Following Saturday's emphatic 4-2 victory over Canadian arch-rivals Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC thank all of their supporters for making March 19, 2011, a very special day in the long and storied history of the Blue and White.
"Saturday was a fantastic day for everyone at Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and for the city and for our province," said Whitecaps FC chief executive officer Paul Barber. "Soccer fans in British Columbia did the club proud, and we thank them for their support because they played a key role to how the day went and how our team performed. Soccer enthusiasts watching our MLS debut across Canada on TSN made it one of the highest-ever audiences for Major League Soccer in Canada. And with the club's website experiencing its highest traffic day ever on Saturday and phenomenal merchandise sales, we feel our club has truly arrived in the Major League.
"This was a particularly special day for our owners, whose vision became reality, and extremely poignant for Bob Lenarduzzi, our president, who has done so much to keep the dreams of our club alive over four decades. As such, our win is dedicated to Bob."
A sold-out crowd of 22,592 took in Vancouver's maiden appearance in Major League Soccer, with the match creating Canadian sporting history as the first MLS match to be contested between two Canadian-based clubs. The excitement of the weekend's events has drawn tremendous feedback from the public at large, and interest to Whitecaps FC's inaugural season in MLS.
"In all the years I've been in professional soccer, I don't think I've had as many nice emails and phone calls from supporters as I've had in the last two days," said Barber. "It's a testament to the impact our club made at Empire Field on Saturday. We look forward to seeing all of our fans again at our next home game versus Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, April 2, and throughout our first season in the league."
2011 MLS season tickets are still available, starting at a base price of $319, plus applicable tax and a $10 processing fee per order. More than 60 per cent of seats are available for less than $31 per game. To secure a seat and for additional information about Whitecaps FC MLS season tickets, suites, and loge boxes, call 604.669.9283 or visit whitecapsfc.com.
Whitecaps FC's next match is their first-ever away game in MLS, as they travel to Chester, Pennsylvania, to take on Eastern Conference side Philadelphia Union at PPL Park on Saturday, March 26. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. PT and is live on Rogers Sportsnet One, TEAM 1410 radio, and teamradio.ca. Fans can also watch Saturday's game, and all of Whitecaps FC's MLS matches this season, on their mobile devices through Bell.
