VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed today that WFC2 defender Jackson Farmer and striker Caleb Clarke have been called up to the Canadian men's national team for the TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games this July. Whitecaps FC Residency graduates Alex Comsia and Ben Fisk were also among the 18 players selected to the lineup.
The Canadian women's national side was announced as well, including WFC Girls Elite product Emma Fletcher and former 'Caps player Chelsea Stewart.
Head coach Antonio Floro and The Reds host the eight-team tournament at the CIBC Hamilton Soccer Stadium. Team Canada is in Group A with Peru, Panama and Brazil.
Farmer and Clarke look to help Canada to a medal finish in their first Pan Am appearance since the 1999 Winnipeg Games. The 2015 hosts begin play with a July 12 tilt versus Brazil. They face Panama on July 16 before rounding out the preliminary round against Peru on July 20.
- SCHEDULE: TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games Soccer
Farmer was most recently called up by Floro to a 10-day training camp in September 2014 that included two friendlies versus Mauritania. The centre back earned his first cap at the senior level in the first of the two matches, when he came on as a late second half substitute replacing Doneil Henry.
Farmer has started 11 of his 13 appearances for WFC2 this season, playing 1,023 minutes, second-most on the team.
Clarke earned his first call-up to the Canadian national team program in December 2011. Most recently, Clarke scored the match-winner during Canada's 2-1 victory over United States U-20 at the four-nation Marbella Cup in Spain on October 10, 2012,
This season, Clarke has made 14 appearances for Whitecaps FC 2 in the United Soccer League, pacing the team with five goals.
The Pan American competition is an Olympic Developmental U-22 event and will be a valuable chance for the team (#canM23) to prepare for qualifying for the 2016 Olympics, which should get underway in the fall. All of the players on this Canadian team are professional players with the majority coming from Canada’s professional clubs.
The top two teams in both of the groups containing four teams will qualify for the medal rounds with the gold medal game taking place on July 26.
“I'm happy with our squad because I know the majority of the players. We know how they can work with us and develop. I hope that we can reach the semifinals and we are really excited for that first game against Brazil because it’s a really important game for us,” Floro said in a release.
Men’s Canadian National Team (U-22)
Roster
Kevan Aleman / Midfielder / Brampton, ON CRC / CS Herediano
Manuel Aparicio / Midfielder / Toronto, ON CAN / Toronto FC (Toronto FC II)
Molham Babouli / Forward / Mississauga, ON CAN / Toronto FC II
Louis Béland-Goyette / Midfielder / Montréal, QC CAN / FC Montréal
Kevon Black / Defender / Brampton, ON CAN / Toronto FC II
Hanson Boakai / Forward / Edmonton, AB CAN / FC Edmonton
Adam Bouchard / Defender / Oakville, ON CAN / FC Toronto II
Caleb Clarke / Forward / Richmond, BC CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC (WFC2)
Alex Comsia / Defender / North Vancouver, BC USA / Carolina Railhawks U-23
Maxime Crépeau / Goalkeeper / Candiac, QC CAN / Impact de Montréal (FC Montréal)
Raheem Edwards / Forward / Toronto, ON CAN / Toronto FC II
Jackson Farmer / Defender / Edmonton, AB CAN / Vacouver Whitecaps FC (WFC2)
Ben Fisk / Forward / Vancouver, BC ESP / Coruxo FC
Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé / Midfielder / Sherbrooke, QC CAN / Impact de Montréal
Ricky Gomes / Goalkeeper / Kitchener, ON NED / MVV Maastricht
Jonathan Grant / Defender / Pickering, ON CAN / FC Montréal
Manjrekar James / Defender / North York, ON HUN / Pécsi MFC
Chris Manella / Midfielder / Toronto, ON CAN / Toronto FC (Toronto FC II)
Coaching staff
Antonio Floro / Head Coach / Silla, ESP
Francisco Javier Perez / Coach / Barcelona, ESP
Carmine Isacco / Coach / Vaughan, ON, CAN
Nuno Santos / Goalkeeper Coach / Setubal, POR
Jules Alie / Team Manager / Ottawa, ON
Carlo Bertelli / Equipment Manager / Burnaby, BC
Sebastian Buitrago / Athletic Therapist / Mississauga, ON, CAN
Claudio Castro / Video Coordinator / Toronto, ON, CAN
Women’s Canadian National Team
Roster
Janine Beckie | Forward | Littlejohn, COL, USA | USA / Texas Tech University
Kadeisha Buchanan | Defender | Brampton, ON | USA / West Virginia University
Gabrielle Carle | Forward | Lévis, QC | CAN / AS Armada Chaudière-Est
Nkem Ezurike | Forward | Halifax, NS | USA / Boston Breakers
Emma Fletcher | Midfielder | Victoria, BC | USA / University of California
Jessie Fleming | Midfielder | London, ON | CAN / London Nor’West SC
Sarah Kinzner | Midfielder | Calgary, AB | CAN / Calgary Foothills SC
Stephanie Labbé | Midfielder | Stony Plain, AB | Unattached
Ashley Lawrenc | Midfielder | Toronto, ON | USA / West Virginia University
Marie Levasseur | Forward | Stoneham, QC | CAN / CS Haute St- Charles
Kinley McNicholl | Defender | Oakville, ON | USA / University of Wisconsin
Victoria Pickett | Defender | Barrie, ON | CAN / Glen Shields Soccer Club
Nichelle Prince | Forward | Ajax, ON | USA / The Ohio State University
Rebecca Quinn | Defender | Toronto, ON | USA / Duke University
Kailen Sheridan | Goalkeeper | Whitby, ON | USA / Clemson University
Chelsea Stewart | Defender | Highland Ranch, CO, USA | USA / Western New York Flash
Danica Wu | Midfielder | Edmonton, AB | GER / Herdorfer
Shelina Zadorsky | Defender | London, ON | SWE / Vittsjö
Coaching staff
Daniel Worthington | Head Coach | Halifax, NS
John Herdman | Coach | Corsett, ENG
Simon Eaddy | Goalkeeper Coach | New Plymouth, NZL
Andrew Peat | Performance Analyst | Orewa, NZL
Kim Blake | Team Leader | Vancouver, BC
Andrew Cogliano | Team Doctor | London, ON
Patricia McBride | Lead Therapist | London, ON
Sarah Manson | Soccer Scientist | Vancouver, BC
Helen Holubec | Support Therapist | Toronto, ON
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