Vancouver Whitecaps (USL)
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For information about the original NASL team, see Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL).
| Vancouver Whitecaps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | The Caps | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Swangard Stadium (Capacity 5,722) |
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| Chairman |  Bob Lenarduzzi |
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| Manager |  Teitur Þórðarson |
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| League | USL First Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | in progress | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Vancouver Whitecaps is a Canadian professional soccer team, founded in 1986. The team is a member of the USL First Division, the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
They currently play at the Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, British Columbia, 7 miles east of downtown Vancouver. The team is currently coached by Teitur Þórðarson. The team's colors are blue and white.
The team was originally known as the Vancouver 86ers of both the A-League and, prior to that, the Canadian Soccer League (CSL). In addition to its men's side the Whitecaps also field a women's team, Vancouver Whitecaps Women, in the USL W-League, and two developmental teams: Vancouver Whitecaps Residency, in the USL Premier Development League, and the Whitecaps FC Prospects, in the Pacific Coast Soccer League.
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[edit] Current squad
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[edit] History
[edit] Vancouver 86ers
In 1986, a professional soccer team was again launched in Vancouver, the Vancouver 86ers -- so named because of both the year of the team's founding and to commemorate the year Vancouver was founded (1886). The 86ers played in the Canadian Soccer League (CSL) winning 4 straight CSL Championships (1988-1991) and the inaugural North American Club Championship (1990) until that league too folded, at which point the team joined the American Professional Soccer League (A-League), later renamed the USL.
In 1988–1989, the team, coached by Bob Lenarduzzi, set a North American professional sports record by playing 46 consecutive games without a loss.[1]
[edit] Vancouver Whitecaps (USL)
In 2001, the team reverted back to the old Vancouver Whitecaps moniker (signifying both the 'white caps' of the nearby mountains, and the waves of the Pacific Ocean). The Whitecaps currently practise on the new turf field at Simon Fraser University.
In 2003 the name was again changed, albeit only slightly, to Whitecaps F.C. which encompasses the men's, women's, and youth development teams within the organization. At this time, the Whitecaps logo changed slightly in colour (the light teal-green was replaced with a brighter blue) and the word "Vancouver" was dropped from the image.
In 2006, the Whitecaps organization won an unprecedented double-championship, claiming both the USL Division 1 men's trophy and winning the W-League women's trophy. The men's team also won the Nation's Cup, a new tournament established by their club as a way to feature the Whitecaps playing against international competition. The 2006 Nation's Cup tournament featured the Chinese and Indian U-20 National teams and Championship Welsh club Cardiff City F.C. (the "Bluebirds").
The following season, the Whitecaps signed a deal to play an exhibition match against the L.A. Galaxy, now featuring international superstar David Beckham, and promoted Director of Soccer Operations Bob Lenarduzzi to team president.
Over the past several seasons, the club have gradually reverted back to the name "Vancouver Whitecaps F.C.", adding the "Vancouver" back into their name.
[edit] Rival clubs
The Vancouver Whitecaps have two bitter rivals, the Pacific Northwest Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders. These three teams compete in the yearly Cascadia Cup.
The Whitecaps also compete on a yearly basis with the Montreal Impact for the Voyageurs Cup, which indicates the top Canadian club in the USL-1.
[edit] Fans
The two biggest supporters' groups are the Southsiders (so named for the south end of the field where they congregate), and the Blue and White Brigade (who congregate in the grandstand), both of whom often chant and sing. The Southsiders are something of a tradition at Swangard Stadium and are easily the most vocal and loyal component of the Whitecaps' support base.
[edit] New Stadium
The City of Vancouver is currently considering a proposal for Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium, a new stadium to be built over the railway tracks east of Waterfront Station on Burrard Inlet. This 16,000 seat stadium would replace Swangard Stadium as the home field for the USL's Vancouver Whitecaps, with a proposed opening date in 2010. There is a fair degree of controversy with regards to this location; a Vancouver council session to debate the issue was extended to four nights to allow public input. Detractors view the proposed stadium as an incongruous addition to nearby historic Gastown that would block waterfront access and promote piecemeal development of the area. Proponents of the development feel that the stadium will attract new business to the downtown and Gastown areas, particularly since the soccer team tends to attract a family-oriented audience.
On July 11, 2006, Vancouver City Council voted unanimously to proceed with the stadium project, so long as the Whitecaps could meet certain conditions regarding land use.
On 22 January 2007, the Whitecaps filed a new proposal shifting the proposed site for the stadium project to the current location of the SeaBus terminal, a short distance northwest of the previous site.
[edit] Notable Former Players
Vancouver Whitecaps
- Tony Caig
- Carlo Corazzin
- Nick Dasovic
- Chris Franks
- Willis Forko
- Charles Gbeke
- Joey Gjertsen
- Richard Goddard
- Josh Hansen
- Kevin Harmse
- Lars Hirschfeld
- Kevin Holness
- Marty Johnston
- Steve Klein
- Nigel Marples
- Sita-Taty Matondo
- Josue Mayard
- Jason McLaughlin
- Alen Marcina
- Jared Montz
- Dave Morris
- Matt Nelson
- Anthony Noreiga
- Lutz Pfannenstiel
- Ryan Suarez
- Johnny Sulentic
- David Testo
- Justin Thompson
- Niall Thompson
- Rick Titus
- Davide Xausa
Vancouver 86ers
- Carlo Corazzin
- Nick Dasovic
- Kevin Holness
- Martin Nash
- Bob Lenarduzzi
- Shaun Lowther
- Dale Mitchell
- David Norman
- Rick Titus
- Niall Thompson
- Carl Valentine
[edit] Honours
- CSL Champions - 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 (runners-up in 1992)
- CSL Regular Season Champions – 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
- North American Club Champions – 1990
- APSL Regular Season Champions - 1993
- A-League Western Conference Champions - 2001
- Cascadia Cup Champions - 2004, 2005
- Nations Cup Champions - 2006
- USL First Division Champions - 2006
[edit] Year-by-Year
| Year | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Voyageurs Cup |
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| 1987 | CSL | 2nd, Western | Semifinals | N/A |
| 1988 | CSL | 1st, Western | Champion | N/A |
| 1989 | CSL | 1st, Western | Champion | N/A |
| 1990 | CSL | 1st, Western | Champion | N/A |
| 1991 | CSL | 1st | Champion | N/A |
| 1992 | CSL | 1st | Final | N/A |
| 1993 | APSL | 1st | Semifinals | N/A |
| 1994 | APSL | 6th | Did not qualify | N/A |
| 1995 | A-League | 3rd | Semifinals | N/A |
| 1996 | A-League | 5th | Did not qualify | N/A |
| 1997 | USISL A-League | 3rd, Pacific | Conference Finals | N/A |
| 1998 | USISL A-League | 4th, Pacific | Conference Quarterfinals | N/A |
| 1999 | USL A-League | 2nd, Pacific | Conference Quarterfinals | N/A |
| 2000 | USL A-League | 3rd, Pacific | Conference Semifinals | N/A |
| 2001 | USL A-League | 1st, Western | Semifinals | N/A |
| 2002 | USL A-League | 3rd, Pacific | Conference Finals | 3rd |
| 2003 | USL A-League | 2nd, Pacific | Division Finals | 3rd |
| 2004 | USL A-League | 2nd, Western | Semifinals | 4th |
| 2005 | USL First Division | 3rd | Quarterfinals | 2nd |
| 2006 | USL First Division | 4th | Champion | 3rd |
| 2007 | USL First Division | 7th | Quarterfinals | 2nd |
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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| Canadian Soccer Competitions | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Canadian Championship
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