VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Thursday the club’s 2022 schedule for the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season. All home matches will be played at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC.
The club also announced that the MLS NEXT Pro team will play under the team name Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) during the 2022 season before a revamped brand launch in 2023.
“We are very excited to play our inaugural season in MLS NEXT Pro, a league that will challenge and test our top young prospects who are knocking on the door of our first team,” said Axel Schuster Whitecaps FC sporting director. “Swangard will be a great venue for our first season as we work towards a longer term brand launch.”
All games will be streamed live on mlsnextpro.com. In addition, adidas, a founding partner of MLS NEXT Pro, will provide the Official Match Ball for all MLS NEXT Pro games.
The ‘Caps will kick off their MLS NEXT Pro season on Saturday, March 26 at Houston Dynamo 2, followed by another road match at Real Monarchs on Friday, April 1.
The home opener at Swangard Stadium will be played on Sunday, April 10 against Portland Timbers 2, one day after the ‘Caps host the Timbers in MLS action at BC Place. In total, there will be five double weekends versus the same club with the MLS first team and MLS NEXT Pro team, two at home and three on the road.
Home
- Saturday, April 9 vs. Portland Timbers / Sunday, April 10 vs. Portland Timber 2
- Saturday, June 4 vs. Real Salt Lake / Sunday, June 5 vs. Real Monarchs
Away
- Saturday, May 28 vs. Sporting Kansas City / Sunday, May 29 vs. Sporting Kansas City II
- Saturday, July 16 vs. Portland Timbers 2 / Sunday, July 17 vs. Portland Timbers
- Sunday, September 4 vs. San Jose Earthquakes / Monday, September 5 vs. Earthquakes II
Each MLS NEXT Pro team will compete in 24 regular season games, 12 home and 12 away, across 26 weeks, culminating on September 18 with MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day. For the full 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Schedule, please visit mlsnextpro.com.
Prioritizing regional play, teams have been divided into two conferences, an Eastern and Western Conference, comprised of two Divisions in each. Whitecaps FC will play in the Pacific Division.
Western Conference
Pacific Division
- Salt Lake
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Portland
- Vancouver
Frontier Division
- Colorado
- Dallas
- Houston
- Kansas City
- Minnesota
- St. Louis
Each team will play divisional opponents two to three times, as well as the other teams in their conference at least twice.
A total of eight teams, four from each conference, will qualify for the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. This includes the top team from each division, and the two teams with the next most points in each conference.
Admission information for Whitecaps FC season ticket members and the general public will be announced in the coming weeks.
Streaming Information and Games of the Week
Fans will be able to watch every game of the MLS NEXT Pro inaugural season via live stream on mlsnextpro.com. In addition, more than 30 games will be billed as “Games of the Week”, featuring enhanced productions. Each MLS NEXT Pro club will have at least one home game featured, and all playoff games will be enhanced productions.
adidas the Official Match Ball Provider for MLS NEXT Pro
adidas, a founding partner of MLS NEXT Pro, will provide the Official Match Ball for all MLS NEXT Pro games. The league will utilize the same match ball that will be used in MLS.
As a founding partner of MLS NEXT Pro, adidas will continue to expand upon its deep relationship with MLS and MLS NEXT. The partnership affirms adidas’ commitment to the growth and advancement of the sport of soccer in local communities throughout the United States, Canada and globally.
ABOUT MLS NEXT Pro:
MLS NEXT Pro is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States and Canada debuting with 21 clubs for its inaugural season in 2022. MLS NEXT Pro grows the game through innovation and diversity by bringing professional soccer to new markets, creating career opportunities for professionals on and off the field, and providing communities with a strong sense of pride. For more information about MLS NEXT Pro, visit mlsnextpro.com.
