VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today the club’s 2013-14 U-18 Residency roster for their upcoming United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) season.
“It’s a good group of boys we’ve got, not just in terms of their footballing ability, but we’re really looking forward to the character and the personalities that they’ve got,” noted Whitecaps FC high performance head coach Gordon Forrest, returning for a second season at the helm of the U-18 team. “There’s a big drive within the group to keep developing and be successful and we’re excited for the guys returning again.”
This year's roster features 10 returning players, including left back Sam Adekugbe who on Wednesday was added to the club's Major League Soccer (MLS) roster as the 'Caps first ever Homegrown defender. Joining him on the U-18 Residency roster is returning captain Jackson Farmer. It was also announced on Wednesday that both Adekugbe and Farmer have been called up to their first Canadian senior men's national team camp from September 1 to 11 in Valencia, Spain. The camp will be the first under new Canada head coach Benito Floro.
Other notable players returning to the roster are midfielders Marco Bustos and Kianz Froese, both of whom have trained with Whitecaps FC's first team and played matches in the MLS Reserve League.
Making the jump from the U-16 Residency team are goalkeepers Marco Carducci and William Diaz, as well as defender Vaggeli Boucas.
One new addition also enters the Residency program, as Port Moody, BC, native Kyle Jones comes on board from EA SPORTS BC Soccer Premier League club Coquitlam Metro-Ford.
Seven players on the roster came through the BC Soccer Provincial Development Program and National Training Centre, including Burnaby native Titouan Chopin, Comox native Nolan Wirth, Langley native Boucas, Port Coquitlam native Diaz, Port Moody native Jones, Surrey native Nicholas Prasad, and Vancouver native Matthew Chow.
Entering their third season in the USSDA, the U-18 'Caps will look to build on a successful first two seasons for the club. In the inaugural season in 2012, the U-18 team made it all the way to the USSDA championship final, finishing as runners-up after a narrow 3-2 defeat to FC Dallas Academy. Last season, the Blue and White returned to Academy Finals Week and finished sixth among the 80 clubs in the USSDA.
The U-18 'Caps open their 2013-14 USSDA season on Saturday, September 14, against Cal Odyssey. The following day, on September 15, the U-18s face San Jose Earthquakes Academy in the first of two meetings this season.
<strong>Status</strong> |
<strong>First Name</strong> |
<strong>Last Name</strong> |
<strong>Position</strong> |
<strong>Hometown</strong> |
<strong>Previous Club</strong> |
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>Sam</p> |
<p>Adekugbe</p> |
<p>D</p> |
<p>Calgary, AB</p> |
<p>Calgary Foothills</p> |
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>Vaggeli</p> |
<p>Boucas</p> |
<p>D</p> |
<p>Langley, BC</p> |
<p>Surrey United SC</p> |
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>Marco</p> |
<p>Bustos</p> |
<p>M</p> |
<p>Winnipeg, MB</p> |
<p>Whitecaps FC Residency</p> |
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>Marco</p> |
<p>Carducci</p> |
<p>GK</p> |
<p>Calgary, AB</p> |
<p>Calgary Villains FC</p> |
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>Titouan</p> |
<p>Chopin</p> |
<p>M/F</p> |
<p>Burnaby, BC</p> |
<p>Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC</p> |
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>Matthew</p> |
<p>Chow</p> |
<p>F</p> |
<p>Vancouver, BC</p> |
<p>Fusion SC</p> |
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>William</p> |
<p>Diaz</p> |
<p>GK</p> |
<p>Port Coquitlam, BC</p> |
<p>Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC</p> |
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>Jackson</p> |
<p>Farmer</p> |
<p>D</p> |
<p>Edmonton, AB</p> |
<p>Extreme FC</p> |
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>Kianz</p> |
<p>Froese</p> |
<p>M</p> |
<p>Brunkild, MB</p> |
|
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>Jordan</p> |
<p>Haynes</p> |
<p>F</p> |
<p>Peterborough, ON</p> |
<p>Whitecaps FC Residency</p> |
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>Mitch</p> |
<p>Piraux</p> |
<p>M</p> |
<p>Calgary, AB</p> |
<p>Calgary Foothills SC</p> |
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>Nicholas</p> |
<p>Prasad</p> |
<p>D</p> |
<p>Surrey, BC</p> |
<p>CCB Rovers</p> |
<p>Returning</p> |
<p>Nolan</p> |
<p>Wirth</p> |
<p>GK</p> |
<p>Comox, BC</p> |
<p>UVI United</p> |
<p>New Invite</p> |
<p>Kyle</p> |
<p>Jones</p> |
<p>M</p> |
<p>Port Moody, BC</p> |
<p>Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC</p> |
