Fans of Vancouver Whitecaps FC can now secure their seats for the first home match of 2010, as
Teitur Thordarson
's side welcome Major League Soccer (MLS) club Seattle Sounders FC to Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC, for a pre-season friendly match on Saturday, March 6, at 4 p.m. PT.
Tickets for the MLS Sounders inaugural trip to British Columbia are now on sale to the public. All tickets for the friendly match will cost $15, plus applicable service charges, and are available online at ticketmaster.ca or by calling 604.280.4400.
The March 6 friendly will be the second meeting between these two Interstate 5 rivals this pre-season. Last Thursday, the Whitecaps fell 3-2 to the Sounders in a training match at the Grande Sports World facility in Casa Grande, Arizona. Last February, both clubs met in a closed-door pre-season match at Seattle's Qwest Field.
The Sounders are led by two-time MLS Coach of the Year
Sigi Schmid
and include key players like Swedish midfielder
Freddie Ljungberg
, who was a member of the 2009 MLS Best XI and a former standout at Arsenal FC in the English Premier League. The squad also includes the talented Colombian and 2009 MLS Newcomer of the Year
Fredy Montero
, while team captain
Kasey Keller
is one of American soccer's most decorated goalkeepers. The Washington State native spent a large portion of his career playing in England, Spain, and Germany before returning home to join Sounders FC.
In preparations for the new season, the Whitecaps, who will play the 2010 season in the USSF D-2 Pro League, have made a number of off-season additions including three 2009 USL First Division All-League players in
Nelson Akwari
(defender),
Ricardo Sanchez
(midfielder),
Jonny Steele
(midfielder). Thordarson has also added Canadian international
Chris Williams
, versatile
Zourab Tsiskaridze
and former MLS players in
Greg Janicki
(defender) and
Blake Wagner
(defender). In addition, there are a number of returning veterans and players from the residency program ready to show that they can play at this level.
CLICK HERE
for the complete Whitecaps roster.
