History of Vancouver Whitecaps FC facts for kids

The Vancouver Whitecaps FC is a professional soccer team from Vancouver, Canada. Its history goes back over 40 years! The first team called "Whitecaps" played in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1974 to 1984. After a short break, a second version of the club started in 1986 as the Vancouver 86ers. This team bought back the Whitecaps name in 2000. It has been playing continuously in different leagues since 1986. A Whitecaps FC team joined Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2011. This was the first time since 1984 that a "Whitecaps" team played in the top soccer league in the United States and Canada.

The Early Years: NASL (1974–1984)

The original Vancouver Whitecaps team was created on December 11, 1973. They played in the North American Soccer League (NASL) during the 1970s and 1980s. The team had several founding investors. These included Herb Capozzi, Denny Veitch, and Wendy McDonald.

The Whitecaps became very successful! They won the 1979 Soccer Bowl championship. Their coach was Tony Waiters. The team had famous international players like Alan Ball. They also had local stars such as Bruce Wilson, Bobby and Sam Lenarduzzi, Buzz Parsons, and Glen Johnson. In 1979, the Whitecaps beat the strong New York Cosmos in an exciting playoff series. This win sent them to the Soccer Bowl. There, they defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies to become champions!

During this time, soccer became very popular in Vancouver. The Whitecaps' games at Empire Stadium often sold out. About 32,000 fans would come to watch. The team even recorded two songs. "White is the Colour" became a popular song on local radio before their big championship win.

The team played at Empire Stadium for most of its time. Then, in 1983, they moved to the new BC Place Stadium. This stadium could hold 60,000 people. On June 20, 1983, the Whitecaps set a Canadian record. They had 60,342 fans at a game against the Seattle Sounders at BC Place. But the NASL league ended in 1984. This meant the Whitecaps, and other teams, had to stop playing.

The 86ers Era: CSL (1985–1992)

After the NASL folded, many Whitecaps players joined the Canadian Men's National Team. They were getting ready for the 1986 World Cup. They played exhibition games in 1985.

The Vancouver 86ers Soccer Club started in November 1985. It was owned by the community. Tony Waiters, Les Wilson, and Dave Fryatt helped start the team in Vancouver. The team was named "86ers" for a few reasons. It was founded in 1986. Also, 86 people helped fund the club. And the city of Vancouver was founded in 1886. Many people from the old Whitecaps team joined the 86ers. These included Tony Waiters, Buzz Parsons, Bob Lenarduzzi, and Carl Valentine. People often called the 86ers the "new version" of the Whitecaps. The club tried to buy the Whitecaps name, but it was too expensive.

The Vancouver 86ers played their first game in 1987 in the Canadian Soccer League (CSL). They were very successful! They won four CSL Championships in a row (1988–1991). They also finished first in the regular season five times (1988–1992). The 86ers played in the CSL until it ended in 1992. Then, they moved to the APSL in 1993. This league later became the A-League and then the USL-1.

From 1988 to 1989, the team, coached by Bob Lenarduzzi, set a North American record. They played 46 games in a row without losing! This amazing streak started after a loss in June 1988. They then won 37 games and tied 9 others. The streak ended in August 1989. In 2004, the 1989 team was honored in the BC Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1990, the Vancouver 86ers won the North American Club Championship. They beat the Maryland Bays 3–2 in the final. This game was between the champions of the Canadian Soccer League and the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). The 86ers had to pull out of the 1992 CONCACAF Champions' Cup because of money problems.

Whitecaps Return: APSL / A-League / USL-1 (1993–2010)

In 1999, Carl Valentine, a player-coach who had been with the team since the NASL days, retired. He was one of the last active players from that era in North American soccer.

With strong fan support, a new owner, David Stadnyk, bought the Whitecaps name. On October 26, 2000, the Vancouver 86ers officially changed their name back to the Whitecaps.

In the 2001 season, the team started using the old Vancouver Whitecaps name again. They also used a logo similar to the old NASL team's, with a wave. A "white cap" is a term for a wind wave in the ocean. These waves show that the wind is getting stronger. For small boats, white caps mean rising wind and possible danger. With the new MLS team, the club's logo was updated. It now included the white caps of snow-covered mountains, representing all of British Columbia.

In 2003, the name changed slightly again to "Whitecaps FC." This name included the men's, women's, and youth teams. The logo also changed a bit, with a brighter blue color. The word "Vancouver" was removed from the image for a while.

In 2006, the Whitecaps organization had a fantastic year! They won two championships. The men's team won the USL-1 championship, beating the Rochester Rhinos 3–0. The women's team also won their W-League championship. The men's team also won the Nation's Cup, a new tournament they created. This tournament featured teams like the Chinese and Indian U-20 national teams. They also slowly added "Vancouver" back to their name, officially becoming "Vancouver Whitecaps FC."

The next season, the Whitecaps played an exhibition match against the Los Angeles Galaxy. This game featured the famous international player David Beckham. The team also promoted Bob Lenarduzzi to team president. Teams in the USL-1 started to see that MLS teams were becoming more popular.

On October 12, 2008, the Whitecaps won their second USL First Division championship. They beat the Puerto Rico Islanders 2–1. Charles Gbeke scored two goals with his head to help win the title. In 2009, they finished seventh in the league. They were eliminated in the final by the Montreal Impact.

Joining the Top League: MLS (2011–Present)

On March 18, 2009, MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced that Vancouver would be the 17th team in Major League Soccer. They joined the Portland Timbers for the 2011 MLS season. More than a year later, the club confirmed that the MLS team would keep the Whitecaps name.

To get ready for their first MLS season, the Whitecaps brought in talented people from around the world. Paul Barber, a former executive from Tottenham Hotspur F.C., became the CEO. Tom Soehn became the Director of Operations. Richard Grootscholten became the technical director. Teitur Thordarson was named head coach for the first MLS season. He had been the coach for the USL-1 Whitecaps. However, he was let go on May 30, 2011, after the Whitecaps won only one of their first twelve games. Tom Soehn took over as interim coach. Martin Rennie was announced as the new permanent head coach on August 9.

The Whitecaps started playing in the 2011 MLS season on March 19, 2011. Their first game was against Canadian rivals Toronto FC, which they won 4–2. Eric Hassli scored the first goal for the Whitecaps in the MLS era. After their winning start, the Whitecaps struggled. They didn't win another game in their next 11 MLS matches. Coach Teitur Thordarson was fired. Tom Soehn coached for the rest of 2011. The team attracted many season ticket holders in its first two MLS seasons.

On March 3, 2012, the Whitecaps won their first small, pre-season cup. They beat Toronto FC 1–0 in the 2012 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic. The Whitecaps finished the regular season with 11 wins, 3 losses, and 10 ties. This placed them fifth in their conference. On October 21, 2012, the Whitecaps became the first Canadian team to make the MLS playoffs. They were eliminated in the first round.

In the 2013 season, Vancouver finished seventh in their conference. They did not make the playoffs. Coach Martin Rennie's contract was not renewed. The Whitecaps also had a disagreement with one of their players, Camilo. He joined a Mexican club, Querétaro, but the Whitecaps said he was still under contract. The issue was solved when the Mexican club paid a transfer fee to Vancouver.

In October 2014, the Whitecaps qualified for the 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League for the first time. This was because they were the highest-ranked Canadian team in the 2014 MLS season. A week later, they made the MLS playoffs for the second time. No other Canadian team had done this.

In 2015, the Whitecaps had their best regular season ever, earning 53 points. They also won the Canadian Championship for the first time. They beat Montreal 4–2 over two games. However, they didn't do as well in the CONCACAF Champions League or the MLS Cup Playoffs.

In 2016, the Whitecaps didn't perform as well in the regular season. They reached the Canadian Championship final but lost to Toronto FC. They did win the Cascadia Cup on the last day of the regular season.

2017 brought major improvement for the Whitecaps. They reached the CONCACAF Champions League semi-finals for the first time. They made the playoffs for the fourth time in their history. They also won their first-ever playoff game against the San Jose Earthquakes. But they were eliminated by Seattle Sounders FC.

In 2018, the Whitecaps had a tough season, giving up many goals. Coach Carl Robinson was replaced by interim coach Craig Dalrymple. The Whitecaps missed the playoffs.

2019 saw a new-look team. Many key players left. The Whitecaps missed the playoffs again, finishing last in their conference. They were also eliminated from the 2019 Canadian Championship by a Canadian Premier League team, Cavalry FC. This was the first time an MLS team lost to a Canadian Premier League side in that competition.

2020 was the club's 10th season in MLS. The season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When it resumed, the Whitecaps played in the MLS is Back Tournament. They won one game and qualified for the next round, but lost on penalties. They also played Canadian MLS teams for the 2020 Canadian Championship but did not qualify. For part of the season, they played their home games in Portland, Oregon. They missed the playoffs for the third season in a row.

2021 brought more success. Coach Marc Dos Santos was replaced by interim coach Vanni Sartini. Under Sartini, the team went unbeaten in 12 of their last 14 games. They made the playoffs for the first time in four years! They were eliminated in the first round by Sporting Kansas City. Vanni Sartini was then named the new head coach.

In 2022, the Whitecaps had mixed results. They missed the playoffs again. However, they won the 2022 Canadian Championship! They beat Toronto FC in a penalty shootout. This was their first Canadian Championship win since 2015. This win also meant they qualified for the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League.

In the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League, the Whitecaps reached the quarterfinals but lost to Los Angeles FC. In the regular season, they made the playoffs again, but were once more eliminated by Los Angeles FC. In their first 2023 Leagues Cup appearance, they made it to the Round of 32. For the second year in a row, the Whitecaps won the Canadian Championship for the third time! They beat CF Montréal 2–1 in the final. This win qualified them for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

In the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Whitecaps faced Tigres UANL again, a team they had lost to before. They were eliminated by the same score of 4–1 over two games.

Honours

Major Championships

Type of Competition	Competition	Number of Wins	Years Won	Years Runner-up
Top League Championship	NASL Championship	1	1979	—
	CSL Championship	4	1988, 1989, 1990, 1991	1992
	MLS Cup	0	—	—
National Cup	Canadian Championship	3	2015, 2022, 2023	2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018

Total: 8 major titles

Other Championships

Type of Honour	Honour	Number of Wins	Years Won	Years Runner-up
Second Division League Championship	APSL/A–League Championship	0	—	—
	USL A–League Championship	0	—	—
	USL–1 Championship	2	2006, 2008	2009

Total: 2 minor titles

Other Awards

Cascadia Cup

• Winners (7): 2004, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2023

Team Rivalries

The Whitecaps have two main types of rivalries. As a Canadian team playing in American leagues, they have special rivalries. They also have long-standing rivalries with teams in the Pacific Northwest region.

Cascadia Rivalry

For a long time, teams from British Columbia have played against teams from Seattle and Portland. They wanted to find out who was the best team in the Pacific Northwest. Even before railways connected Canada from east to west, people traveled south by ship. Leagues like the Pacific Coast Soccer League often played teams from Seattle, Portland, and sometimes San Francisco.

When the Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders joined the NASL in 1974, fans were already used to traveling between the cities for sports. Many Whitecaps fans would travel to Seattle. They would cheer so loudly that they would drown out the Sounders fans! Players and staff also moved between the Timbers, Sounders, and Whitecaps.

The Whitecaps won one championship, while the Sounders were runners-up twice. The Timbers were runners-up once. These three teams ended each other's seasons five times in the eleven years the Whitecaps played in the NASL. The Whitecaps' first two playoff games were both 1–0 losses to the Seattle Sounders. In 1978, the Whitecaps lost to the Portland Timbers in the playoff semi-finals.

After the NASL ended, the three clubs played exhibition games. In 1994, the Seattle Sounders and Whitecaps (as the 86ers) were both in the A-League. The Portland Timbers joined the A-League in 2001. They eliminated each other in the playoffs five times in the A-League. From 2005 to 2009, the league was called USL-1. The Whitecaps and Sounders were the strongest teams in USL-1, each winning two championships. The three teams eliminated each other in the USL-1 playoffs four times. The Whitecaps have generally been the strongest team in second division soccer since 1996.

The fans of these teams created the Cascadia Cup in 2004. As of 2013, each team had won the cup three times.

Canadian Team Rivalries

The original Toronto Blizzard (NASL) were runners-up twice. The Toronto Metros-Croatia won the Soccer Bowl. The Vancouver Whitecaps' first playoff win was against the Toronto Metros-Croatia on August 9, 1978. Over 30,000 fans watched this game, which was the largest crowd for two Canadian teams playing each other at the time. The Toronto Blizzard got revenge by eliminating Vancouver in the 1983 NASL Quarterfinals.

Generally, Vancouver Whitecaps teams have been stronger than Toronto-based teams. This was especially true in the CSL and US-based D2 leagues. When Montreal and Vancouver played Toronto FC in the Voyageurs Cup, it was a big deal for Vancouver. It was a chance to prove themselves against a team that was only considered higher level because of league rules.

The rivalry against Montreal is very intense. In the original Canadian Soccer League (1987–92), there was a "real hatred" between the players. Many Montreal players felt ignored by the Canadian National Team management. Most of those players joined the Montreal Impact when the CSL ended. Former players remember tricky situations, like fire alarms being pulled at 2 AM before games. The Montreal Impact also won the first seven Voyageurs Cup competitions.

Important matches between the two clubs include several league playoffs and Voyageurs Cups. In the late 2000s, both clubs were strong. They played each other often in the Canadian Championship, which made the rivalry even stronger. Players often moved between the two teams, and red cards became common. In the 2006 USL-1 playoff semifinals, the Whitecaps beat the Impact 2–0 after extra time. The Whitecaps and Impact also played in the USL-1 playoff finals in 2008 and 2009. The Whitecaps won the 2008 semifinal. The most talked-about game between the two clubs happened in 2009.

Team Captains

Name	Nationality	Years	Ref.
Willie Stevenson	SCO	1974
Sam Lenarduzzi	CAN	1974–1975
Bruce Wilson	CAN	1976–1977
Jon Sammels	ENG	1978
John Craven	ENG	1979–1980
Alan Ball, Jr.	ENG	1980
Terry Yorath	WAL	1981–1982
Peter Lorimer	SCO	1983
Bob Lenarduzzi	CAN	1984
Shaun Lowther	CAN	1987
John Catliff	CAN	1988–1993
Ivor Evans	Fiji	1994
Rick Celebrini	CAN	1994–1995
Steve MacDonald	CAN	1996–1998
Paul Dailly	CAN	1999–2000
Kevin Holness	CAN	2001
Paul Dailly	CAN	2002–2003
Alfredo Valente	CAN	2004
Jeff Clarke	CAN	2005–2008
Adrian Cann	CAN	2008
Martin Nash	CAN	2008–2010
Jay DeMerit	USA	2011–2014
Pedro Morales	CHI	2014–2016
David Ousted	DEN	2016–2017
Kendall Waston	CRC	2017–2018
Jon Erice	ESP	2019
Russell Teibert	CAN	2020-

Head Coaches

NASL Coaches

Name	Nationality	Years	Ref.
Jim Easton	CAN	1974–1975
Eckhard Krautzun	GER	1976–1977
Holger Osieck	GER	1977
Tony Waiters	ENG	1977–1979, 1980
Bob McNab	ENG	1980
Johnny Giles	IRE	1981–1983
Alan Hinton	ENG	1984

CSL / APSL / A-League / USL-1 / USSF-D2 Coaches

Name	Nationality	Years	Ref.
Bob Lenarduzzi	CAN	1987–1993
Carl Valentine	ENG	1994–1999
Dale Mitchell	CAN	2000–2001
Tony Fonesca	CAN	2002–2004
Bob Lilley	USA	2005–2007
Teitur Thordarson	ISL	2008–2010

MLS Team Coaches

Name	Nationality	Years	Ref.
Teitur Thordarson	ISL	2011
Tom Soehn	USA	2011
Martin Rennie	SCO	2012–2013
Carl Robinson	WAL	2014–2018
Marc Dos Santos	CAN	2019–2021
Vanni Sartini	ITA	2021–present

Vancouver Whitecaps Ring of Honour

The Vancouver Whitecaps started the Ring of Honour for their 40th anniversary in 2014. This special award recognizes important players and coaches. People from any of the Whitecaps teams, including the women's team, can be chosen. As of 2023, five people have been added to the Ring of Honour.

Ring of Honour Inductees

Member	Nationality	Position	Years with Club	Date of Induction	Ref.
Lenarduzzi, BobBob Lenarduzzi	CAN	Player	1974–1984, 1987–1988	May 3, 2014	[1]
		Coach	1987–1993
Neil, AndreaAndrea Neil	CAN	Player	2001–2006	August 10, 2014	[2]
Valentine, CarlCarl Valentine	CAN	Player	1979–1984, 1987–1999	September 10, 2014	[3]
		Coach	1994–1999
Mobilio, DomenicDomenic Mobilio	CAN	Player	1987–2000	October 4, 2014	[4]
Waiters, TonyTony Waiters	ENG	Coach	1977–1979	May 31, 2019	[5]

– Inducted after their passing