Vancouver Whitecaps FC

The Vancouver Whitecaps are a Canadian soccer team that plays in Major League Soccer in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Full nameVancouver Whitecaps FC
Nickname(s)
  • Caps
  • Blue and White[1]
FoundedMarch 18, 2009 (2009-03-18)[2][nb 1]
StadiumBC Place, Vancouver
Capacity22,120[3][nb 2]
OwnersGreg Kerfoot
Steve Luczo
Jeff Mallett
Steve Nash
Head coachMarc Dos Santos
LeagueMajor League Soccer
2018Western Conference: 8th
Overall: 14th
Playoffs: Did not qualify
WebsiteClub website

The team plays their home games at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. Other teams named "Whitecaps" have played Association footballin Vancouver since 1974 in the old North American Soccer League, the Canadian Soccer League, and the USL.

History

The original Vancouver Whitecaps were founded on December 11, 1973. During the 1970s and 1980s, they played in the North American Soccer League (NASL), a soccer league that no longer exists. The Whitecaps achieved success, winning the 1979 Soccer Bowl.

It was during this short time that soccer became popular in Vancouver. The Whitecaps crowds at Empire Stadium grew to sell out crowds, at 32,000 fans per match.

After playing at Vancouver's 32,000-seat Empire Stadium for most of their early years, the team moved into the new 60,000-seat BC Place Stadium in 1983. However, the end of the NASL in 1984 meant the Whitecaps could not longer play in the NASL.

Whitecaps did not play in 1985, but they joined the Canadian Soccer League (CSL) the next year and changed their name to the 86ers. They joined the United Soccer Leagues in 1990, and renamed themselves back to the Whitecaps and then to "Vancouver Whitecaps FC". For the next twenty years, they played in the second level of soccer in Canada, finally ending in 2010.

Now they play in Major League Soccer, which they started playing in during 2011. On October 21, 2012, the Whitecaps became the first Canadian team to make it into the MLS Cup Playoffs.[4] The team was eliminated in the knockout round by the LA Galaxy.[5]

League position
SeasonLeaguePosition
1974NASL4th / West
1975NASL4th / Pacific
1976NASLPlayoff First round
1977NASLPlayoff First round
1978NASLQuarterfinal
1979NASLChampions
1980NASLPlayoff First round
1981NASLPlayoff First round
1982NASLQuarterfinal
1983NASLQuarterfinal
1984NASLSemifinal
1986NASLPlayoff First round
1987NASLQuarterfinal
1988NASLQuarterfinal
1989NASLSemifinal

References
  1. "Whitecaps FC legend Carl Valentine returns to the club". WhitecapsFC.com. MLS Digital. December 7, 2010. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  2. "Since 1974". WhitecapsFC.com. MLS Digital. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  3. "Whitecaps expand lower bowl capacity at B.C. Place to 22,120". March 4, 2016. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  4. "Whitecaps 1st Canadian team to make MLS playoffs". CBC Sports. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  5. "Recap: Galaxy come back to score 2-1 win over Whitecaps". MLS. Retrieved September 26, 2015.

Notes

  1. MLS franchise granted in 2009. Original team founded in 1974.
  2. Expandable to 54,313 based on configuration.

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