The Canadian Soccer Association announced on Friday the U-23 men's national team roster for the upcoming Pan-American Games, to be hosted July 10-26 in Toronto.
The soccer competition will actually take place in Hamilton and will, on the men's side, consist of players born 1993 or later, making them eligible for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. CONCACAF nations competing include hosts Canada, Mexico, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago, and they will be joined by CONMEBOL teams Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Peru.
The women's tournament, like the Olympics, has no age limit.
Antonio Floro, son of Canadian national team head coach Benito Floro, will coach the Canadian men in the Pan-American Games. They will open against Brazil on July 12 and continue with games against Panama on July 16 and Peru on July 20. The semifinals will be held July 23, with the third-place match set for July 25 and the final for July 26.
The younger Floro's roster includes five MLS players and an additional seven players from MLS-operated USL clubs. Toronto FC lead the way with midfielders Manny Aparicio and Chris Mannella selected from the first team, along with four players from Toronto FC II. The Montreal Impact contributed goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau and midfielder Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé from their first-team roster, along with two players from FC Montreal. Vancouver Whitecaps forward Caleb Clarke (pictured above) was selected to the squad, along with one player from Whitecaps FC 2.
No players were selected who are also on Canada's provisional, 35-player roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which will overlap with the Pan-American Games. Age-eligible players on that list (who could still be part of Canada's squad for the CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship in October) include Orlando City's Cyle Larin, Toronto FC's Jordan Hamilton and Quillan Roberts, Vancouver's Sam Adekugbe and Kianz Froese, as well as European-based player Luca Gasparatto, Michael Petrasso and Samuel Piette.
Canada U-23
Goalkeepers (2):Maxime Crépeau (Candiac, QC; Montreal Impact), Ricky Gomes (Kitchener, ON; MVV Maastricht)
Defenders (6): Kevon Black (Brampton, ON; Toronto FC II), Adam Bouchard (Oakville, ON; Toronto FC II), Alex Comsia (North Vancouver, BC; Carolina RailHawks U-23), Jackson Farmer (Edmonton, AB; Vancouver Whitecaps 2), Jonathan Grant (Pickering, ON; FC Montreal), Manjrekar James (North York, ON; Pécsi MFC)
Midfielders (5): Keven Alemán (Brampton, ON; Herediano), Manny Aparicio (Toronto, ON; Toronto FC), Louis Béland-Goyette (Montreal, QC; FC Montreal), Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé (Sherbrooke, QC; Montreal Impact), Chris Mannella (Toronto, ON; Toronto FC)
Forwards (5): Molham Babouli (Mississauga, ON; Toronto FC II), Hanson Boakai (Edmonton, AB; FC Edmonton), Caleb Clarke (Richmond, BC; Vancouver Whitecaps), Raheem Edwards (Toronto, ON; Toronto FC II), Ben Fisk (Vancouver, BC; Coruxo FC)
