Vancouver Whitecaps FC announce the signing of defender Marco Reda. Reda has agreed to a one-year contract - plus an option - pending international clearance.
Reda, 31-years-old, joins the Whitecaps after one season as team captain of United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1) rivals Charleston Battery. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound centre back played 23 regular season and playoff matches for the Battery, recording one assist in the process. In addition, Reda was instrumental in the Battery’s run to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final, where they lost 2-1 to Major League Soccer (MLS) side D.C. United last September.
In 2007, the native of Woodbridge, Ontario, played for Toronto FC of MLS during their inaugural season. Unfortunately, the centre back struggled with injuries and was limited to making just eight appearances.
Prior to his spell in MLS, Reda played four seasons with Sogndal Fotball in Norway and parts of two seasons with Aalborg BK in Denmark. In 2002, Reda was named Sogndal’s Player of the Year during his first season in the Norwegian Premier League (Tippeligaen). He played two more seasons with Sogndal for a total of 70 matches, scoring five goals, before he was transferred to Aalborg BK in January 2005. Reda played the remainder of the 2004-05 season and the start of the 2005-06 campaign in the Danish Superliga for a total of 20 appearances. In February 2006, the defender returned to Sogndal and scored two goals in 31 matches.
In 1998, Reda began his professional career in USL-1 with Toronto Lynx following a two-year spell at Winthrop University. In five seasons with the Lynx, the centre back played in 80 matches, including the club’s run to the league’s Eastern Conference finals in 2000. He was team captain during his final four years with the Lynx.
As a Canadian international, Reda has earned seven international caps at the senior level, having last played in Canada’s 1-0 friendly win over Martinique on January 30, 2008. He also earned six caps at the U-23 level and was a member of the Canada’s U-20 team that played in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship (now known as the FIFA U-20 World Cup) in Malaysia.
Whitecaps 2009 season tickets are now on sale. Season tickets include all men’s and women's team regular season and playoff home matches at Swangard Stadium, Nutrilite Canadian Championship home matches against Toronto FC and Montreal Impact, as well as priority listing for BC Place and the proposed Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium. For more information on the 2009 season ticket packages, call 604.669.WAVE (9283) or visit CLICK HERE.
