FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – A trio of New England Revolution players will compete in the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship in Guadalajara, Mexico this month. Defender Henry Kessler will join the United States Under-23 National Team, while forward Tajon Buchanan has been called in by Canada. Defender Francois Dulysse, the Revs’ second-round pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft and Revolution II signee, has been selected by Haiti. The eight teams slated to compete in the tournament are vying for two bids to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Kessler, 22, is seeking his first international appearance in the upcoming eight-team tournament. The second-year center back earned his first national team call-up for this year’s January Camp in Florida, before rejoining the U-23 MNT for another training camp in Guadalajara on March 1.
The United States will compete in Group A, where it opens play against Costa Rica on March 18 (5:00 p.m. ET), before taking on the Dominican Republic on March 21 (7:00 p.m. ET), and wrapping group stage competition against regional rival Mexico on March 24 (9:30 p.m. ET). All three U.S. group stage games will be broadcast on FS1 and TUDN. More information, including the full roster and roster notes, can be found here.
A native of New York City, Kessler appeared in 22 league games in his debut Major League Soccer season in 2020, adding four starts in the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs. The six-foot-four central defender became the first rookie to win the club’s Defender of the Year award since 2011, as he helped set a club record for best goals-against average in a season. He also paced New England in interceptions (34), tackles won (21), and possessions won (123). Selected by the Revolution with the sixth-overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft following a four-year career at the University of Virginia, Kessler ranked second among all rookies in MLS starts, appearances, and minutes played last season.
Buchanan, 22, is pursuing his first international appearance in the tournament after earning his first call-up during Canada’s January camp in Florida. Buchanan, the 2020 Canadian Men’s Youth International Player of the Year, initially received his first career call-up in March 2020 to represent Canada at the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, but the tournament was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canada will compete in Group B, where it opens play against El Salvador on March 19 (6:00 p.m. ET) before playing Haiti on March 22 (6:00 p.m. ET) and concludes the group stage against Honduras on March 25 (9:30 p.m. ET). Every Canada group stage match will be broadcast live on OneSoccer.
Buchanan enters his third season with New England having made 33 league appearances across his first two professional campaigns, with two goals and four assists. The Brampton, Ontario native led all Canadians with 23 MLS appearances during the 2020 season, finishing as one of two Revolution players to see action in every regular season contest. He started all four of the club’s games during the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs at the right back position, scoring once.
Dulysse, 21, has represented Haiti at the youth international level for both the Under-20 and Under-23 teams, including three starts with Haiti’s U-20 side during 2018 Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers. The Greenacres, Fla., product signed with to the Revolution II’s USL League One roster in December 2020 before being drafted by the Revs with the 51st-overall selection in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft in January. Dulysse appeared in 38 games over four seasons between Central Florida and Manhattan. The 6-foot-1 defender also made nine appearances in USL League Two with the Treasure Coast Tritons (2019) and the Portland Timbers U-23 side (2018).
Haiti, also competing in Group B, begins group play against Honduras on March 19 (3:30 p.m. ET) prior to taking on Canada on March 22 (6:00 p.m. ET) and finishes group play against El Salvador on March 25 (7:00 p.m. ET).
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Posted by FHF - Fédération Haïtienne De Football on Wednesday, March 10, 2021
The New England Revolution’s preseason training camp will continue in Foxborough through March 24, when the team departs for a five-game slate of preseason friendlies against Western Conference opposition in Los Angeles, Calif. The 2021 MLS regular season will begin on Saturday, April 17, with the Revs traveling to face Chicago Fire FC. New England will then welcome supporters back into Gillette Stadium for the club’s home opener on Saturday, April 24 vs. D.C. United.
