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It's official: Whitecaps joining MLS in 2011 (from Van sun)
An artist's rendering of BC Place stadium decked out to host a Whitecaps soccer game. The Whitecaps will start play in Major League Soccer in the 2011 season.
Photograph by: Handout illustration, Vancouver Sun files
The Vancouver Whitecaps will join Major League Soccer for the 2011 season, it was confirmed today, in what may be the worst-kept secret in Lower Mainland sports circles.
MLS commissioner Don Garber made the announcement, as the Whitecaps prepare to move from venerable Swangard Stadium in Burnaby to a renovated BC Place Stadium. The venue there is to undergo $365 million worth of improvements before the new MLS team takes to the field, improvements that will include a retractable roof.
"We are thrilled to welcome Vancouver into Major League Soccer for the 2011 season," Garber said. "The ownership team of Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett, and Steve Nash love the game and represent a new breed of ownership group. Our new Vancouver team also provides an attractive stadium plan and a market with a rich soccer tradition."
The Whitecaps ownership group consists of Kerfoot, Luczo, Mallett two-time National Basketball Association MVP Nash, whose brother Martin is captain of the United Soccer Leagues First Division champion Whitecaps club.
Kerfoot is the owner of Vancouver Whitecaps FC and former CEO of Crystal Decisions Software. Luczo is president, CEO, and chairman of the board for Seagate Technology and part owner of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Mallett is part owner of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants and is the former president and COO of Yahoo! Nash — a guard for the NBAs Phoenix Suns — is a two-time NBA MVP, and along with Mallett, is an investor in women's professional soccer.
Thursday marks the start of the 2009 MLS season and the long-awaited inaugural game for Seattle Sounders FC, who are a geographic rival for Vancouver.
Vancouver will have the second MLS team in Canada following the successful launch of Toronto FC in 2007. Toronto FC has sold out every home game, capped season tickets at 16,000, and has a season-ticket waiting list of over 14,000.
An artist's rendering of BC Place stadium decked out to host a Whitecaps soccer game. The Whitecaps will start play in Major League Soccer in the 2011 season.
Photograph by: Handout illustration, Vancouver Sun files
The Vancouver Whitecaps will join Major League Soccer for the 2011 season, it was confirmed today, in what may be the worst-kept secret in Lower Mainland sports circles.
MLS commissioner Don Garber made the announcement, as the Whitecaps prepare to move from venerable Swangard Stadium in Burnaby to a renovated BC Place Stadium. The venue there is to undergo $365 million worth of improvements before the new MLS team takes to the field, improvements that will include a retractable roof.
"We are thrilled to welcome Vancouver into Major League Soccer for the 2011 season," Garber said. "The ownership team of Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett, and Steve Nash love the game and represent a new breed of ownership group. Our new Vancouver team also provides an attractive stadium plan and a market with a rich soccer tradition."
The Whitecaps ownership group consists of Kerfoot, Luczo, Mallett two-time National Basketball Association MVP Nash, whose brother Martin is captain of the United Soccer Leagues First Division champion Whitecaps club.
Kerfoot is the owner of Vancouver Whitecaps FC and former CEO of Crystal Decisions Software. Luczo is president, CEO, and chairman of the board for Seagate Technology and part owner of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Mallett is part owner of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants and is the former president and COO of Yahoo! Nash — a guard for the NBAs Phoenix Suns — is a two-time NBA MVP, and along with Mallett, is an investor in women's professional soccer.
Thursday marks the start of the 2009 MLS season and the long-awaited inaugural game for Seattle Sounders FC, who are a geographic rival for Vancouver.
Vancouver will have the second MLS team in Canada following the successful launch of Toronto FC in 2007. Toronto FC has sold out every home game, capped season tickets at 16,000, and has a season-ticket waiting list of over 14,000.
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