mistakes are. Lawrences elite athlet-

icism, peak tness, excellent control

and balance in defence, and imperious

one-on-one skills are what make him a

stand-out. His ability to quickly read the

game and consistently put himself inpositions the team needs him to be in

has been an invaluable gift to the New

York Red Bulls and Jamaica.

Leicester City, Newcastle United and

Reading FC are just some of the clubs

who have expressed an interest in

Lawrence so far. Whether he departs

MLS in 2016 remains to be seen, but it

certainly will not be long before you wit-

ness Lawrence competing at the worlds

highest levels of professional football.

Writer/Scout: Athlone

A graduate of Donald Quarrie high schoolin Jamaica, Lawrence has emerged as Ja-

maicas top left-back, and for good reason.

A former U-17 and U-20 international, Law-

rence received his rst senior cap in a friend-

ly against Trinidad & Tobago in November

2013. The xture was part of a pair intend-

ed by new coach Winfried Schaefer to test

young and inexperienced players for future

inclusion in the senior squad on the road to

Russia 2018 following a failed bid to make it

to Brazil, and Lawrence passed the audition

with ying colours...


17/30

He would spend a great deal of time on loan to

DC Uniteds USL afliate, the Richmond Kickers,

scoring several times at that level before regis-

tering an assist on his United debut in a friendly

against CD Guadelajara that summer. Seatons

debut was an historic one when he stepped

on the pitch for DCU, he became the rst player

born after MLS began play in 1996 to actually

compete in the league.

After making a great impression at his club and

proving himself to be among Jamaicas most

promising players in his age group at U-17 level,

Seaton made the early jump to the seniors in

November 2013 at just 17 years old. He scored

his rst senior goal just a few months later in aMarch 2014 friendly against Saint Lucia. This

was followed by an excellent headed goal in a

friendly against Serbia two months later.

Seaton was then drafted into Jamaicas 2014

Caribbean Cup squad. Though he showed

himself to be a little raw in his rst competitive

tournament experience at senior level (as evi-

denced by a poorly taken penalty in the nal and

a lack of composure on some clear-cut chances

on goal), he made multiple appearances off the

bench during the course of the campaign and

showed several ashes of raw quality belying his

age.

Seaton also had an extended trial stint with Serie

A side Inter Milan in early 2014, gaining his rst

exposure to top-ight European football. Though

things were looking up after a strong 2014, 2015

did not go entirely according to plan. The year

began with Seaton leading Jamaicas U-20 side

into the CONCACAF U-20 Championship, only to

have his campaign cut short by injury during the

rst game. Seaton found himself on the outside

looking in with regard to Ben Olsens line-up

at DC United, and a loan spell to Swedish side

Orebro SK in March petered out after just four

appearances.

A stronger second half of the year followed as

Seaton was traded to the Portland Timbers and

proceeded to quickly score an excellent goal for

Timbers 2, Portlands wholly owned USL afli-

ate. Seaton also had a strong showing with the

Jamaica U-23 side in the summer, his ve goals

good for second in CONCACAFs Caribbean

U-23 qualifying.

Fortunately, Seaton may have found the perfect

environment in which to grow as a player. He

will now be under the tutelage of Portlands head

coach Caleb Porter, who has a strong and exten-

sive track record of investing in and developing

Jamaican talent and whose efforts have already

resulted in the growth of fellow Jamaican Alvas

Powell into a top young professional player.

If Seaton is able to make this step forward and

become a contributor for the Timbers this year,

the sky is the limit. Despite an up and down

2015, Seaton remains one of the brightest young

prospects in Jamaican football. His goalscoring

record at senior level up to this point is matched

by very few young players in recent memory, and

he proved this year that he can score consist-

ently at U-23 level.

He also has excellent raw physical ability, with

good pace and a solid 60, 180lb frame. He has

already shown ashes of natural goalscoring

talent as a raw teenager at senior level. If this

talent is met with more experience, technical

renement, and consistency to go along with his

already exemplary physical tools, it wont be long

before Seaton isnt merely training at clubs like

Inter Milan, but representing them too.


Born in Spanish Town, Ja-

maica, Michael Seaton mi-grated to the US as a child

and joined the DC United

youth setup in 2010. He

quickly proved to be one

of Uniteds most promising

young prospects, and signed

on with the rst-team in Jan-

uary 2013...


18/30

In a close 2-1 loss, Benbow proved to be

the most dynamic and inuential player onthe pitch. He routinely dismantled DC Unit-

eds defenders, creating numerous oppor-

tunities for his teammates and constantly

keeping the MLS players on their toes.

His performance drew widespread praise.

Benbow made an impression on the nation-

al programme as well less than a month

after his breakout display in the CONCA-

CAF Champions League, Benbow was

called into the senior squad for an October

friendly against Japan in Niigata. He made

his senior debut in the 1-0 loss.

In 2015, following his participation in anunderwhelming campaign by the Jamaica

U-20 side in the CONCACAF U-20 Cham-

pionship, Benbow received his rst profes-

sional opportunity in the form of a deal with

the Harrisburg City Islanders of the USL.

Benbow nished a solid maiden season

as a professional with two goals and two

assists in 19 appearances.

Benbow is a very diminutive player, a factor

which may work against him in the eyes of

many. At just around 54 tall, Benbow wont

tower over anybody on the pitch and will

usually be the smallest player on the eld

at any given time. He makes up for his lack

of ideal size, however, with tremendous

pace, acceleration, and balance, as well as

a knack for beating defenders one-on-oneand creating chances for teammates.

Few players are more electric and dynamic

than Benbow when he is on his game, and

it is precisely that game-changing potential

that will earn him opportunities at higher

levels of football.

When considering Benbows upside, Na-

than Dyer (himself of Jamaican heritage)

is a player who comes to mind. Like the

former Southampton and current Swansea/

Leicester City player, Benbow is a very

small, very athletic midelder who has a

knack for skinning defenders man-to-manand creating opportunities for teammates.

In the short-term, Benbow represents an

ideal developmental prospect for an MLS

team and should nd his way into an MLS

setup within the next couple of years if he

can obtain a green card and continues

improving in the USL. If he is indeed able

to continue on the positive developmental

trajectory he has been on for the past two

years, do not be surprised to see Benbow

eventually reach some of the heights occu-

pied by the Leicester City man.


A graduate of Jamaican high school pow-

erhouse Saint Georges College, Cardel-Benbow has emerged as one of Jamaicas

most electric mideld prospects in recent

months. Following the end of his High

School career with Saint Georges, Ben-

bow began playing senior football with

Jamaican Red Stripe Premier League side

Waterhouse FC in Kingston. He immedi-

ately made an impression in league play,

but his most distinguished performance

came in a 2014 CONCACAF Champions

League match against DC United...


19/30

In 2014, the defender appeared in 15 games

and recorded goals in back-to-back outings

against local rivals Vancouver Whitecaps and

the San Jose Earthquakes. He would go onto once again claim the Up-and-Coming Play-

er of the Year award. Back-to-back awards is

an incredible honour but his biggest honour

was yet to come.

2015 was Powells breakthrough year. Start-

ing in 31 of the 34 regular season games and

starting in all six postseason matches, his

individual game statistics dont necessarily

show his achievements.

Switching to the international side, like many

Jamaican internationals, the 2015 Gold Cup

was one to remember. After beating co-hosts

Canada and winning Group B over Cos-ta Rica, the run to the nal came via a 2-1

semi-nal win over of the US. Ultimately, a

3-1 loss to Mexico would end the tournament

in defeat. Powell did, however, opt to abruptly

leave the Jamaica camp ahead of the quar-

ter-nals.

The return to club football would turn his

mentality around as the Timbers went on to

lose only twice out of their last 13 xtures of

the season. A start during the MLS Cup Final

against the Columbus Crew culminated in the

ultimate end to the season as a nal score of

2-1 gave Portland their rst major trophy in

MLS history. Powell completed his 2015 sea-

son with a combined MLS regular season and

play-off with just under 3,300 total minutes,

good for sixth on the Timbers roster.

Powell brings a championship-level defen-

sive effort to any team he represents. Pow-

ell provides speed and can spread out the

opponent on the right side of the eld. He

can also score the occasional goal or assist

teammates as an attacking full-back. He will

be competing for the starting right-back po-

sition with the Jamaican national team while

solidifying his starting spot for Portland.

Looking towards 2016, Powell will have

plenty of opportunities to impress a potential

foreign suitor. During the month of June, he

will certainly be part of the Jamaican squad

for the Copa America Centenario and thefollowing month, due to Portland winning the

MLS Cup, will feature in the 2016-17 CON-

CACAF Champions League.

Along with the MLS regular season and

the national cup competition in the US, the

21-year-old could soon be on his way to Eu-

rope. With many fellow national team mem-

bers in England, Powell could certainly nd

a new home in the English Championship or

maybe even the Premier League. Only time

will tell but Powells future looks to be very

bright indeed.

Writer/Scout: Antoine Furet

21-year-old Alvas Powell hails from Dan-

vers Pen and, like many top Jamaican play-ers, started his professional career with

Portmore United. Since then, his career has

sky-rocketed. In June 2013, he was signed

by MLS club Portland Timbers and had an

immediate impact for the Cascadia side. In

his debut season in the United States, Pow-

ell featured in ve games and was selected

as the clubs Up-and-Coming Player of the

Year. That award would go on to show how

high his potential could be...


20/30

In 2015, Andre played 14 league games for VWFC2,

nding the back of the net on three occasions and

assisting twice. Playing over 900 minutes with the B

team, he earned valuable development time whilst

learning the Vancouver Whitecaps system of playunder coach Alan Koch. His highlight of the season

could certainly be scoring the third goal in a 3-0

away victory against bitter rivals, Seattle Sounders

FC 2. This would ultimately be the teams last suc-

cess as they went on a winless streak for the last

ve games of the season (four losses, one draw)

and VWFC2 ended up missing the USL Playoffs.

Ultimately, his numbers could be higher following

his early selection in the 2014 draft, which did have

some controversy. Lewis had apparently signed

a contract to play for the New York Cosmos, the

famed NASL club that once brought the likes of

the Brazilian legend Pele, German sweeper Franz

Beckenbauer, Italian international Giorgio Chinaglia,as well as Bermudan international Randy Horton to

America.

The MLS had ensured that he had signed with their

league. Ultimately, Lewis would end up playing in

neither the top-tier MLS nor the second-tier NASL,

but the third-tier USL. Even if his club career has not

necessarily lived up to expectations, as a 7th overall

pick, the 21-year-old still has plenty of time to nd

his way.

What Andre offers is speed and creativity in the

middle as well as the ability to get behind the back-

line. Lewis is a very versatile player who can use his

speed on either ank of the eld and be the link up

between the forwards and midelders as a No.10.

The next few months should be interesting for Lewis

as his contract option has been declined by Vancou-

ver. Discussions with the club for him to return are

ongoing but based on his last two years, it would

be unlikely for him to be offered a contract with theMLS side.

His style of play and professional experience would

suit the NASL or USL more and developing there for

a few more years could ultimately lead to a chance

at the MLS. An opportunity at the newly formed

Miami FC, coached by Italian World Cup winner

Alessandro Nesta, could have him link up with

fellow countryman Dane Richards. Fellow Jamai-

cans Omar Cummings (San Antonio Scorpions) and

Lance Laing (Edmonton) have found great success

whilst playing in the second-tier of American foot-

ball.

Heading into the future, its only a matter of timebefore he becomes fully capped for the Jamaican

national team. After their win at the 2014 Caribbean

Cup, their runner-up nish at the Gold Cup, as well

as the upcoming Copa America Centenario, a joint

tournament between North and South American

teams set to take place in the US in June next year,

the Reggae Boyz have their eyes set on Russia

2018. Should they qualify, it would be the second

time in the nations history that they have been a

part of the biggest tournament in the world football.

Lewis will be hoping to catch the attention of boss

Winfried Schaefer to be in with a shout of a possible

call-up.


Andre Lewis began his career in

his native Jamaica with Cavalier

FC and Portmore FC before beingselected 7th overall in the 2014

MLS SuperDraft by the Vancouver

Whitecaps. Since joining the team,

he has spent the last two seasons

developing in the third-tied of foot-

ball in the United States, the USL.

Having spent the 2014 campaign

with Charleston Battery, he spent

the following season with Vancou-

vers reserve team, Whitecaps FC2 (VWFC2)...


21/30

Born in Kingston, Lowe played for Harbour

View before moving to America in 2011 to

play college soccer with the University of

Hartford. During the 2014 MLS SuperDraft,

he was selected 8th overall, by the Seattle

Sounders, behind the likes of fellow coun-

trymen Andre Blake (#1 overall) and Andre

Lewis (#7 overall).

His rst year was a true struggle as he had

numerous injuries. Lowe featured in two

MLS Reserve League matches against USL

side Arizona Republic and the reserve side

of fellow MLS side Colorado Rapids. Thispast year, just like fellow Carribean All-Star

Andre Lewis, he developed through the

third-tier of football but with Seattles second

team, S2. Playing in 17 league games,

Lowe was one of several rst-team players

to become key gures for the second team.

Along with fellow Jamaicans, Oniel Fisher

and Ashani Fairclough, S2 featured several

youth Caribbean internationals all coached

under former Saint Vincent & the Gren-

adines captain Ezra Hendrickson.

S2 qualied for the play-offs but would

ultimately lose to the Colorado Springs

Switchbacks, a side that features Trinidad

& Tobago international Kareem Smith. On

the international side, he was called up to

Jamaicas Rio 2016 qualifying squad. As a

rst full season as a professional, 2015 was

arguably a success for Lowe.

What Lowe offers to any team is height as

well as speed. A 6 ft 3 in centre-back, this

makes him a true set piece threat. Lowe is

one of the fastest players for the Sounders

and has the ability to be a key player for the

Sounders in the coming years. He has the

desire and build to be a starter in MLS.

Heading into 2016, Lowe could earn val-uable rst-team minutes for the Sounders

but still develop through S2. An extended

national cup run by the Sounders, who have

reached ve nals in the last seven years,

could also bring valuable rst-team minutes

against clubs ranging from amateur level to

professional USL, NASL and MLS level.

Lowe has an outside shot at earning his rst

full national team call-up during the Copa

America Centenario. Over time, Lowe could

well be a starter for both the Seattle Sound-

ers and the Jamaican national team.


Damion Lowe has a strong line of foot-

ball in his family. The son of Onandi

Lowe, he has followed his fathersfootsteps to become a professional

footballer, although in different posi-

tions. Onandi was a forward who played

throughout North America and England

and on the international scene; Lowe

Sr. represented Jamaica at the 1998

World Cup, starting against Croatia and

Japan. Damion, on the other hand, has

strived in defence...


22/30

Still only 19, Jamaican

prodigy Martin Davis has

enjoyed a rich footballing

education right through

his teenage years

As a 13-year-old he was the captain of

Harbour Views U-12s and representing

his high school Saint Georges College

in the Manning Cup. His attendance at

the Next Generation Valencia CF Easter

Football Camp held in Jamaica in 2010,

though, was what really developed and

enriched his education.

Valencia staged the event as a way of in-

creasing their global brand. Davis caught

the eye of scouts and along with three

others, he was given a scholarship to go

and train with the Next Generation Acad-

emy in Spain. He attended high school in

Valencia and learned a lot about foot-

ball, playing for Valencia, Levante and

Sagunto FC. He even got the opportunity

to train under Valencias rst-team coach

at the time, Unai Emery.

In Spain, Davis was taught in depth

about tactics, strategies and ways in

which of approaching games. He admit-

ted himself that the tempo and intensity

of play there was much higher than in

Jamaica and he had to adapt quickly. In

an interview with SportsXplorer Multime-

dia in April 2013, Davis explained that

its good to strike the balance betweenknowing when to pass and knowing

when to dribble and playing overseas

helped him become a more complete

player.

Upon returning from Spain, the diminu-

tive attacking midelder resumed playing

for St Georges College in the Manning

Cup and Harbour View in the Jamaican

Premier League. In the summer of 2014,

his agent secured him a trial with Cana-

dian MLS club Toronto FC. Davis already

had a Canadian passport his father

was born there which made the move

even more appealing. After impressing

over a one-month trial, the teenager was

enrolled in the Toronto Academy in De-

cember and started pre-season training

in January last year.

Davis has been making solid progress

in Canada. He starred in the clubs PDL

and League1 Ontario teams, regularly

hitting the back of the net and making

assists from his favoured attacking

mideld position. He was then handed

the No.49 shirt and given his debut in the

USL for Toronto 2. Although yet to make

a senior rst-team appearance, Davis is

very highly regarded by the coaching

staff and all being well, should graduate

from the second tier side within the next

few seasons.

His game revolves around short bursts

of energy, quick passing and running at

opposing defenders. His style is similar

to Jamaican-born England international

Raheem Sterling, who Davis is good

friends with and talks to on a frequent

basis. A technical director with a club Da-

vis played regularly against said: Hes

very skilful and scored some outstanding

individual goals. What about weakness-

es? A lack of height and physicality can

mean he sometimes gets pushed off the

ball too easily. His decision making in

the nal third is getting better, but needs

rening.

On the international front, Davis has

represented the Reggae Boyz at U-17,

20 and 23 levels, most notably in the

CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Jan-

uary last year. Jamaica suffered a poor

tournament and Davis wasnt at his max-

imum, but the whole team didnt function

as effectively as anticipated. He needs to

keep on producing high quality displays

for Toronto before thinking about the

possibility of a senior call-up.

A very articulate, mature and humble

young man, Davis is an incredibly gifted

and hard-working footballer who should

go far in the game.



23/30

Its fair to say that Anderson hascome a long way in a very short

period of time. Just two years agohe was representing Grenades FC

in Antigua & Barbuda and now he

is contracted to MLS side SeattleSounders, having joined in March.

He plays in the USL for Sounders

2, the clubs developmental team.

The coach Ezra Hendrickson,

former captain of the Saint Vincentnational team, has long been an

admirer of Anderson and had no

problems persuading him to come

to America. Hendrickson has been

a key gure in Andersons careerdevelopment thus far: the man who

brought him to the US and gavehim a professional setting in which

to work. So far Anderson has taken

full advantage of the opportunity.

From the outset, the striker has

made an impact at Seattle under

Hendricksons tutelage. In early

April he made his debut againstPortland Timbers 2 and with the

score tied at 1-1, Anderson came

off the bench to win a penalty which

was scored by teammate Pablo

Rossi. The fans and his teammateshad been given a glimpse of Ander-

sons explosive speed and dyna-mism. A month later he registered

his rst goal for S2 in a victory over

Oklahoma City Energy, and it wassome individual goal. Drifting in

from the right, the Vincentian pro-

duced several step overs to breeze

past his marker and re home from

a tight angle. He had rmly madehis mark.

Due to his eye-catching perfor-mances in his debut USL cam-

paign, Anderson was rewarded witha new contract for 2016 in early

December. Hes been kept on by

the management staff while nineteammates have been released,

which is an indication of how highly

they think of him at Seattle.

But its not just been a busy sched-ule on the club scene, internation-

ally as well. The preliminary Carib-

bean qualiers for Rio 2016 kicked

off in late May as Vincy Heat were

pitted against Dominica across twolegs. They won convincingly 5-0 on

aggregate and Anderson baggedtwo goals. The team maintained

their good form in the following

round to nish top of their groupand qualify for the last four, Ander-

son again contributing two goals. In

the semi-nal tie against Haiti they

lost narrowly, 1-0, and subsequent-

ly squandered the chance to partic-ipate at the CONCACAF Champi-

onship. This was a great shame for

Anderson and his teammates, but

he could not feel sorry for himself.

Not with senior national team actionaround the corner.

Saint Vincent began their Russia

2018 campaign in the summer with

a doubleheader against Guyana,and they drew 4-4 on aggregate to

progress on away goals. Anderson

netted in the second leg. They then

beat Aruba 3-2 on aggregate in the

next round with Anderson againon target, this time a 90th minute

penalty. This victory over Aruba

was symbolic: Vincy Heat werein the penultimate round of World

Cup qualifying. Drawn into Group Calongside the US, Guatemala and

Trinidad & Tobago, Anderson and

his teammates kicked off the rstbatch of games in November. Al-

though Saint Vincent were heavily

beaten on American soil, Anderson

was his nations sole goal scorer

and stand-out performer. He tookhis goal wonderfully and proved

a constant menace down the left

ank, tormenting DeAndre Yedlin

with his directness and creativity.

His name appeared all over socialmedia and people started talking

about this kid, still a relatively un-known quantity in the US.

Indeed, at only 20, Anderson hasdisplayed levels of maturity way be-

yond his years. He is arguably the

most important player for the U-23s

and one of the most important for

the seniors a source of goals, as-sists and entertainment for specta-

tors. Hes lightening quick, fearless

when running with the ball and a

clinical nisher. Maybe his upper

body strength could do with somework, but that will come in time.

I see no obvious reason why An-

derson cant break into the Seattle

rst-team within the next two orthree seasons and continue to

make a name for himself within the

American football system.


2015 was apretty eventful year

in many respects for Oalex An-

derson, the 20-year-old from

Barrouallie, Saint Vincent &

the Grenadines. Hes tasted

success with club and countrywhilst underlining his growing

potential as one of the Caribbe-

ans brightest up-and-coming

stars...


24/30

Born in Leicester, England

to a Greek Cypriot father

and a Kittitian mother, Har-

ry Panayiotou chose to

play for Saint Kitts & Nevis

in 2014 and hasnt looked

back since...

Two years on and Panayiotou is thenations talisman in attack. He made

his international bow against Barbadosin 2014 Caribbean Cup qualiers andmarked the occasion with a goal. Then

he bagged a hat-trick versus Turks &Caicos Islands in the rst round of World

Cup qualifying in March to help send theSugar Boyz to a 12-4 aggregate victory

over their Caribbean counterparts. Unfor-

tunately Panayiotou and his teammatessuffered elimination in the second round,losing to El Salvador across two legs.

There were perhaps some fears overPanayiotous ability to adapt to the

rigours of international football at such ayoung age, but right from the get-go he

has looked comfortable and condent.He has gelled very well with his fellow

Saint Kitts teammates, with the squada mixture of home-grown and over-

seas-born players. As recently as No-vember, the twin island went on a tour of

Europe and played two friendlies against

Andorra and Estonia. Panayiotou trav-elled with the team, managed by Mex-

ican Jacques Passy, as they famouslybeat Andorra 1-0 to become the rst Car-ibbean nation to beat a European side

on their own soil. They lost to Estonia 3-0several days later. For Panayiotou this

was a fantastic experience which testedhim against a higher calibre of interna-

tional opposition.

At club level, the 21-year-old representsLeicester Citys U-21s. He has been with

the Foxes from a very young age andprogressed through the academy ranks.In 2011-12, Panayiotou claimed the Fans

Academy Player of the Year award afterimpressing with the U-18s. In fact, that

season was very special for him. Hemade his senior debut against Leeds

United on the nal day of the campaign,coming off the bench to net the winner in

added time. He was just 17.

Nearly half a year later he signed his

rst professional contract with Leicesterand in July 2014 he had it extended by a

further two years. Hes been a consistentperformer for the clubs U-21s, frequentlynding the back of the net and earn-

ing positive reviews for his displays. InMarch, shortly after completing his treble

for Saint Kitts, he was named the U-21Premier League Player of the Month. In

terms of loan experience, Port Vale took

him for a month in October 2014 but themove didnt turn out well. Panayiotouspent most of his time on the bench and

struggled to make an impact.

At 21, the striker is at the age where

he needs to really start pushing for arst-team spot at Leicester. The Premier

League leaders are enjoying a tremen-dous season with Jamie Vardy ring on

all cylinders. So its somewhat of a dif -cult time at the moment for Panayiotou

to try and force his way in. Another loanmove is most likely on the cards, per-

haps at Championship level, which would

better prepare Panayiotou should anopportunity appear to play in the Premier

League.

Asked by the Daily Mail on his style of

play, Panayiotou listed his hold up play,ability to roll the defender and good

burst of acceleration as key assets. Hisnishing prowess is also evident in the

U-21 league as he perennially records

double gure tallies each season. In-deed, for Saint Kitts he has four goals insix appearances which is a great ratio.

2016 promises to be a career-deningyear for the Leicester man. He will either

break into the Foxes rst-team squad ornd another club, most likely in the Eng-

lish second or third tiers. If Leicester aregoing to promote a player from their U-21

setup anytime soon, then Panayiotou willsurely be at the forefront of any decision

made.



25/30

I rst met Caniggia Ginola Elva as a

child. He was a child, that is. A small one,

too. A slender lad, he gained renown

initially for his exploits on the track andon the road, as an acclaimed age group

distance runner. He went so far as to

represent Saint Lucia at the Caribbe-

an Union Of Teachers Track And Field

Championships...

But before he was even of age to com-

pete at the prestigious CARIFTA Games,where he would have continued a proud

Saint Lucian tradition of success in the

middle and lung distance events, he waswhisked off to Canada. There, he began

developing another string to his bow.But here too he was building on a solid

foundation.

Born and raised in the southern com-munity of Vieux Fort, young Elva was

surrounded by some of the islands nest

footballers. It is well documented thathis father and uncle were internationals.

His uncle, Oliver Ball Bear Elva, wasa crafty defender. His father, Titus Titi

Elva, was an extraordinary winger, quick,wiley and with an eye for goal.

Although he did not play organised

football until he migrated to Canada, itis certain that the younger Elva had a

rm grounding in the beautiful game.His father was a giant of the game in the

late nineties, claiming multiple titles with

Stuart Charles-Fevrier and W Con-nection FC in the Trinidad and Tobago

Professional League. Currently, Titi isback home coaching at the club / district

level and is part of the national technicalsetup.

But Caniggias path is not his father s.Upon joining his uncle Oliver in Calgary

in 2007 at the age of 11, he set the

Canadian football scene alight, quicklyemerging as one of the most talented

players in that country. A left winger whocan also play centre-forward or attacking

mideld, he is built like his father, lithe ,athletic and speedy. But he is indefatiga-

ble as well, a call-back to his track andeld training.

In February 2014, Caniggia earned a trialat Englands Arsenal FC, drawing com-

parisons to Owen Hargreaves. Quite theleap from playing for Calgarys South-

west United.

Simultaneously, though, he was beingpursued by European clubs, including

VfB Stuttgart. Upon turning 18, he wasable to sign his rst professional con-

tract with the German Bundesliga club,running until 2018. But he was unable to

take up his contract for several months,

since he had registered as a Canadian,but had yet to formally attain Canadian

citizenship.

Whilst awaiting his Canadian passport,Caniggia was loaned out to RC Stras-

bourg in the French third division. There,

he shone again during the latter portionof the 2015 season. Since, he has been

able to join the Stuttgart reserve team, for

which he has made 12 appearances inthe 3.Liga since August 2015.

After some further time out through injury

to start the season, Caniggia has played90 minutes on three occasions, and at

least 45 in four other matches. He hasbeen starting more consistently as the

season progresses, most of the time

on his favoured left wing. His three fullgames came in the last seven xtures

of 2015, and he has started six of thelast nine, indicating that he is gr owing

in strength and condence, and that thetechnical staff are becoming more com-

fortable with him.

Whether Caniggia will suit up for Canadaor Saint Lucia, or either, is up in the air.

But look for him to develop consistencyover the next season and a half, and to

add goals to the stamina, pace and trick-

ery that are his family legacy.

Writer/Scout: Terry Finisterre


26/30

Donacien originally played youth football with Luton Town.

Then came an eventful year that would perhaps shape his

destiny. In 2010, he joined Tottenham Hotspur for the Milk

Cup, then got into the Aston Villa Academy just before his

17th birthday.

By now, the young man had grown into an athletic and

pacey central defender, comfortable on the ball and ca-

pable of operating as a right-sided full-back or wing-back.

Some have drawn comparisons between Donacien and

second generation Saint Lucian, Rio Ferdinand, though

more for his speed than any other attribute.

Having come through the U-18s, U-21s and reserves, he

helped Villa win the U-21 Premier League South title in2011-12, and the NextGen Series European competition

in 2012-13. He played for Villa in the 2013-14 pre-season,

and made the bench for matches in the Premier League

and FA Cup. But rst-team opportunities were hard to

come by, and Donacien struggled to stick with the claret

and blue.

As highly touted as he has been by most observers, Dona-

ciens lack of experience is usually counted against him.

Consequently, he has spent much of the past 18 months

on loan, with over 30 games at Tranmere Rovers (who

also had a Saint Lucian defender in their youth ranks,

coincidentally) and more recently with Wycombe Wander-

ers and Newport County. With Tranmere, he played four

FA Cup matches, but Rovers were relegated f rom LeagueTwo.

Its the age old axiom. You cant get a job without experi-

ence. And you cant get experience if you dont have a job.

Villa have had their problems at the back, but its tough

to break through as a youngster, when there are several

veterans playing ahead of you. At Newport, hes looked

the part, having at last had a degree of consistency. Again,

though, hes had to deal with managerial changes, as has

been the case since he made his professional debut in

2014.

This could be a make-or-break season for Donacien. His

sequential loan moves have not made it any easier for

him to settle himself and build his prole. If he is to nd his

feet, whether with Villa, Newport or another club, he needsto be played on a far more regular basis. His two-year con-

tract runs until June 2016. Whereas its uncertain where he

will continue his professional life, he seems to have made

enough of an impression to nd a home somewhere.

Fans of the EA Sports FIFA Ultimate Team video games

may know Donacien as the only listed Saint Lucian player.

In an early 2015 interview, shortly before his rst trip home

in close to 15 years, Donacien stated his desire to play

international football for Saint Lucia. First, though, he must

nd that stability in his career. He is yet to pull on the ceru-

lean blue, but he is being closely monitored at home, and

it should be just a matter of time before he is tested on the

national team.

Writer/Scout: Terry Finisterre

Born in the tiny com-

munity of Le Riche in

Saint Lucias southwest

district of Choiseul, as

a child, Janoi Donacien

moved to Luton in the

United Kingdom with

his family. The year was

2001. He was not yet

eight years old...


27/30

Called an exceptional talent with a

lot of ability by former Ajax, AC Milan

and Holland icon Marco van Basten,

Levi Garcia became Trinidad & Toba-gos youngest player to join a top-ight

European club on 20 November 2015,

when he turned 18. He signed a three-

year contract with AZ Alkmaar aged 17

in February last year - an experience he

describes as like winning the World

Cup - after impressing the Eredivisie

clubs scouts midway through 2014...

Born in Santa Flora, part of the Siparia dis-

trict located in southern Trinidad, Garcia has

known football from an early age. Two of his

three brothers, Daniel and Nathaniel, are pro-

fessional footballers based on the island and

the trio would play football in their backyard

for hours when younger. It was inevitable

that Garcia would nd himself involved in the

game somehow.

This is somebody who has been accustomed

to sporting success ever since his early

teenage years. Aged 14, Garcia made his TT

Pro League debut for T&TEC FC. Then two

years later he penned his rst professional

deal with Central FC. But it was the players

exceptional performances in the Caribbe-

an qualifying process for the CONCACAF

U-20 Championship which really elevated

his reputation. The left-footed winger lit upthe competition with his incredible accelera-

tion, vision and ability to create goal-scoring

chances as the young Soca Warriors were

crowned Caribbean champions at U-20 level.

Watching on from the stands were local

football agents Humphrey Nijman and Dion

Sosa, who were so impressed with Garcia

that they managed to release him from his

contract at Central and offer him a trial at AZ

in Holland. The 18-year-old showed his worth

in the trial and the contract was signed, with

Garcia allowed to permanently move in No-

vember when he turned 18. For the months

in between he trained with local coach

Anthony Sherwood, practicing tness, speed,

agility and shooting accuracy.

By all accounts Garcia has seemingly tted

into Dutch life without too much hassle. Hes

featured in rst-team and reserve training,

but hes yet to make his senior debut. In AZ,

Garcia is at a very prestigious club - they

won the Eredivisie title in 2009 and former

managers include Louis van Gaal, Dick

Advocaat, Ronald Koeman and van Basten.

The scouting and management staff have

shown plenty of faith in the teenager and it is

important that Garcia stays focused to repay

them. He possesses many qualities: nimble

feet, good balance and a ferocious left-footed

shot. The Trinidadian newspaper website,

Wired 868, used the simile to describe him

as like an employee who spends most of

the day on Facebook and then solves all theofces problems at 3.45pm.

Garcia impresses on a human level, too.

He is clearly a very ambitious, hungry and

humble person who is determined to make

the most out of this opportunity in Europe. He

has said that the long-term aim is to break

into the AZ rst-team and represent his coun-

try at senior level.

He certainly has the capability to realise this

dream.



28/30

Neveal Hackshaw used 2015

to grab the attention of Trin-

idad & Tobago head coach

Stephen Hart and now the

20-year-old is a permanent

xture in the senior squad

A left-footed holding midelder, Hackshaw earned his

rst senior call-up for a friendly against Panama in

CaribYoungStars 2015

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Transcript of CaribYoungStars 2015