Steve Ewen -
The Province
The Vancouver Whitecaps are set to announce Teitur Thordarson as their new coach this morning.
The native of Iceland, who spent three years at the helm of the national team of Estonia, succeeds Bob Lilley -- fired at the end of last season.
Other finalists for the job were former Canadian national team defenders Colin Miller and Nick Dasovic.
Both have strong local ties; Miller's a former head coach of Abbotsford minor soccer while Dasovic played for the Whitecaps and coached their reserve team at one point.
Thordarson was at the Estonian helm in '96-'99. The northern European nation's lowest-ever FIFA ranking came in February '96 at 135th. The team jumped to No. 70 by December '99 but was ranked 128th last month.
Thordarson was listed as coach of KR Reykjavík, an Icelandic club team, last season. He was a striker with Iceland's nationals in '72-'85.
Lilley sandwiched two first-round playoff exits around a USL First Division title.
© The Vancouver Province 2007
