VANCOUVER (March 27, 2001) - The new Vancouver Whitecaps will make their debut before their hometown fans April 27-28 in the first annual Canterbury Classic, a three-team preseason tournament to be held primarily at Burnaby's Swangard Stadium.
The Canterbury Classic will feature the Whitecaps as hosts to the Seattle Sounders and the special MLS Project-40 squad which had earlier competed in the A-League as the US Pro-40 Selects.
"The Canterbury Classic will be a great opportunity for us to get in some high-level competition before we open the 2001 A-League season the following week," said Bobby Lenarduzzi of North Vancouver, Director of Soccer Operations and General Manager of the Vancouver Whitecaps, who open their regular season Saturday, May 5th, in Seattle. "It's also a special chance for us to play in our new uniforms in front of our hometown fans."
The Whitecaps will open the Canterbury Classic on Friday, April 27, against Project-40, and then host Seattle on Saturday, April 28. Both games kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Swangard. Seattle and Project-40 then close out the tournament with a game Sunday, April 29, in Poulsbo, Washington.
The preseason tournament is being made possible through the support of the Pacific Western Brewery Company, the official brewer of the Whitecaps and Vancouver Breakers of the North American W-League. Pacific Western Brewing Company brews Canterbury and a wide variety of other fine British Columbian label.
"Pacific Western Brewery is a key partner of the Whitecaps and Breakers and we very much appreciate their support of the Canterbury Classic," said Lenarduzzi. "They're committed to our clubs and our fans and this is another example of why we're very proud to have the support of a BC brewer with the strong roots of Pacific Western."
The Canterbury Classic will be the first chance for hometown fans to see the Vancouver Whitecaps in action in their new uniforms. The home opener is not until May 19th, when the Milwaukee Rampage come to town. The new uniforms will be unveiled in a special event Tuesday, April 3rd, at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Vancouver. The event, free to season ticket holders of the Whitecaps and Breakers, will begin at 7 p.m. and features current players unveiling the new uniforms and other items from the UMBRO WaveWear line of team apparel.
The MLS Project-40 team is an elite development squad of the best young players in the United States. The team played three seasons in the A-League, 1998-2000, and eliminated Vancouver from the 1999 playoffs. However, persistent problems securing players in the midst of the MLS season prompted Project-40 to withdraw from the A-League this year. The team now concentrates on an exhibition schedule, playing both domestically and abroad.
Alan Douglas
Soccer Information
Vancouver Whitecaps Soccer Club
