August 10, 2021...The Kids Are Alright: More Praise and Plaudits for York United's Young Stars (from York United FC website)

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: MORE PRAISE AND PLAUDITS FOR YORK UNITED'S YOUNG STARS Max Ferrari
and Isaiah Johnston named in CPL's Team of the Week.

The story of York United's 2021 Canadian Premier League campaign so far has been the blossoming
of the club's young talent.

But, while the U21 players have now racked up 4,122 minutes of on-field action (the league's mandate
is 1,500 for the entire season), their contribution goes way beyond that.

The superb 3-2 win over HFX Wanderers last weekend seemed the perfect encapsulation of how crucial
the youngsters have been to a thoroughly-exciting side. Firstly, 20-year-old right-winger Max Ferrari
- playing in another relatively unfamiliar role on the left of midfield (following recent emergency
shifts at left-back and right-back respectively), popped up with his first ever professional goal.
Then, in the second-half, he was the one who teed up Isaiah Johnston's equalizer for his third assist
of the season.

For 19-year-old Johnston, meanwhile, it was his pass to Julian Ulbricht that dropped invitingly
for Ferrari to smash home (the German got a touch to register an assist) while his strike now means
he's got two for the season.

And the big story of the game - Lowell Wright's last-gasp winner - means the 17-year-old also moves
to two for the season, following his towering header in the 2-1 win against Valour FC during the team's
'bubble' stint in Winnipeg.

Looking more generally at the attacking patterns, the younger players are all heavily involved
in York United's chance creation.

Ferrari leads the field on 15, while Terique Mohammed has 10 to his name. Elsewhere, 19-year-old
Cedric Toussaint (9), Johnston (7) and Wright (5) all feature prominently.

"They're a resilient bunch," said Brennan after the win over HFX, speaking specifically about the side's
young guns.

"They don't know when to quit: as you can see."

The performances have led to praise and plaudits from a variety of observers and it said much that
both Ferrari and Johnston were included (as were Dominick Zator and Niko Giantsopoulos) in the CPL's
Gatorade Team of the Week. For Johnston, it's the second time he's picked up the honour this term.

"During the off-season, [there was] lots of hard work and grinding," he said earlier in the campaign.

"Following the programs the coaches gave me, coming in fit right away, being prepared to learn
and take in everything the coaches have to offer to progress my game. I just feel I came in ready
and hungry this season."

As it turned out, he wasn't the only one.

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