Camilo Vasconcelos goes on trial with CPL’s Halifax Wanderers
Guelph United’s reigning U21 Player of the Year leaves for Halifax today, to trial with Canadian Premier League’s HFX Wanderers.
He will train with the senior team, but will also get the chance to play in two U23 matches, against German 2.Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel U23.
Camilo Vasconcelos knows what he wants from the future.
“My goal in life is to become a professional soccer player”.
For Guelph United’s U21 Player of the Year, there are multiple ways to get there.
First, it was York United. Camilo was signed on a short-term contract a few weeks ago, to provide cover in a match in which York was missing multiple players. He was on the bench, but did not see any minutes.
“The York experience was amazing. I didn’t get minutes on the pitch, but even on the bench, it was a great experience for me. I had a great time there”.
Camilo returned to Guelph after the match, but York retains the right to call him up again in the future, if needed.
“They told me to keep working hard, and have my mind just straight on soccer, and focus only on it”.
Meanwhile, however, a new opportunity presented itself, with the 18 year old being invited to trial with another Canadian Premier League team, Halifax Wanderers.
Camilo leaves for Halifax today, and will train with the senior squad for the next few days. Afterwards, he will be part of Halifax’s U23 squad, which will face German 2.Bundesliga team Holstein Kiel U23, in two games, on July 2 and July 5, in what is being dubbed the International Summer Series. The games will take place in Moncton, NB and Charlottetown, PEI, and will be enhanced by various soccer activities and clinics, in two communities which are looking to be part of Canada’s future soccer landscape, in a planned D3 league called League1 Atlantic.
Following the trial, Camilo is scheduled to return to Guelph, to end the season with a United team which is in the middle of a playoff push.
“We work so hard in training, the team’s spirit is up, I think we have what it takes to go all the way”.
If nothing comes up between now and September, Camilo’s path towards professional soccer might go through the US college system. He committed to one of the best NCAA Division 1 schools, the University of Vermont, whose soccer team made it all the way to the national quarter finals last season. Going pro through the MLS Draft is a real possibility for the future.
And then? What’s Camilo’s dream league to end up in?
“The Premier League”.
Lofty goals, but all great players had them, before getting there. Camilo Vasconcelos might just have Moncton, NB, and Charlottetown, PEI, as stops along the way.