Ahead of their inaugural season in the United Soccer League (USL), Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) will begin preseason camp on Monday at Burnaby Lake Sports Complex.
Head coach Alan Koch will bring 28 players into camp with an eye on rounding out the core roster for the 2015 season. On Wednesday, five selections from the 2015 WFC2 Open Tryout presented by adidas will join the fold (names below). The squad will be supplemented by loans from the ‘Caps MLS team.
| WFC2 Preseason Camp Roster | |||
| First Name | Last Name | Position | Hometown |
| Quante | Abbott-Hill Smith | D | Brampton, ON |
| Mark | Baldisimo | M | Burnaby, BC |
| Derrick | Bassi | D | Delta, BC |
| Carlo | Basso | F | Coquitlam, BC |
| Jovan | Blagojevic | M/F | Coquitlam, BC |
| Victor | Blasco | M | Barcelona, Spain |
| Brian | Chapman | D | |
| Niall | Cousens | F | Vancouver, BC |
| Karim | Darbaki | M | Crystal, Minnesota |
| Matt | Elder | GK | New Hope, Minnesota |
| Yassin | Essa | M | Surrey, BC |
| Rizal | Ganief | F | Delta, BC |
| Jordan | Haynes | D/M | Peterborough, ON |
| Alex | Kleefeldt | D | Frankfurt, Germany |
| Brett | Levis | M/F | Saskatoon, SA |
| Alex | Marrello | M | Vancouver, BC |
| Colton | O'Neill | D | Abbotsford, BC |
| Jordan | Ongaro | F | Edmonton, AB |
| Nikola | Paunic | D | Toronto, ON |
| Mackenzie | Pridham | F | Toronto, ON |
| Tyler | Rosenlund | M | Burnaby, BC |
| Sahil | Sandhu | F | Surrey, BC |
| Chris | Serban | D | Calgary, AB |
| Moussa | Toure | D/M | Monrovia, Liberia |
| Mark | Village | GK | Abbotsford, BC |
| Jordan | Whitehead | M | North Delta, BC |
| Valarian | Wiebe | GK | Delta, BC |
| Michael | Winter | M | Vancouver, BC |
*Signed defender Jackson Farmer and midfielder Mitch Piraux, and 2015 MLS SuperDraft pick goalkeeper Spencer Richey are all currently in preseason with the first team in Portland
Included among the preseason group are Whitecaps FC Residency graduates Mark Baldisimo, Derrick Bassi, Yassin Essa, Jordan Haynes (signed), Sahil Sandhu, and Chris Serban (signed). Also having spent time with the club are former Whitecaps FC U-23 players Niall Cousens, Brett Levis (signed), Alex Marrello, Colton O'Neill, and Michael Winter, as well as former Whitecaps FC Prospects player Jordan Whitehead. Three Whitecaps FC MLS SuperDraft picks will join camp, 2014 selection Mackenzie Pridham and 2015 selections Jovan Blagojevic (signed) and Nikola Paunic.
Among the most recongizable names on the list is local midfielder Tyler Roselund who has played the last four seasons in USL with Rochester Rhinos. Roselund also spent time in MLS with Toronto FC, and previously in Sweden with Åtvidabergs FF and in Finland with IFK Mariehamn.
International players include winger Victor Blasco of Barcelona, Spain who played at Vancouver Island University in a unique loan deal from SFU after being scouted by Koch. Another international to have previously been coached by Koch is Germany's Alex Kleefeldt, who played at SFU. Moussa Toure from Monrova, Liberia previously played with Atlanta Silverbacks and is the brother of former Whitecaps USL midfielder Ansu Toure.
| WFC2 Open Tryout presented by adidas - Final Selections | |||
| First name | Last name | Position | Hometown |
| Gavin | Barrett | D | Richmond, BC |
| Dawit | Genet | M | Burnaby, BC |
| Coulton | Jackson | F | Port Moody, BC |
| Carlos | Marquez | F | Vancouver, BC |
| Matthew | Sheldon | M | Portland, OR |
Invited from the WFC2 Open Tryout presented by adidas is former University of Victoria defender Gavin Barrett, midfielder Dawit Genet from the Blaise Soccer Academy (run by former Switzerland national team and Seattle Sounders FC striker Blaise Nkfuo), strikers Coulton Jackson and Carlos Marquez who spent time in the Whitecaps FC Residency program during their youth, and midfielder Matthew Sheldon from the University of California Davis.
In preparation for their season opener on Sunday¸ March 29 away to Seattle Sounders FC 2 (S2), Koch’s squad will play a series of preseason matches (schedule below).
| WFC2 Preseason Schedule | |||||
| Date | Opponent | Time | Location | City | |
Saturday, February 28 | Intrasquad Match | 6 p.m. | SFU Field #4 | Burnaby, BC | |
Monday, March 9 | UBC | 7 p.m. | Thunderbird Stadium | Vancouver, BC | |
Sunday, March 15 | Sounders FC 2 | 1 p.m. | Starfire Sports Complex | Tukwila, WA | |
Thursday, March 19 | SFU | 3 p.m. | SFU Fox Field | Burnaby, BC | |
Sunday, March 22 | Oregon State | 10 a.m. | TBC | ||
WFC2 will train throughout the week from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT, Monday to Friday at Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West.
| Weekly WFC2 Training Schedule | ||
Monday | 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West |
Tuesday | 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West |
Wednesday | 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West |
Thursday | 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West |
Friday | 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West |
Come and see the next generation of Whitecaps FC stars as USL arrives in Vancouver. With Season Tickets available for as low as $118, WFC2 matches will be a unique and affordable experience for fans, families, students, and supporters. The first 1,100 fans to sign up for Season Tickets will be recognized as founding members of the WFC2 Starting 11, a membership group that offers exclusive rewards and experiences. Become a part of the team and secure your Season Ticket Membership today.
