VANCOUVER, BC – For the first time in five years, Vancouver Whitecaps FC will face an English Premier League opponent when Crystal Palace FC come to town for an international friendly on Tuesday night at BC Place (7 p.m. PT – tickets available online or at the door).
“It’s going to be a great occasion for the fans, the city, and this club,” said Whitecaps FC goalkeeper David Ousted. “I think it’s going to be a fun game.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the match.
- READ: Five Crystal Palace players to watch
- READ: Crystal Palace announce travelling roster
- WATCH: History of Crystal Palace FC
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
For Whitecaps FC, Tuesday’s match offers a rare opportunity to test themselves against a major club from what is widely considered to be the best league in the world.
And it’s an opportunity that’s not lost on them.
“It will be quite the experience,” said defender Tim Parker. “For me, I’ve never had the opportunity to do something like that so if I get the opportunity in the game it’s something I’ll definitely remember and obviously you want to make the most of it.”
One player who has played against Crystal Palace and other top-flight English Premier League clubs is recently acquired Canadian defender David Edgar, who scored against Manchester United in his first-ever pro start. And Carl Robinson said last week that Edgar will likely make his Whitecaps FC debut against Palace on Tuesday at BC Place.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Crystal Palace are in the midst of their pre-season preparations for the 2016-17 English Premier League campaign. This will be the third and final match of their North American tour, after drawing Philadelphia Union and defeating USL side FC Cincinnati 2-0 on Saturday night in Ohio.
Last year, Palace finished 15th in the Premiership but made a memorable run to the FA Cup Final, defeating the likes of Southampton, Stoke City, Tottenham, Reading, and Watford before falling 2-1 to Manchester United in extra time of the tournament final.
The London-based side, who are led by rumoured England head coach candidate Alan Pardew, had five players competing at this summer’s Euros, all of whom made the semifinal stage of the tournament. None of them made the trip to North America, however.
Those who did include exciting wingers Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha, newcomer Andros Townsend, and Australian national team captain Mile Jedinak, though Zaha picked up a knock on Saturday after scoring vs. Cincinnati.
FRIENDLIES OF THE PAST
Vancouver's last international friendly came back in 2011, when they fell 2-1 to Manchester City at Empire Field. Prior to that, the last Premiership team they faced was Carl Robinson's Sunderland AFC in 2005. The 'Caps came away with a memorable 3-0 win at Swangard Stadium.
DID YOU KNOW?
The English Premier League is the most-watched soccer league in the world, broadcast in 225 territories with a potential audience of three billion in-home audience members.
Be a part of the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver! Whitecaps FC offer a flexible range of ticket products, including Half-Season Packs, 5-Packs, a Youth Soccer Half-Season Ticket, and single match tickets. For more information, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
