Canada’s men’s U-23 (Olympic) team has completed its first camp of the 2010 season under head coach Tony Fonseca. The 22 players, born in 1989 or later, trained in Sunrise, FL from 11-19 January. The camp provided coach Fonseca and his staff the first opportunity to begin preparations ahead of the 2012 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in London.

"It was a great opportunity to bring this group together,” said head coach Fonseca. “I see a lot of potential for this group as we continue to build toward the 2012 Men's Olympic Football Tournament. I was particularly impressed with the work ethic, commitment and discipline showed throughout the camp."

The eight-day camp featured 11 training sessions and was highlighted by an exhibition match with the Honduras national team. The young Canadian squad held up well against the experienced Hondurans and briefly held the lead before falling 1:3. Honduras were in camp preparing for a friendly match with USA seven days later, a match they also won 3:1.

From Fonseca's camp, four players stayed on to participate in the men's camp: Nana Attakora, Randy Edwini-Bonsu, Derek Gaudet and Michal Misiewicz.

"Four players from this group had the chance to continue with the full national team and two (Attakora and Edwini-Bonsu) were given the opportunity to make their national debuts in the international friendly match against Jamaica on 31 January."

The men's U-23 camp also marked the coaching debut of Pat Onstad at the international level. Onstad, 42, showed his versatility by returning to Florida to train with the men’s national team under coach Stephen Hart before pulling out of the friendly with Jamaica due to a back injury.

To date, Canada has participated in three Men’s Olympic Tournaments, including a gold-medal finish at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis. Canada has since participated in the 1976 Olympics as hosts in Montréal (including a game in Toronto) and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles (including games in Annapolis, MD and Cambridge, MA). Next to the gold medal, Canada’s fifth-place finish at the 1984 Olympics is the nation’s best placing at a global men’s tournament.

Since 1989, qualification for the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament has featured players that are 23 years or younger. Canada’s full national team, meanwhile, has gone on to win confederation titles at the 1985 CONCACAF Men’s Championship and 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup.