Canada Soccer unveils new World Cup jerseys, gets $300K in funding for youth initiatives

When a young soccer player asked Jonathan Osorio if Canada was going to win the men's World Cup, his answer was direct.

"Yes," said Osorio during a question-and-answer period Monday at a children's soccer camp in Toronto's Downsview Park.

The panel with Osorio, teammate Richie Laryea, Canadian soccer great Dwayne De Rosario and Adam van Koeverden, the secretary of state for sport, was part of the grand unveiling of Canada's kit for the upcoming World Cup. The federal government also announced that it was giving Canada Soccer $300,000 to expand youth engagement initiatives across the country.

After taking some questions from youth players, Osorio tempered his bold prediction.

"I had to give them the answer that everybody wanted to hear, of course," Osorio told media members. "But hey, going into the World Cup, we're taking it game by game, and we go into every game to win.

"Obviously, we're realistic, we know winning the World Cup is a little bit of a stretch, but at the same time, who knows? Anything can happen in tournament football, especially at home in our country, and all we want to do really, is perform well and make our country proud."

A significant hurdle in that quest is the health of superstar Alphonso Davies. The left back strained his right hamstring in Bayern Munich's win over Atalanta in a Champions League match last Wednesday.

The 25-year-old Davies had returned in December from a torn ACL he sustained one year ago while playing for Canada.

"I mean, that's the best player in CONCACAF, in our region, that we won't be able to have for this camp," said Laryea. "But I think with everything being said and done, it doesn't seem like it's all too bad.

"I think obviously, with him being out previously with his