J.J. Adams: French Connection brings Derek Cornelius into Whitecaps fold

It was 8,600 kilometres away, on France’s verdant south coast along the Mediterranean Sea, that the seeds for Derek Cornelius’s transplant to Vancouver were planted.
Cornelius was part of Canada’s U-21 squad playing in the prestigious invitational soccer tournament last May. The 6-2 centre-back was one of Canada’s best players in the tournament, anchoring a Reds’ defence that surrendered just one goal in three group stage games, then two to 12-time champion France i