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NASHVILLE, TENN. — There is still one game to play for Canada's Under-23 team in the CONCACAF Olympic trials and that will be tomorrow afternoon at LP Field against Guatemala for third place but the Olympic soccer dream is over.
When that game is over, the players will return to their club teams and for midfielder Tyler Rosenlund, 21, of Port Coquitlam, B.C., that now will be Toronto FC. His signing to a senior developmental contract was announced yesterday although the agreement had been reached about a week ago.
He will go to Toronto with two other TFC players who are on the Under-23 team, Andrea Lombardo and Tyler Hemming.
The two available Olympic berths have already been taken by the winners of the semi-final matches on Thursday night with the United States defeating Canada 3-0 and Honduras defeating Guatemala 6-5 on penalty kicks after 120 goalless minutes, including half an hour of extra time.
The loss does not take away from what the Canadians achieved because it was assumed that the berths would be won by the United States and Mexico. But Canada tied Mexico 1-1 in Group B of the tournament played at Carson, Calif., and beat out Mexico for the semi-final spot last Sunday on goal differential.
Canada did it with a 5-0 victory over Guatemala, which finished first in the group. Then there was the agonizing wait while Mexico defeated Haiti 5-1 to fall just short of beating out Canada.
"It was an awesome feeling against Guatemala because just about every chance we had we scored," Rosenlund said yesterday. "It was great for the team. Then watching that Mexico game was just terrible. It was a brutal feeling. Mexico probably could have scored about 10 or 15 goals. It was tough to watch especially when it got to about the 80th minute and they made it like 5-1 at that point. We were at the hotel and we put up a big screen and watched it. It was pretty intense."
But Thursday, the Canadians never really were in the game against the United States, a team that had considerably more preparation time and even went to China last December to play against that country's Under-23 team.
"They're a very good team, they just looked more confident than us," Rosenlund said of the semi-final. "I think we were into it but they looked like they wanted it a little more and they were a little more confident, at least in the first half. In the second half we came out a little better."
The U.S. team has two TFC players, Maurice Edu and Marvell Wynne.
Although Rosenlund has signed a developmental contract, TFC manager Mo Johnston has left open the possibility of eventual promotion to the 18-player roster if he continues to progress as a player.
"He just said basically to work hard and if I prove myself then hopefully I'll get bumped up," Rosenlund said. "If I show well at practice hopefully I'll get a chance to play."
He has seen the TFC supporters at BMO Field on television but has never been to a game live there. "I'm excited to see it first hand this year," he said. "It's a great atmosphere."
Meanwhile, TFC defender Julius James did not train with the team yesterday in Charleston, S.C., because he has a dislocated shoulder that is not considered serious from Wednesday's 1-1 draw against the New York Red Bulls in a Carolina Challenge Cup match at Blackbaud Stadium. TFC plays its final game of the tournament tonight against the Charleston Battery of the United Soccer Leagues. Former TFC defender Marco Reda plays for Charleston.
