Impact Soccer

YALLOP ANNOUNCES ROSTER FOR WALES FRIENDLY ON MAY 30

Ottawa, Ontario - Canadian Men’s World Cup Team head coach Frank Yallop today named an 18-player roster for the upcoming international friendly against Wales in Wrexham, Wales on May, 30, 2004. The kickoff is 2:30 p.m. local time.

The squad will begin to assemble on May 25 with European-based players joining the group on May 26. The majority of the team will return to Canada on May 31st.

Yallop will use the friendly to make some final decisions on the players who will take part in an exhibition game against Yallop’s former team, the San Jose Earthquakes (June 5 in San Jose, California) and the World Cup Qualifying series against Belize on June 13 and 16 in Kingston, Ontario.

The only newcomer to the squad is 22-year-old striker Olivier Occean who plays with Odd Grenland in Norway and who was drafted by the New York/NJ MetroStars. Occean was part of the 2003 Canadian Olympic Team earning one cap.

"This camp and game against a strong Welsh side will be the perfect preparation and assessment opportunity as we put the finishing touches on the team which will compete against Belize in Kingston," said Yallop. "There are still one or two players not on the Wales game roster who could be involved against San Jose or Belize."

Canadian Roster For Friendly vs Wales on May 30

Name Pos. Club D.O.B. Caps Goals/Shutouts
Lars Hirschfeld GK Unattached 10/17/78 16 4
Pat Onstad GK San Jose Earthquakes, MLS 1/13/68 38 15
Chris Pozniak D/M Haugesund, Norwegian First Division 1/10/81 10 0
Jason deVos D Wigan Athletic, English First Division 1/2/74 43 3
Kevin McKenna D Heart of Midlothian, Scottish Premier 1/21/80 21 6
Mark Watson D Charleston Battery, A-League 9/8/70 70 0
Ante Jazic D/M Rapid Vienna, Austrian First Division 2/27/76 5 0
Daniel Imhof M St. Gallen, Swiss First Division 11/22/77 21 0
Marc Bircham M Queen’s Park Rangers, English First Div. 5/11/78 15 1
Mike Klukowski M La Louviere, Belgian First Division 5/27/81 1 0
Jim Brennan M Norwich City, English Premier 5/8/77 33 3
Atiba Hutchinson M Helsingborg, Swedish Premier Division 3/8/83 4 0
Julian deGuzman M Hannover 96, German Bundesliga 3/25/81 6 0
Iain Hume M/F Tranmere Rovers, English Second Div. 10/20/83 3 0
Tomasz Radzinski F Everton, English Premier 12/14/73 19 5
Paul Peschisolido F Derby County, English First Division 5/25/71 48 9
Dwayne de Rosario F San Jose Earthquakes, MLS 5/15/78 17 3
Olivier Occean F Odd Grenland, Norwegian First Division 10/23/81 0 0

Yallop calls up strong 18-player squad for soccer friendly
against Wales
By Neil Davidson
TORONTO (CP) -- Canada will be close to full strength when it
takes on Wales in Wrexham in an exhibition soccer match May 30.
Coach Frank Yallop's 18-man roster includes such marquee names as
Everton's Tomasz Radzinski and Derby County's Paul Peschisolido.
The lone big name missing is Werder Bremen fullback Paul
Stalteri, who has been excused to play in the German Cup final.
Midfielder Patrice Bernier was also unavailable for the Wales game
and subsequent friendly against the MLS San Jose Earthquakes on June
5.
Yallop is using these outings as a tuneup in advance of World Cup
qualifying matches against Kingston, Ont., on June 13 and 16.
A new face is 22-year-old Montreal striker Olivier Occean, a
former MLS MetroStars draft choice who plays for Odd Grenland in
Norway.
"I heard some good things about him and spoke to a lot of people
in Norway who said he's got off to a fantastic start with his club
over there," Yallop, who has seen him play once, said Friday.
Youngsters in the squad include midfielders Julian deGuzman (23
years old), Atiba Hutchinson (21) and Mike Klukowski (22) and
midfielder-forward Iain Hume (20).
Yallop believes deGuzman, Hutchinson and Hume are "the future of
Canadian soccer."
"I think all three of them will figure largely in my plans as I
go forward."
He also was impressed by Klukowski at a recent national team
training camp in Manchester.
There is no place for another young gun, Tam Nsaliwa, a
22-year-old midfielder from Edmonton who has already won 10 caps at
the World Cup level.
Yallop says Nsaliwa is off the radar a little bit at present
because he struggled at the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament
in Mexico in February.
"That's not to say he won't ever be in the squad but I've got to
go on what I've seen and what I believe is going to be the right
combination of players to get us through. He's in the pool of
players. I thought Julian and Atiba were outstanding in Mexico but I
think Tam struggled."
A veteran also out of the picture at this time is Tony Menezes.
The Brazilian-Canadian defender, who has 27 caps at the senior
level, is currently playing club football in China.
"I've spoken to Tony on several occasions, couldn't get him into
the two camps I've had," said Yallop. "I have not obviously had
the opportunity to go to China to see him play . . . but Tony's
another guy who's in the (player) pool that I will be looking at at
some point."
The lone A-League player in the squad is veteran defender Mark
Watson, a veteran of 70 internationals.
Canada is ranked 93rd in the world, compared to No. 66 for Wales.