Canada Soccer announced on Monday that nine Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency products will represent Canada’s U-20 men’s national team at the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Jamaica as they seek a berth at the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015.
Canada's U-20 head coach Rob Gale named a 20-man roster including Whitecaps FC goalkeeper Marco Carducci, defender Sam Adekugbe, and attacking midfielders Marco Bustos and Kianz Froese from the MLS roster, current Residency defender Jordan Haynes, and Residency graduate in centre back Jackson Farmer.
Also included on the roster are two Residency graduates currently playing in college: goalkeeper Nolan Wirth (Oregon State University) and defender Chris Serban (University of British Columbia). Rounding out the Whitecaps FC affiliations is former Residency defender Alexander Comsia. No club has more representation than Whitecaps FC on the Canadian squad.
Canada will play out of Group B and will be rolling into Montego Bay with no shortage of confidence having picked up some encouraging results and performances in the run-up to the competition.
“I am excited to get this squad together and we are all looking forward to the learning experience of a world cup qualifying campaign. This is an opportunity to continue the players development and expose them to demands of an international football tournament,” said Gale. “I hope and expect the players will seize this opportunity to test and showcase themselves and we are confident in showing everyone what a good football team we are becoming and helping these players move on in their international careers.”
First up is Haiti on Saturday, January 10, followed by Mexico two days later (January 12). Matches against El Salvador (January 15), Cuba (January 19), and Honduras (January 22) to conclude the group stage. The group winner moves to the tournament final with a FIFA U-20 World Cup spot secured, while the second and third placed teams will playoff against the second and third placed teams from Group A for the other two spots open to the CONCACAF region.
All of Canada’s matches will be played at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.
Stay tuned to whitecapsfc.com for complete coverage of Canada's matches.
CANADA
GK- Marco Carducci | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
GK- Nolan Wirth | USA / Oregon State University
D- Sam Adekugbe | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
D- Alexander Comsia | FRA / RC Strasbourg
D- Luca Gasparotto | SCO / Rangers FC (on loan at Airdrieonians)
D- Jackson Farmer | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency
D- Jordan Haynes | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency
D- Brandon John | GER / Erzgebirge Aue
D- Rares (Chris) Serban | CAN / University of British Columbia
M- Manuel Aparicio | CAN / Toronto FC
M- Louis Béland-Goyette | CAN / Impact de Montréal
M- Hanson Boakai | CAN / FC Edmonton
M- Marco Bustos | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
M- Kianz Froese | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
M- Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé | CAN / Impact de Montréal
M- Chris Nanco | USA / Syracuse University
M- Michael Petrasso | ENG / Queens Park Rangers
F- Calum Fergusson | SCO / Inverness Caldeonian Thistle
F- Jordan Hamilton | CAN / Toronto FC
F- Cyle Larin | unattached / sans club
