Vancouver Whitecaps striker Jason Jordan believes there is a lot to look forward to this coming season.
The Richmond, BC, native has been working hard to prepare for the new campaign, with the club facing the potential of playing in no less than three competitions in 2008. Earlier this week, CONCACAF announced the creation of a 24-club CONCACAF Champions League competition, with the tournament to include a Canadian entry at the two-leg Preliminary Round stage in late August. The Whitecaps, USL First Division rivals Montreal Impact, and Major League Soccer side Toronto FC are widely expected to announce that they will play each other in a round-robin competition in the summer to determine Canada’s Champions League qualifier.
The CONCACAF announcement has sparked plenty of interest amongst Canadian soccer fans, and Jordan himself is relishing the chance of playing in the new competitions. “There is a little bit more excitement about possibly getting into this CONCACAF Champions League in the new season,” the 29-year-old told whitecapsfc.com. “I’m sure it will probably gear us up a little bit more to try and make it to the next level. It would be amazing if we won that competition, so we’re looking forward to it.”
The goalscorer is keen to have an impact on the club’s upcoming campaign, having missed the first half of last season following surgery on his foot. Jordan is hoping the fitness work he has done in recent months will have him prepared to hit the ground running when the season begins in April. “It was difficult getting back into the swing of things, especially after foot surgery,” he said. “It took longer to recover from and I wasn’t able to do as much as I would have liked last season. The good news now is I’m able to do more. I’ve been able to train for longer periods of time, and when I’ve needed to, I’ve also done two sessions a day. Things have started to feel better as each month goes by, which is nice.”
Jordan will hope to make an impression on new head coach Teitur Thordarson, with the men’s team already back in training. The forward has been impressed by the sessions that the experienced Icelandic coach has run so far. “I’ve enjoyed the training quite a bit,” he said. “We’ve done some shooting and some attacking stuff, which I quite enjoy a little bit more than the defending stuff. Teitur’s a good coach. When he needed to give us some instruction during the sessions, he got in and made his points, then let us play on.”
The experienced hit-man has every reason to be in high spirits these days following the recent birth of his third child. Josh Jordan was born on December 15, 2007, and his arrival made for a very happy holiday season in the striker’s household. “Jayden and James get along very well with Josh and with each other, as they are always playing together, so things here are perfect,” he said.
The Whitecaps open the 2008 regular season at Swangard Stadium with an all-Canadian tilt versus the Montreal Impact on April 12. Season tickets are on sale now and start at $199. All season tickets include a bonus ticket to this year’s international friendly. For more information, CLICK HERE or call the Whitecaps office at 604.669.WAVE (9283).
