Five Whitecaps Residency Players On Trial With Germany's FC Energie Cottbus
Published on July 16, 2008 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release
VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today that Residency defenders William Hyde, Greg Smith and Adam Straith, as well as midfielders Devin Gunenc and Kyle Porter will take part in a one-month trial with FC Energie Cottbus' U-19 Junior Bundesliga team. Smith, Straith and Gunenc will leave for Germany today, while Hyde and Porter will depart tomorrow.
Last May, all five players helped the Whitecaps Residency team to a third place finish at the INSEL-CUP junior international tournament in Germany. In addition, they were also part of the squad that spent two weeks in Germany last fall, playing the U-19 Junior Bundesliga sides of Bayern Munich, 1860 Munich, Jahn Regensburg, and VfB Stuttgart, as well as a combined U-19/U-23 side from 1860 Munich.
Hyde, who turns 18 on October 25, has played six games for 206 minutes with the Whitecaps Premier Development League (PDL) team this season. The defender, who can also play in the midfield, was a member of Canada's 2007 U-17 national team.
Prior to join the full-time residency program, the five-foot-nine, 152-pound native of Oakville, Ontario, was the captain of the Oakville Bluestars of the Oakville Soccer Club from 1998 to 2007.
Smith, 18, has played in 11 matches for 558 minutes with the Whitecaps PDL side. Prior to joining the 'Caps, the five-foot-ten, 165-pound defender, who can also play in the midfield, was a member of Canada's U-17 national team, as well the BC provincial side from 2004 to 2006.
Smith, who was born in White Rock, BC, but raised in North Vancouver, BC, was a member of FC Blaze of the Vancouver Metro Soccer League's First Division in 2006, and his youth experience includes playing for the U-16 and U-18 North Shore Selects.
Straith, who turns 18 on November 9, has played in 12 matches for 1080 minutes with the PDL team. The six-foot-two, 190-pound centre back was also a member of Canada's U-17 national team, as well as the BC provincial team from 2004 to 2006.
From 2002 to 2007, Straith was the captain of the Lower Vancouver Island metro team. Straith was born in Vancouver, BC, but raised in Victoria, BC.
Gunenc, 18, has played 449 minutes and earned two assists in 10 matches with the PDL team. The five-foot-eleven, 165-pound midfielder was also a member of Canada's U-17 national team and the BC provincial team from 2004 to 2006.
The native of North Vancouver, BC, played his youth soccer with the North Shore Selects, and has earned tryouts in England for Chelsea FC's reserve team and Newcastle United's U-18 team.
Porter, 18, scored five goals and recorded one assist in 10 matches for the PDL team. Porter, who was born in Toronto, Ontario but now calls Mississauga, Ontario, his home, was also a member of Canada's U-17 national team.
The six-foot, 160-pound midfielder was a member of both the Erin Mills Soccer Club and Mississauga Soccer Club last year.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency is based out of the Whitecaps Training Centre at Simon Fraser University (SFU), with the majority of the players attending Burnaby Central Secondary School. The roster now totals 19 young stars, including 12 members from Canada's 2007 U-17 national team, as well as Jamaica's 2007 U-17 national team captain.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency provides elite youth players from U-17 to U-19 a development gateway through to professional opportunities with the Whitecaps men's team and European clubs, using the European club model of identification, development and placement.
Whitecaps Residency and the Whitecaps youth prospects programs are committed to cooperation and communication with the provincial and Canadian national team programs. Each player's professional commitments, education, club, and national or provincial team responsibilities are carefully considered and coordinated for optimal periodization.
USL First Division Stories from July 16, 2008
- Burnley Clarets Defeats Minnesota Thunder 2-0 - Minnesota Thunder
- Five Whitecaps Residency Players On Trial With Germany's FC Energie Cottbus - Vancouver Whitecaps
- Miami FC to face Montreal looking to extend 9-game unbeaten streak - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
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