Two Former OSC Players Named to Canadian Men’s U23 Olympic Qualifying Roster
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13 Mar 2012
UPDATE: After a successful training camp, Kyle Bekker and Evan James have both been named to the 20 player roster for the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament. Canada will kick off the tournament in Nashville on March 22 against El Salvador before meeting the US on March 24 and Cuba on March 26. Only two teams will qualify for London 2012 so the representatives will be determined by the semi-final matches in Kansas on March 31.
Former Oakville Soccer Club players Kyle Bekker and Evan James were recently named to the roster for the Canadian men’s U23 team Olympic Training Camp in Sunrise, Florida.
The eight day camp is designed to allow the Canadian coaches the opportunity to assess the players and ultimately form a 20 player roster for the 2012 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Bekker and James both played for the Oakville Bluestars. Bekker was co-captain of the team when the Bluestars won the National Championship in 2004 and back-to-back Ontario Cups in 2004 and 2005. James was on the Ontario Cup Championship roster in 2009.
Bekker is currently a star midfielder at Boston College. Now a junior, he started every match in both his freshman and sophomore year with the BC Eagles.
In 2010, Bekker was an All-ACC second team honouree and a member of the All-South Atlantic Region second team. He scored four goals and had five assists, including one goal and one assist in ACC action. Bekker has a total of 27 points over two years.
Bekker was previously a member of the Canadian national soccer program, playing with the U15 national team in the Kiwi Series against New Zealand in 2005.
James recently wrapped up a very successful college soccer career with UNC Charlotte before signing a contract with MLS expansion team Montreal Impact earlier this year. James has been training with the U23 team since January.
Of the 23 players in the camp, 15 have participated in previous U23 training camps with head coach Tony Fonseca.
The 20 player CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying roster will be finalized before the team leaves Florida on March 20 for the tournament in Nashville, Tennessee.
The tournament will run from March 22 to April 2. Canada is in Group A with Cuba, El Salvador and the US. Group B will play in Carson, California and boasts Mexico, Panama, Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago. Of the eight teams participating in the tournament, only two will qualify for the 2012 London Olympics this summer.
