Gianluca Catalano
{{Short description|Canadian soccer player (born 2000)}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Gianluca Catalano
| image = GianlucaItaly.jpg
| caption = Catalano with Toronto FC III in 2017
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|05|06}}
| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}
| position = Goalkeeper
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Kleinburg Noble ton SC
| youthyears2 = 2012–2018
| youthclubs2 = Toronto FC
| collegeyears1 = 2018–2021
| college1 = Connecticut Huskies
| collegecaps1 = 19
| collegegoals1 = 0
| years1 = 2016–2018
| clubs1 = Toronto FC III
| caps1 = 28
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2018
| clubs2 = Toronto FC II
| caps2 = 5
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2019
| clubs3 = AC Connecticut
| caps3 = 9
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2022–2023
| clubs4 = Vaughan Azzurri
| caps4 = 12
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2022
| clubs5 = → York United (loan)
| caps5 = 1
| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2023
| clubs6 = Toronto FC II
| caps6 = 4
| goals6 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2017
| nationalteam1 = Canada U17
| nationalcaps1 = 3
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| club-update = September 1, 2023
| nationalteam-update = May 25, 2018
}}
Gianluca Catalano (born May 6, 2000) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper.
Early life
Catalano began playing soccer at age three with Kleinburg Nobleton SC.{{Canada Soccer player|id=4933}} As a youth, he was a member of the TFC Academy. He represented Toronto FC at multiple youth international soccer tournaments in France, Mexico, US, and at the world-famous Torneo di Viareggio in Italy, where he helped the TFC Academy to a 1–1 draw against the Juventus Academy.{{cite web|url=https://www.torontofc.ca/post/2017/03/15/viareggio-cup-journal-tournament-match-day-2|date=March 15, 2017|title=Viareggio Cup Journal: Tournament Match Day 2|work=Toronto FC}} He later helped them defeat Juventus saving the final shot in a penalty shootout in the championship finals to win the 2017 International Youth Soccer Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.torontofc.ca/post/2017/08/21/u-17s-beat-juventus-capture-international-youth-soccer-cup|title=U-17s beat Juventus to capture International Youth Soccer Cup!|date=August 21, 2017|author=Adam Krueger|work=Toronto FC}}
College career
In 2018, he accepted a scholarship to play for NCAA Division 1 University of Connecticut (UConn).{{cite web|url=https://www.torontofc.ca/post/2018/02/07/three-academy-players-sign-national-letter-intent |title=Signing Day 2018 Three academy players sign National Letter of Intent |first=Adam|last=Krueger |date=February 7, 2018 |accessdate=May 18, 2020 |work=Toronto FC}} As a freshman, he started the season opener and won 2-1 vs Lehigh, advanced to the American Athletic Conference semi-finals, and lost to Indiana University in the 2nd round of the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament, also known as the College Cup. As a sophomore in 2019, he was named Goalkeeper of the Week in October.{{cite web|url=https://uconnhuskies.com/news/2019/10/14/mens-soccer-catalano-lapert-collect-major-conference-honors.aspx|title=Catalano, Lapert Collect Major Conference Honors|date=October 14, 2019|work=UConn Huskies}} On February 24, 2020, he was named to the FTF NCAA All-Canadian 1st Team.{{cite tweet|number=1231976509650456576|date=February 24, 2020|user=FTFCanada__|title=FTF NCAA All- Canadian Teams}}
Club career
He began his career in the semi-professional League1 Ontario playing for Toronto FC III and was selected to the 2017 League1 Ontario All-Star team.{{Cite web |last=staff |first=League1 Ontario |date=2017-07-18 |title=League1 Announces Final Selection For #L1OAllStar 2017 Match Versus PLSQ |url=https://www.league1ontario.com/news_article/show/813892-league1-announces-final-selection-for-l1oallstar-2017-match-versus-plsq |access-date=2022-03-18 |website=League1 Ontario |language=en-us}}
He made his fully professional league debut for Toronto FC II in the USL Championship as an academy call-up, on May 16, 2018, against Atlanta United 2.{{cite web|url=https://www.wakingthered.com/2018/5/17/17366500/offensive-explosion-not-enough-for-toronto-fc-ii-lose-odd-goal-in-nine-at-atlanta-united-2-tfc-usl |title=Offensive explosion not enough for Toronto FC II as they lose by the odd goal in nine at Atlanta United 2|date=May 17, 2018 |author=James Grossi |work=Waking The Red}} He went on to play a total of 5 USL Championship games, including 4 starts, prior to joining UConn.{{cite web|url=https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/gianluca-catalano/11017 |title=Gianluca Catalano |work=University of Connecticut}}
In the spring of 2019, he joined AC Connecticut of the USL League Two (USL2) making 66 saves in 9 games{{cite web|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/roster_players/33161064|title=Gianluca Catalano|work=USL League Two}} and was named the number two goalkeeping prospect as part of the league's Top 20 Under 20.{{cite web|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/news_article/show/1053784 |title=League Two 20 Under 20: Goalkeepers |date=October 2, 2019 |work=USL League Two}} On November 20, 2019, he was nominated by the league for the 'Global Greats Series': Best Player from North America 2019, where he finished 3rd overall in voting.{{cite web|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/news_article/show/1066206 |title=Global Greats: North America |date=November 20, 2019 |work=USL League Two}}
In 2022, he played for Vaughan Azzurri in League1 Ontario.{{cite web|url=https://www.league1ontario.com/roster_players/54592374|title=Gianluca Catalano 2022 L1O Stats|work=League1 Ontario}} With the Azzurri, he helped them win League1 Premier Division regular season Championship as well as winning the final which also qualified the team to the 2023 Canadian Championship.{{cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/vaughan-azzurri-gianluca-catalano-pro-level/|title=Catalano Pushing For Pro Return|date=May 6, 2023|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}} He also went on trial with Canadian Premier League club York United FC, ahead of the 2022 season.{{cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/york-united-austin-ricci-trial/|title=Austin Ricci Is Training With York United|date=March 2, 2022|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}} He served as an emergency substitute goalkeeper for York United during the season, and made a start for the club on July 1 against FC Edmonton.{{Cite web|url=https://lastwordonsports.com/soccer/2022/07/02/fc-edmonton-defeats-york-united/|title=FC Edmonton defeats York United FC 3-0 at home|first=Kyle|last=Watson|date=July 2, 2022|work=Last Word on Sports}}{{cite tweet|title=Gianluca Catalano and Eleias Himaras have been signed to Emergency Goalkeeper contracts|user=yorkutdfc|date=July 1, 2022|number=1542975170121707520}}
In June 2023, he signed a short-term contract with Toronto FC II in MLS Next Pro, with the team retaining options to extend the contract for the remainder of the 2023 season, as well as the 2024 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.torontofc.ca/tfc2/news/toronto-fc-ii-sign-goalkeeper-gianluca-catalano-to-short-term-agreement|title=Toronto FC II sign goalkeeper Gianluca Catalano to short-term agreement|date=June 23, 2023|work=Toronto FC}}{{cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/toronto-fc-2-gianluca-catalano/|title=Catalano Inks Short-Term Deal With TFC2|date=June 23, 2023|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}}
International career
In October 2014, he made his debut in the Canadian youth program at an identification camp for the Canada U15 team. In 2015, he was named to the Canadian U-15 team, for a CONCACAF tournament in Mexico City.{{Cite web|url=https://www.torontofc.ca/post/2015/07/30/six-tfc-academy-players-named-canadas-u-15-team|title=Six TFC Academy players named to Canada's U-15 Team|date=July 30, 2015|work=Toronto FC}} Later that same year, he was named to a U-18 development camp.{{Cite web|url=https://www.torontofc.ca/post/2015/10/17/kia-tfc-academy-players-selected-canadas-u-18-development-camp|title=Kia TFC Academy Players Selected to Canada's U-18 Development Camp|date=October 17, 2015|work=Toronto FC}} In 2017, he was named to the Canadian U17 team for the 2017 CONCACAF U-17 Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.torontofc.ca/post/2017/04/17/eleven-athletes-called-canada-u-17-squad|date=April 17, 2017|work=Toronto FC|title=Eleven Athletes called into Canada U-17 Squad}}
Career statistics
{{updated|September 1, 2023}}{{soccerway|gianluca-catalano/481511}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|gianluca-catalano/481511}}
- {{Canada Soccer player|id=4933}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Catalano, Gianluca}}
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers
Category:Canadian men's soccer players
Category:Soccer players from Toronto
Category:Toronto FC Academy players
Category:Toronto FC II players
Category:UConn Huskies men's soccer players
Category:USL Championship players
Category:League1 Ontario players
Category:USL League Two players
Category:AC Connecticut players
Category:York United FC players
Category:Canada men's youth international soccer players
Category:Vaughan Azzurri players