VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed today that Residency graduates Jackson Farmer and Caleb Clarke have named to the 20-man roster for the Canadian national U-23 team in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in October.
Farmer and Clarke, along with fellow Whitecaps FC Residency graduate Ben Fisk, will try to help Canada secure one of three potential spots to next year's Olympic Football Tournament in Brazil.
Only eight nations remain in the hunt from the CONCACAF region, with the qualification tournament scheduled from October 1 to 13. The top two nations at this tournament will qualify for Rio 2016 while the third-best team will advance to an intercontinental playoff against Colombia to be played at a later date.
The eight CONCACAF finalists have been divided into two groups, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the semifinal stage. In Group A action, Canada faces USA (October 1), Panama (October 3), and Cuba (October 6). By advancing to the semifinals on October 10, Canada could face Group B opponent either Costa Rica, Haiti, Honduras, or Mexico.
Canada will assemble in Toronto for training camp from September 22 to 29 before flying to Kansas City for the start of group play.
Farmer, 20, recently started two matches for the Canadian U-22 national team at the TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games. The centre back was also a member of Canada’s U-20 national team, starting two matches at the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship tournament and scoring a goal against Cuba. He leads Whitecaps FC 2 defenders in minutes played through Week 26 with 1,904 minutes.
Clarke, 22, also represented Canada at the recent Pan American Games, where he appeared in all three group stage matches. The striker from Richmond, BC 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 23 appearances for Whitecaps FC 2 and has seven goals on the year, tied with Marco Bustos for team-lead.
CANADA U-23
1- GK- Maxime Crépeau | CAN / Impact Montréal
2- FB- Johnny Grant | CAN / FC Montréal
3- FB- Mark-Anthony Kaye | CAN / Toronto FC II
4- CB- Jackson Farmer | CAN / Whitecaps FC 2
5- CB- Luca Gasparotto | SCO / Greenock Morton FC
6- M- Chris Mannella | CAN / Toronto FC
7- M- Mauro Eustáquio | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC
8- M- Jay Chapman | CAN / Toronto FC
9- F- Anthony Jackson-Hamel | CAN / Impact Montréal
10- F- Caleb Clarke | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
11- M- Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé | CAN / Impact Montréal
12- GK- Quillan Roberts | CAN / Toronto FC
13- M- Michael Petrasso | ENG / Queens Park Rangers
14- M- Samuel Piette | ESP / Deportivo La Coruña
15- M- Ben Fisk | ESP / Deportivo La Coruña B
16- M- Molham Babouli | CAN / Toronto FC II
17- M- Hanson Boakai | CAN / FC Edmonton
18- GK- Ricky Gomes | POR / Sport Clube de Mirandela
19- CB- Skylar Thomas | CAN / Toronto FC II
20- M- Dylan Carreiro | SCO / Arbroath
NOTE: While the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers must feature players 22 or younger (they will be 23 years or younger in 2016), next year's roster at the Rio 2016 Olympic Football Tournament can feature three players of any age.
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