A job well done is always a sign of long-term effort and dedication. A clear example of this is the inclusion of five players from the Barça Academy in the Dominican Republic in the country’s U17 national team squad for a four-team tournament against Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica, currently being held in Mexico. Although one of the academy’s players was ultimately unable to travel due to red tape, Barça’s academy is the only Dominican club contributing more than one player to this national side.

The four players available to the U17 national coach are defenders Daniel Garrido and Marcos Castillo, and midfielders Jorge Valenzuela and Luis Almonte. In addition, goalkeeper Ian Herrera was also called up, but was unable to take part in the tournament owing to paperwork problems.