VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC selected New Zealand international defender Michael Boxall as the first overall pick in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft on Tuesday morning. The club then used their two other picks to select Canadian midfielder Joe Anderson (19th overall) and American defender Santiago Bedoya (37th overall).
Michael Boxall (Miranda Chrislock)
Boxall, 22, comes to Vancouver after four seasons at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound defender started 75 of his 78 appearances for the Gauchos and contributed offensively by scoring one goal and adding five assists. The native of Auckland, New Zealand, has represented his country at the U-20, U-23, and senior international levels. Boxall earned two senior caps with New Zealand during the 2006 Agribank Cup in Vietnam and started two matches during the 2008 Men's Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing, China. He also made three starts for the All Whites during the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada.
Joe Anderson
Anderson, 24, joins Whitecaps FC after completing his junior and senior years at Coastal Carolina University. The native of Brampton, Ontario, made 55 appearances in his two years with the Chanticleers, scoring 10 goals and adding one assist. Prior to joining Coastal Carolina, the 6-foot-1, 155-pound midfielder attended Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a member of the Golden Eagles, Anderson was named to the All-Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Second Team at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) school.
Santiago Bedoya (Jim Pierce)
Bedoya, 22, joins the Blue and White after four seasons at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. The native of Weston, Florida, made 76 total appearances for the Huskies for 6,107 minutes of action, scoring three goals and recording nine assists. The 5-foot-8, 155-pound defender was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) First Team in 2009 and the All-CAA Second Team in 2010.
Whitecaps FC Major League Soccer 2011 season tickets start at a base price of $319, plus applicable tax and a $10 processing fee per order, and more than 60 per cent of seats are available for less than $31 per game. To secure a seat and for additional information about Whitecaps FC MLS season tickets, suites, and loge boxes, call 604.669.9283 or visit whitecapsfc.com.
Michael Boxall
Position: Defender
Height: 6-02
Weight: 200
Born: August 18, 1988, in Auckland, New Zealand
Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand
College: University of California, Santa Barbara
Citizenship: New Zealand
How Acquired: Selected first overall in MLS Supplemental Draft on January 18, 2011
Joe Anderson
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-01
Weight: 155
Born: June 21, 1986, in Brampton, Ontario
Hometown: Brampton, Ontario
College: Coastal Carolina University
Citizenship: Canada
How Acquired: Selected 19th overall in MLS Supplemental Draft on January 18, 2011
Santiago Bedoya
Position: Defender
Height: 5-08
Weight: 155
Born: January 18, 1989, in Weston, Florida
Hometown: Weston, Florida
College: Northeastern University
Citizenship: United States
How Acquired: Selected 37th overall in MLS Supplemental Draft on January 18, 2011
About Vancouver Whitecaps FC
In 1974, Vancouver Whitecaps FC played their inaugural season in the North American Soccer League, and in 1979, the club won the NASL Soccer Bowl championship. From 1987 to 1992, as a member of the Canadian Soccer League, Vancouver won four straight CSL titles. In 2002, Whitecaps FC created a full club model that encompasses professional teams for men and women, extensive youth development and grassroots participation programs, facility development, and the Whitecaps Foundation to support specific initiatives related to health and wellness through soccer. Since 2004, Whitecaps FC have won two United Soccer Leagues First Division championships and two USL W-League championships. In 2011, Whitecaps FC will begin their inaugural season in Major League Soccer at Empire Field before moving into the new BC Place Stadium in downtown Vancouver.
