Whilst he may have burst on the national scene during the Canadian U17 team’s run in the recent World Cup qualifying tournament, many in Canadian soccer circles had heard of the name of Marco Bustos.
However it was during the tournament when most across the country realized that the talent truly met the reputation of this soccer phenom.
It was at a very young age when Bustos started appearing in the forums amongst supporters as the kid who was training with Liverpool youth program. Of course with that there was also the immediate and typical dread that he would never play for Canada.
By the age of 15 the Manitoba native knew he had to look outside of his home province in order to develop his natural soccer talents.
<i>"It wasn’t as challenging in Winnipeg and I needed to get out to bring my soccer to the next level"</i> Bustos told us.
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He decided to come and join the Vancouver Whitecaps' Residency program where he played for the newly formed U16 team in the USSDA league last season. That group made it to the Academy playoffs but missed out on Finals week, getting eliminated on the final day of competition on goal difference.
This season Bustos once again started out with the U16s and was then moved up to the U18s when it was obvious that he was dominating the level and needed more challenges.
<i>"It was something to adapt to and experience being one of the leaders and better players on the team with the other 96ers and then go up one level and not having the same impact right away."</i>
However it didn’t take Bustos long to adjust to the older players and once again he soon became the engine that ran the attack for one of the most prolific teams in the USSDA, scoring nine goals himself in 26 regular season appearances.
His performances with the Residency also caught the eye of the Canadian national team. He travelled to Panama for the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers in April and was a key cog for Canada's run to a third place finish and a spot at the U17 World Cup in UAE later this year.
Bustos started all five games, racking up 392 minutes and adding two assists. How did he find the whole experience?
<i>"It was an experience that not many people get and it's something I'll cherish for a long time, playing in front of your fans and country with everybody watching, it's crazy."</i>
He assisted on a couple of key goals in the quarter final game against Jamaica that clinched Canada's spot in the Finals, but the young Cap is quick to point out that it was the end result that was most important for the team, not personal performances.
<i>"Getting the goals, sure I assisted, but going through to the World Cup, you can put those aside. Getting to the World Cup beats anything."</i>
The latest challenge for Bustos is to help lead the Whitecaps to a national title, starting with advancing in playoffs week to the Finals week. Having been through last year's heartache with the U16's, he knows what it will take to succeed.
<i>"From the experience, we have to score goals and take our chances, because we went out tying one of the teams 0-0 and the team that we tied ended up scoring more goals and that's the difference in tournament soccer."</i>
For Marco there was no further 'playoffs week' heartache this year as Vancouver clinched one of the eight places in the USSDA Finals week with a 3-1 victory against Pennsylvania side PA Classics in Dallas on Thursday morning, grabbing two goals himself on the way.
Bustos has been one of the key contributors for the Caps all week, starting all three games. His two goals in the final group game meant he had scored in all three games during the week, after grabbing one each against Chicago Fire and Houston Dynamo.
It's been a great performance by the young Cap, who is continuing to go from strength to strength and has another two years of play with the Whitecaps U18s ahead of him is he so chooses. Four goals for a player that could have been still playing with the U16s, and also adding an assist in the first game as well, is just another indication of his future potential.
He's in the best form of his young career to date and with the USSDA Finals week coming up in Houston in July and the FIFA U17 World Cup coming up in the UAE in October, that's great news for both the Caps and Canada.
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