FEATURED PLAYER: JASON JORDAN

July 24, 2007 - Though he may have missed the first half of the 2007 season, Vancouver Whitecaps striker Jason Jordan hopes to have some influence at the business end of the campaign.

In his 11th season with the Whitecaps, injury problems have plagued the Richmond native in the last two seasons. Jordan made just eight appearances in the USL-1 championship campaign of 2006, while a foot problem meant Whitecaps fans would not see him appear in a Vancouver uniform until the July 12 defeat at Pacific Northwest rivals Seattle Sounders. “I had both my sesmoid bones removed from my big right toe,” Jordan told whitecapsfc.com regarding his injury. “I am feeling better and getting stronger everyday, I am just working on getting game fit now.”

Swangard Stadium only needed to wait another two days to see Jordan score his first goal for the club in nearly two years, as he struck a fine volley from a Martin Nash free kick in a 2-1 defeat to Miami FC on July 14. The last time Jordan found the scoresheet was August 27, 2005, when he scored at home against Puerto Rico Islanders. “To score against Miami helped me regain some confidence,” Jordan said. “Hopefully, I can continue to score throughout the rest of the season and help my team win another championship.”

Despite his limited appearances in recent times, Jordan has been a dedicated servant to the Whitecaps, having joined the club when it was then known as Vancouver 86ers in 1997. His prowess in front of goal during his first five seasons with the club saw him draw the attention of Major League Soccer sides Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes in 2002. After impressing the Rapids on the club’s pre-season tour of Portugal that March, Jordan turned down the offer to sign with Colorado in order to remain with the Whitecaps.

Of his many seasons with Vancouver, 2005 proved to be a stand-out season for the forward. Jordan was named USL-1 and Whitecaps Player of the Year after scoring 17 goals and recording 37 points in 27 appearances during that campaign. 2005 was also the sixth season in which Jordan led the club in scoring.

Jordan has also had the opportunity to represent Canada at the youth international level, having been part of the U-20 squad that reached the knockout stages of 1997 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Malaysia. The squad also included fellow Whitecaps teammates Jeff Clarke and Steve Kindel, as well current Canadian internationals Paul Stalteri and Dwayne de Rosario. In 1999, Jordan helped Canada to a fourth-place finish at the XIII Pan American Games in Winnipeg.

With Nash making a return to the Canada squad for last month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, Jordan holds similar aspirations of impressing former Whitecaps head coach Dale Mitchell in the future. “Of course, I would love to return to the Canada national squad, if they want me,” he said.

Before entering the world of professional soccer, Jordan developed his skills playing in the Lower Mainland. This included a spell in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League with Richmond United and one season in the BC Colleges Athletic Association with Langara Falcons.

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