Vancouver Whitecaps
| Vancouver Whitecaps | |||
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| Basic data | |||
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| Surname | Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club | ||
| Seat | Vancouver , Canada | ||
| founding | 1986 (Vancouver 86ers / CSL) | ||
| Colours | navy blue, white and light blue | ||
| owner | Greg Kerfoot Steve Luczo Jeff Mallett Steve Nash |
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| president | Bob Lenarduzzi | ||
| Website | whitecapsfc.com | ||
| First soccer team | |||
| Head coach | Craig Dalrymple (interim) | ||
| Venue | BC Place Stadium | ||
| Places | 21,000 | ||
| league | Major League Soccer | ||
| 2019 | Western Conference: 12th place Overall table: 23rd place |
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The Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club , in short Vancouver Whitecaps FC and mostly as Vancouver Whitecaps called, is a franchise of professional football - League Major League Soccer (MLS) from Vancouver , Canada .
The team was founded in 1986 under the name Vancouver 86ers and first played in the Canadian Soccer League (CSL). After the name and league change, the team came as the 17th team in 2011 in the MLS and was until then the second Canadian team in the North American professional league.
From 1974 to 1984 there was already a club under the name Vancouver Whitecaps in the North American Soccer League .
history
Vancouver 86ers (1986-2001)
In 1986 a new professional club was founded with the Vancouver 86ers. The name 86ers refers to both the year the club was founded and the year the city of Vancouver was founded (1886). The club played in the Canadian Soccer League (CSL). Between 1988 and 1991, the 86ers were champions of this league four times in a row and set a record for North American professional sports leagues with a series of 46 consecutive games without defeat. After the CSL stopped playing in 1992, the 86ers joined the American Professional Soccer League, later the A-League and now the USL First Division .
USL First Division (2001-2010)
In 2001, the 86ers reverted to the Vancouver Whitecaps name. Two years later the name was changed again. Since then, the club was officially called Whitecaps FC. In the 2006 season, the Whitecaps were champions of the USL First Division.
The Whitecaps' main rivals were the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers . The three teams played for the "Cascadia Cup" every year. There was a minor rivalry between the Whitecaps and Montreal Impact . The two teams played annually for the "Voyageurs Cup" and determined the best Canadian team in the USL First Division. The two biggest fan clubs were the "Southsiders" and the "Blue And White Brigade".
At the end of 2010, the team stopped playing in the USL and switched to Major League Soccer . Due to tradition, it is also called Vancouver Whitecaps FC there .
The way to the MLS
As one of seven teams, the team's investors competed in Major League Soccer for one of two new places for the 2011 season. On March 18, 2009, Vancouver received acceptance, two days before Portland, Oregon was confirmed. From the 2011 season the team will take part in the MLS.
Paul Barber, a former official at Tottenham Hotspur , was appointed Chief Executive Officer while preparing for the first MLS season . Tom Soehn, former professional soccer player and coach at DC United , takes over the position of sports director. The Dutchman Richard Grootscholten became the new technical director and is responsible for youth work in the franchise.
On September 2, 2010 it was confirmed that the previous coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps, Teitur Þórðarson , will also take over the MLS team.
First season in the MLS
The team made their debut in Major League Soccer with a 4-2 victory over Toronto FC on March 19, 2011. The first goalscorer was Frenchman Eric Hassli . After winning the first game, the team didn't manage to get another one in the next 11 games. For this reason, coach Teitur Þórðarson was sacked on May 30, 2011. He was succeeded by the previous sports director of the franchise, Tom Soehn. Overall, the team ended up in last place, both in the overall table and in the Western Conference. On November 3, 2011, Martin Rennie, who previously looked after the Carolina RailHawks , took over as coach. In the 2011 Canadian Championship they lost to Toronto FC in the final.
Major League Soccer
On October 21, 2012, the Whitecaps reached the play-offs as the first Canadian team. There they lost the West Wild Card against LA Galaxy . At the end of the 2013 season, coach Martin Rennie was separated and the former Welsh international Carl Robinson took over the team a few weeks later. Long-time captain Jay DeMerit retired at the end of the 2013 season. He was succeeded by the Chilean Pedro Morales in the 2014 season.
Until 2013, the Whitecaps were three times in a row in the final of the Canadian Championship, but could not prevail.
Name, colors and coat of arms
The official team name was announced on June 8, 2010 along with the new team logo. The name of the USL team was retained, which at the end of 2010 had stopped playing in the USSF D2 Pro League and whose owner is also co-owner of the new MLS team. The name Whitecaps refers to the snow-capped peaks of the North Shore Mountains in the north and the white-foamy waves of the Pacific Ocean in the west.
The official colors of the franchise are blue, white, and light blue. These can also be found in the coat of arms, where the blue is supposed to remind of the proximity to the water. The bright blue shows the reflection of the North Shore Mountains in the Pacific. The lighter shade of blue is also a nod to the first Whitecaps team in the NASL. The silver border symbolizes the successes of the Whitecaps teams to date.
Stadion
- Swangard Stadium in Burnaby (until 2010)
- Empire Field; Vancouver, British Columbia (March 2011 - September 2011)
- BC Place Stadium ; Vancouver, British Columbia (September 30, 2011–)
With the start of game operations in 2011, the team will play its games in the BC Place Stadium . This multi-purpose stadium was renovated for CAD 565 million as part of the 2010 Winter Olympics . The stadium has 21,000 seats for a soccer game.
During the construction work on BC Place Stadium, the games were played in the provisional Empire Field . This stadium had 27,500 seats and was located on the former site of the Empire Stadium at Hastings Park in Vancouver. It was demolished in December 2011.
Originally, those responsible for the Whitecaps planned to build their own stadium. The Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium will hold 20,000 to 30,000 spectators and will be built in the historic Gastown district . The plans for this are on hold until at least 2016, since the lease with the BC Place Stadium will run until then.
The Whitecaps are currently training on various training grounds in the greater Vancouver area. In cooperation with those responsible from British Columbia and the University of British Columbia , a new training area is to be built on the university campus by the 2015 Women's World Cup . The National Soccer Development Center is said to cost $ 32.5 million.
Fans and rivals
Fans
The biggest fan club are the Vancouver Southsiders. The group was founded in 1999 in the beer garden in the southern part of Swangard Stadium. Because of this, they first called themselves The Carlsberg Crew and were later renamed Vancouver Southsiders. The name goes back to the location in the stadium, where the fan group is based. In July 2010 the club had 100 paying members.
Rivals
The Whitecaps have a historic rivalry with the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers . This goes back to the North American Soccer League , where there were already teams under this name. All three teams host the Cascadia Cup during each season. Here is the winner who can win most of the direct duels among themselves.
There is also a rivalry with the Canadian teams FC Toronto and Montreal Impact .
organization
owner
The franchise is owned by a group of four investors: Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett, and Steve Nash. Kerfoot has been the majority shareholder in Whitecaps since 2002, when the USL still had a franchise under that name . Before that he was CEO of the IT company Crystal Decisions. Mallett is the former chief operating officer of Yahoo . He was active as a footballer himself in his youth and played both in the junior selection of the Canadian province of British Columbia, as well as in college. Other owners are the Canadian basketball player Steve Nash and Steve Luczo. Luczo is CEO of Seagate Technology, an IT company .
management
The Irish native John Furlong is the main person responsible for the Whitecaps. Prior to joining the MLS franchise, he was the chairman and chief executive officer of the committee that organized the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. President of Whitecaps FC is former NASL and Canadian international Bob Lenarduzzi. The Canadian Greg Anderson is the Vice-President and responsible for operations.
Sponsors
The team's shirt sponsor is Bell Canada . The Whitecaps earn approximately $ 4 million a year. Another main sponsor of the team is the Bank of Montreal , which primarily supports youth work. Other sponsors are Electronic Arts , Alaska Airlines , Canadian Direct Insurance, Budweiser and the Canadian branch of the South Korean motor vehicle manufacturer KIA Motors .
Youth and development
Based on European clubs, the Whitecaps were one of the first to establish a larger amateur and youth system in North America.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency
Vancouver Whitecaps Residency, formerly known as Whitecaps FC Reserve, was the club's reserves division and was established in 2005. The youth teams U-13 to U-18 are now combined under the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency. The U-16 and U-18 teams play in the leagues of the US Soccer Development Academy. The youth section of women's football is grouped under the Girls Elite Programs structure. Here, too, there are age groups U-14, U-16 and U-18.
The EA SPORTS BC Soccer Premier League was created in collaboration with the British Columbia Football Association, BC Soccer. This football league is open to teams from U-13 to U-18. The Whitecaps want to strengthen the region and thus also discover talent for the future.
All of the Whitecaps youth teams are connected to the so-called Player Development System, which includes training camps and special football camps. The MLS franchise also supports the Community Soccer System, to which school teams aged U-6 to U-12 are connected.
Vancouver Whitecaps Women
Under the name "Vancouver Whitecaps Women", the club has a women's team in the W-League . The most famous player of the team is the Canadian national player Christine Sinclair . Even Kara Lang started her career in this club. Like their male colleagues, the club also has a reserve team in the Pacific Coast Soccer League .
Players and staff
Current professional squad
As of August 4, 2019
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Coaching staff
As of October 8, 2018
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Craig Dalrymple (interim trainer) -
Rich Fagan (assistant coach) -
Raegyn Hall (assistant coach) -
Steve Meadley (assistant coach)
Previous players
Previous trainers
| Years | Surname | nationality |
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| September 1, 2010 - May 30, 2011 | Teitur Thordarson |
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| May 30, 2011 - October 25, 2011 | Tom Soehn (interim) |
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| October 26, 2011 - October 29, 2013 | Martin Rennie |
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| December 16, 2013 - September 25, 2018 | Carl Robinson |
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successes
- Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic
- Winner : 2012
- Cascadia Cup
- Winner : 2013, 2014
Canadian Soccer League (1987-1992)
- Canadian Soccer League Championship
- Winner (4): 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
- Finale (1): 1992
- Canadian Soccer League: Regular Season (1987–1992)
- Winner (5): 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
- Winner (2): 2006, 2008
- Final (1): 2009
North American Club Championship
- Winner (1): 1990
statistics
Seasonal balance
| season | Regular season | Play-offs | Canadian Championship |
CONCACAF Champions League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 9th place (west) | not qualified | final | not qualified |
| 2012 | 5th place (west) | Knockout Round | final | not qualified |
| 2013 | 7th place (west) | not qualified | final | not qualified |
| 2014 | 5th place (west) | West knockout round | Semifinals | not qualified |
| 2015 | 2nd place (west) | Quarter finals | winner | not qualified |
| 2016 | final | not qualified |
- ↑ The competition starts in autumn of the previous year.
Visitor average
Regular season / play-offs
- 2011: 20,412 / not qualified
- 2012: 19,475 / no home game
- 2013: 18,803 / not qualified
Top 10 after appearances and goals
Status: October 29, 2014 and October 29, 2014.
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Note: Only operations within the MLS are listed.
Web links
- Official website (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ MLSnet.com: Seven submit applications for expansion ( Memento of February 27, 2009 in the Internet Archive ), October 15, 2008
- ↑ MLSnet.com: MLS awards Vancouver team for 2011 ( Memento of the original from March 21, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , March 18, 2009
- ↑ Tom Soehn joins Whitecaps staff ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Thordarson Given His Opportunity ( English ) Prost American Soccer. September 2, 2010. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ↑ Hassli, Whitecaps pummel TFC debut in dynamite . MLS. March 19, 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
- ^ Whitecaps begin life without Thordarson ( English ) cbcsports. June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
- ↑ Whitecaps FC reveal new crest, season ticket information (English) , MLSSoccer.com. June 8, 2010.
- ↑ Jim Morris: BC Place to be gussied up in time for 2011 Gray Cup . In: The Globe and Mail , November 1, 2010.
- ↑ Article A Real Novelty in North America ( English , PDF) NUSSLI. Pp. 3-4. Retrieved on November 30, 2010. ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Bob Mackin: Vancouver's Empire Field reopening slated for fall 2013 , The Vancouver Courier. May 1, 2012. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012 Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ↑ Vancouver Whitecaps secure major shirt sponsorship
- ^ A b c Vancouver Whitecaps Partners . Retrieved February 3, 2011.
- ↑ VWFC Youth . VWFC. Archived from the original on March 27, 2011. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
- ↑ VWFC Residency . VWFC. Archived from the original on April 4, 2011. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
- ↑ VWFC GIRLS ELITE . VWFC. Archived from the original on April 5, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
- ↑ Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Players. Retrieved on August 16, 2018 .
- ↑ Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Soccer Operations. Retrieved October 8, 2018 .
- ↑ a b MLS Factbook 2012. (PDF; 1.2 MB) MLSsoccer.com, archived from the original on December 24, 2012 ; accessed on July 29, 2012 .
- ↑ rsssf.com - game details for the competitions. Retrieved July 29, 2012 .
- ↑ Vancouver Whitecaps - record player. Retrieved October 29, 2014 .
- ↑ Vancouver Whitecaps - Football Club. Retrieved October 29, 2014 .
Eastern Conference: Atlanta United | Chicago Fire | FC Cincinnati | Columbus Crew | DC United | Inter Miami | Montreal Impact | New England Revolution | New York City FC | New York Red Bulls | Orlando City | Philadelphia Union | Toronto FC
Western Conference: Colorado Rapids | FC Dallas | Houston Dynamo | LA Galaxy | Los Angeles FC | Minnesota United | Nashville SC | Portland Timbers | Real Salt Lake | San Jose Earthquakes | Seattle Sounders | Sporting Kansas City | Vancouver Whitecaps
Future Franchises: Austin FC (2021) | Charlotte (2022) | Sacramento Republic (2023) | St. Louis City (2023)
Former franchises: CD Chivas USA (2005–2014) | Miami Fusion (1998-2001) | Tampa Bay Mutiny (1996-2001)
Eastern Conference: Atlanta United 2 | Birmingham Legion FC | Charleston Battery | Charlotte Independence | Hartford Athletic | Indy Eleven | Loudoun United | Louisville City | Memphis 901 FC | Miami FC | New York Red Bulls II | North Carolina FC | Philadelphia Union II | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | Saint Louis FC | Sporting Kansas City II | Tampa Bay rowdies
Western Conference: Austin Bold | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | El Paso Locomotive | LA Galaxy II | Las Vegas Lights | New Mexico United | Oklahoma City Energy | Orange County SC | Phoenix Rising | Portland Timbers 2 | Real Monarchs | Reno 1868 FC | Rio Grande Valley Toros | Sacramento Republic | San Antonio FC | San Diego Loyal | Tacoma Defiance | Tulsa FC
Future Franchises: Oakland East Bay (2021) | Queensboro SC (2021) | Rhode Island (2022)
Former Franchises: Antigua Barracuda (2011–2013) | Austin Aztex (2011-2017) | Charlotte Eagles (2011-2014) | FC Cincinnati (2015-2018) | Dayton Dutch Lions (2011-2014) | FC Montréal (2015-2016) | FC New York (2011) | Orlando City (2011-2014) | Ottawa Fury (2017-2019) | Penn FC (2011-2018) | Phoenix FC (2013) | Puerto Rico United (2011) | River Plate Puerto Rico (2011) | Richmond Kickers (2011-2018) | Rochester Rhinos (2011-2017) | Toronto FC II (2011-2018) | Sevilla FC Puerto Rico (2011) | Vancouver Whitecaps 2 (2015-2017) | Tampa Bay FC (2013) | Wilmington Hammerheads (2011-2016)