Olivier Occean

Olivier Occéan

Personal information
Full name	Olivier Occéan
Date of birth	(1981-10-23) 23 October 1981 (age 30)
Place of birth	Brossard, Quebec, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	SpVgg Greuther Fürth
Number	25
Youth career
1998–2000	Longueuil Select Rive-Sud
2001	SCSU Fighting Owls
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2003	Vermont Voltage	30	(19)
2004–2005	Odd Grenland	46	(22)
2006–2010	Lillestrøm	91	(34)
2010–2011	Kickers Offenbach	30	(16)
2011–	Greuther Fürth	30	(17)
National team‡
2004–	Canada	23	(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 May 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 November 2011

Olivier Occéan (born 23 October 1981 in Brossard, Quebec) is a Canadian footballer player who currently plays for SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga.

Club career

College soccer

Occéan played college soccer at Essex County College, Newark NJ in NJCAA Division 1 and at Southern Connecticut State University in the NCAA Division II, from 2001 to 2003. While at the college, Occéan was twice named an NCAA All-American. He finished his career with 57 goals, including 21 as a senior, and 22 in 2001. During this time he also played for Vermont Voltage in the USL Premier Development League.

Upon graduating from college, Occéan was selected 26th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by the MetroStars. Occéan didn't surprise many after coming from a powerhouse Division II program, which had won six NCAA titles, and looked likely to make the team. However, Occéan did surprise when, while the MetroStars were playing in the preseason La Manga Cup, Occéan impressed the Metrostars' competitors Odd Grenland so much that the team immediately offered him a contract. With Major League Soccer not willing to compete financially with the Norwegian club, Occéan ended up with Odd.

Odd Grenland

Occéan immediately impressed in Norway, earning a starting spot and immediately scoring goals. In his first season with Odd Grenland, Occéan led the team in goals with 14, although the team slumped to a mid-table finish.

Lillestrøm

He signed a five-year contract with Lillestrøm on 10 December 2005. The deal was worth approximately €885,000 plus about €126,000 in possible incentive pay. After a promising start however, his first season with the club was marred by a five month goal-drought broken only in the very last match of the season. Occean then faced the challenge of living up to the price tag and in the 2007 and 2008 seasons, the muscular striker bagged in 12 goals for the club.

Offenbach

Prior to the start of the 2010–11 season, Occean moved to Germany, joining 3. Fußball-Liga side Kickers Offenbach^[1] on a free transfer. He got off to a perfect start, netting four goals in his first three league appearances,^[2] thus becoming an instant favorite with Kickers fans.

SpVgg Greuther Fürth

It was announced in the German media on 25 May 2011 that Olivier had signed a three-year contract with SpVgg Greuther Fürth until June 2014. Occean made his debut for his newly signed team on 15 July in a 3–2 home defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt. One week later Occéan once again started for SpVgg Fürth and scored two goals leading the team to a 4–0 road victory over 1. FC Union Berlin.^[3] Occean scored one of the most important goals of the season in the DFB-Pokal quarter finals, scoring the game winner in the 44th minute against Hoffenheim on February 8, 2012.^[4] On March 1, 2012 he was named the Canada Soccer Player of the Month for February based on his domestic performances,^[5] and again for the month of March.^[6] Occean helped lead Greuther Fürth to win the 2. Bundesliga champions. He was also awarded the leagues top scorer with 17 goals in 30 appearances, Nick Proschwitz and Alexander Meier also scored the same amount of goals within the league however Occean tallied more assists.^[7]

International career

He made his debut for Canada in a May 2004 friendly match against Wales and, by late February 2011, has earned a total of 19 caps, scoring two goals. He has represented Canada in seven FIFA World Cup qualification matches^[8] and at the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

International goals

Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	9 February 2005	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland	1–0	1–0	Friendly
2	22 August 2007	Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavik, Iceland	Iceland	1–1	1–1	Friendly
3	7 October 2011	Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia	Saint Lucia	3–0	7–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	7 October 2011	Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia	Saint Lucia	5–0	7–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
5	15 November 2011	BMO Field, Toronto, Canada	Saint Kitts and Nevis	1–0	4–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Norway

Lillestrøm SK

• Norwegian Cup: 2007

Germany

SpVgg Greuther Fürth

• 2. Bundesliga Winner (Promotion to the Bundesliga) (1): 2011–12

Individual

• Canada Soccer Player of the Month: February 2012, March 2012
• 2. Bundesliga Top Goalscorer: 2011–12

References

External links

• Olivier Occean at National-Football-Teams.com
• Olivier Occean at fussballdaten.de (German)

v t e Canada squad – 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 Sutton 2 Braz 3 Pozniak 4 McKenna 5 Gervais 6 Bernier 7 Hume 8 Serioux 9 Gerba 10 Occean 11 Brennan 12 Grande 13 Hutchinson 14 De Rosario 15 Simpson 16 Leduc 17 Peters 18 Dodds 19 Franks Coach: Yallop