Canada Soccer announced the 14 players selected for nomination to represent Canada in 7-a-side soccer football at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games set for Aug 7 to 14.
Helping to backstop the Canadian team is Joe Resendes, who formerly helped coach the Cariboo Hill Secondary School senior boys’ soccer team to the provincial high school championships.
The Canadians are coming off a 10th-place finish at the world championships in London. They posted a record of three wins and three losses at the tournament and received several exceptional performances, including Trevor Stiles of Victoria who scored Canada’s last six goals.
The 7-a-side football promises to be one of the fiercest competitions at the Games because many of the top countries are from the Americas, including world bronze medallist Brazil, U.S.A. and Argentina.
“The players and staff are looking forward to this great competition, and the fact that it is on home soil in Toronto makes this a very exciting opportunity to compete and bring home a medal for Canada,” said Canada’s Head Coach Drew Ferguson in a prepared release. “The competition will be very stiff, as three of the teams we are competing against are in the top-seven teams in the world, but we will be prepared to compete for a podium position. This is also a great opportunity to promote the sport of 7 a-side football here in Canada.”
The players in football 7-a-side have cerebral palsy or a similar neurological disorder. There are no off-side rules and matches are 60 minutes (30 per half). There are four classifications and each side must maintain a line-up featuring players with varying levels of impairments.
“Our football 7-a-side team continues get better year after year,” said Chef de Mission Elisabeth Walker-Young in the release. “It is going to be exciting to see them play some of the top teams in the world at the Games.”
Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games tickets are currently on sale. The seven-a-side football competition will take place at the Pan Am/Parapan Am Fields at the University of Toronto. Tickets are available online at TORONTO2015.org/tickets.
With a goal of finishing among the top-three nations in the total medal count, Canada is expected to send approximately 220 athletes to the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games. Qualification is ongoing and the full team will be officially announced later in the month.
Fans can follow the team during the competition and participate in the conversation on Twitter @CanadaSoccerENby using #canPara.
Canada’s SEVEN-A-SIDE FOOTBALL - Toronto2015 Parapan American Games
Position- Name | Hometown
GK- Damien Wojtiw | Etobicoke, Ont.
M- Liam Stanley| Victoria
D- Matt Gilbert | Ajax, Ont.
D- John Phillips | Tiny Beaches, Ont.
M- Samuel Charron | Ottawa, Ont.
D- Lucas Bruno | Calgary, Alta.
D- Dustin Hodgson | Vancouver
F- Vito Proietti | Montreal, Que.
M- Trevor Stiles | Victoria
D- Kyle Payne | Corner Brook, Nfld.
D- Matt Brown | Fraserville, Ont.
D- Nick Heffernan | London, Ont.
GK- Cory Johnson | Strathmore, Alta.
GK- Joe Resendes | Port Moody
