Anthony Aromatario has turned heads with his play in the Canadian Premier League (CPL) this season. While he may have surprised many, York Lions head coach Carmine Isacco is not one of them. Isacco made a strong case for Aromatario to earn a call-up to the CanMNT.
Aromatario, 23, played a key role in York’s U Sports National championship victory last season. His strong season earned him OUA Second Team All-Star honors. However, the Woodbridge native surprisingly did not get selected in the 2026 CPL-U Sports Draft.
Aromatario signed a short-term contract with Forge FC and impressed the coaching staff against Liga MX side Tigres UANL. The coaching staff thrust him into a high-pressure CONCACAF Champions Cup matchup, and he responded with a strong performance that earned him a U Sports contract.
The former York Lions midfielder has made a smooth transition to the professional level with Forge this season. Forge currently sits at the top of the table, and Aromatario has played significant minutes for the club.
Anthony Aromatario’s Ex-Coach Carmine Isacco Makes Strong Case for CanMNT Call-Up
Carmine Isacco is well respected within the Canadian soccer community. He helped build York University into one of the top soccer programs in Canada.
Isacco has helped develop several players who have gone on to play in Europe, MLS, and the CPL. Beyond coaching at York, Isacco serves as Vaughan Soccer Club‘s Director of Soccer Operations.
Notable players who spent time with Vaughan SC include Alistair Johnston, Promise David, Niko Sigur, and Dayne St. Clair. All four players represented Canada at the 2026 World Cup.
Based on what he has seen so far this season, Isacco believes Aromatario deserves a CanMNT call-up.
“For me, the next player who should be on the [Canadian] national team and should get a look at the next level is Anthony Aromatario. He’s been doing amazingly well in the CPL. I guess the statistics speak for themselves,” Isacco told The Game Plan. “Aromatario is another one that not only U Sport, [Ontario Premier League], is a product of some very good players. They need to be thorough.”
Isacco Says Aromatario is Capitalizing on His CPL Opportunity
Isacco also believes Aromatario is capitalizing on his CPL opportunity and developing at the professional level. Playing for a successful club like Forge Aromatario experience playing against Liga MX teams in CONCACAF play.
The Canadian Championship also lets CPL clubs test themselves against Canadian MLS clubs. Isacco strongly believes Aromatario deserves opportunities with both the CanMNT and MLS clubs.
“But Anthony, for me, is using this as a platform as well and Bobby’s [Smyrniotis] got the foresight to understand that hey, this is a big time player not only for Forge right now but maybe for MLS teams,” Isacco told The Game Plan.
He continued:
“And if MLS teams aren’t looking at this kid, they need to look hard. If Toronto FC doesn’t want a player like Anthony Aromatario in their midfield then they need to have a look at themselves because they need exactly this.”
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