Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today the acquisition of defender Jordan Harvey from Philadelphia Union in exchange for allocation money. As per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms of the trade were not disclosed. The 27-year-old is expected to be eligible for selection for this Saturday's match versus his former club Colorado Rapids.
"Jordan Harvey is an MLS experienced with strong tackling ability, quickness, and a capacity to push forward into the attack," said Whitecaps FC head coach Tom Soehn. "We look forward to having him join our backline."
A five-year veteran of MLS, Harvey started 16 Union matches for 1,241 minutes of action this season. Originally acquired from Colorado in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft, the native of Mission Viejo, California, started 45 of his 46 appearances for Philadelphia for a total of 3,861 minutes of action. This included one goal and two assists during his spell with the Pennsylvania-based outfit. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound left fullback was Philadelphia's leader in minutes played in 2010 with 2,613.
In his four seasons with Colorado - who drafted him in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2006 MLS Supplemental Draft - Harvey helped the Rapids claim the MLS Reserve League championship title that year. After making his MLS debut in 2008, Harvey started 42 of his 45 appearances for Colorado for 3,793 minutes of action, registering four assists in the process.
A former member of the United States U-20 national team, Harvey has also played for his country at the U-14, U-16, and U-17 international levels. A college standout at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Harvey was a member of the 2002 NCAA College Cup championship squad and part of the first class in Bruins history to win four Pac-10 Conference titles.
On Saturday evening, Whitecaps FC return to action when they visit Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. PT and is live on Rogers Sportsnet One and Bell mobile devices. 'Caps fans can also listen to Saturday's contest live on TEAM 1410 radio and teamradio.ca, starting with the pre-game show at 4 p.m. PT. TEAM 1410 will also have a two-hour post-game show, which will begin following the match at around 8 p.m. PT.
Individual Manchester City tickets are available for $60 (including HST), as well as MLS single match tickets for all of our remaining matches at Empire Field this season, ranging from $20 to $55 (including HST). All tickets are subject to applicable service charges and fees. Fans can purchase these tickets at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centres, online at ticketmaster.ca/whitecaps, or Charge-by-Phone at 1.855.6.GO-CAPS (1.855.646.2277).
About Vancouver Whitecaps FC
In 1974, Vancouver Whitecaps FC played their inaugural season in the North American Soccer League, and in 1979, the club won the NASL Soccer Bowl championship. From 1987 to 1992, as a member of the Canadian Soccer League, Vancouver won four straight CSL titles. In 2002, Whitecaps FC created a full club model that encompasses professional teams for men and women, extensive youth development and grassroots participation programs, facility development, and the Whitecaps Foundation to support specific initiatives related to health and wellness through soccer. Since 2004, Whitecaps FC have won two United Soccer Leagues First Division championships and two USL W-League championships. This year, Whitecaps FC began their inaugural season in Major League Soccer at Empire Field and will move to Bell Pitch Downtown at BC Place Stadium in early October.
Allocation money is a resource available to clubs in addition to their respective salary budgets. A club may receive allocation money for:
(1) failure to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs;
(2) the transfer of a player to a club outside of MLS for value;
(3) expansion status;
(4) qualification for the CONCACAF Champions League;
Each year the MLS Competition Committee determines the allocation amount to be made available to each club. Allocation money can be traded by clubs.
Allocation money does not count against a club’s salary budget and can be used:
- To sign players new to MLS (that is, a player who did not play in MLS during the previous season).
- To re-sign an existing MLS player, subject to League approval.
- To “buy-down” a player’s salary budget charge below the League maximum of $335,000.
- In connection with the exercise of an option to purchase a player’s rights or the extension of a player’s contract for the second year provided the player was new to MLS in the immediately prior year.
NOTE: To protect the interests of MLS and its clubs during discussions with prospective players or clubs in other leagues, amounts of allocation money held by each club will not be shared publicly. (Similarly, most clubs in other countries do not announce the amount of money they plan to spend during a given transfer window.)
