LEXINGTON ? For the second straight year, Kentucky men?s soccer players are making their mark on the international stage as Riley O?Neill and Michael D?Agostino have shined for the Canadian Youth (U-20) National Team.

Since January, the two have helped Canada quality for the FIFA World Youth Championship Holland 2005 which will be held from June 10 until July 2 at six different Dutch sites. Canada swept its three CONCACAF qualifying games over Mexico, Honduras and Jamaica to earn a bid to the second largest soccer event in the world staged by FIFA.

In the three qualifying games, all played in San Pedro Sula, Honduras in late January, both O?Neill and D?Agostino earned a start. O?Neill saw action in all three games while D?Agostino played in two.

The pair has since traveled to Germany for training camp to prepare for the FIFA championship. Both saw action in an international friendly against China on April 23 and in an exhibition against a reserve team from the Bundesliga club FSV Mainz. O?Neill gave Canada the lead with a goal in the 29th minute of the exhibition game only to see Mainz rally for a 2-1 win.

It is the second consecutive year O?Neill, 20, has starred for the Youth Team. A year ago he tallied three goals to carry Canada to a win over Jamaica and draws with Jamaica and Haiti in a three-game tour over the summer. O?Neill has 12 international caps to his credit.

D?Agostino, 18, spent the summer of 2004 with the Canadian Junior (U-17) Development Team, which is one notch below the national team. He played his way into a position on National Youth Team and made his international debut on Jan. 5 against Panama. He has since earned four more caps to give him five on his young career.

The FIFA World Youth Championship, which is held every two years, begins for Canada when it faces Syria on June 12 at Tilburg, Holland. The team is also grouped with Colombia and Italy.

The top two teams from each group advance to a single-elimination 16-team draw. The 2003 Canadian squad had the best showing in its history by reaching the quarterfinals.