VANCOUVER, BC – Hawaii, here we come.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC depart for the Aloha State on Wednesday night for a 10-day training camp that will include their first preseason fixtures of 2018.
The ‘Caps will face Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo of the Japanese first division in a pre-tournament friendly on Tuesday, February 6 before opening the first-annual Pacific Rim Cup on Thursday, February 8 against Fukushima Prefectural Football League side Iwaki FC.
Carl Robinson’s side will then face either Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo again or Columbus Crew SC in the championship or third-place match on Saturday, February 10 before returning to Vancouver. Stay tuned to whitecapsfc.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for coverage.
WHITECAPS FC HAWAII MATCH SCHEDULE
<strong>DATE</strong> |
<strong>OPPONENT</strong> |
<strong>KICKOFF (PT)</strong> |
<strong>LOCATION</strong> |
<p align="center">Feb. 6*</p> |
<p align="center">Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo</p> |
<p align="center">5:30 p.m.</p> |
<p align="center">University of Hawaii training pitch</p> |
<p align="center">Feb. 8</p> |
<p align="center">Iwaki FC</p> |
<p align="center">7 p.m.</p> |
<p align="center">Aloha Stadium</p> |
<p align="center">Feb. 10</p> |
<p align="center">Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo or Columbus Crew SC</p> |
<p align="center">6 p.m. or 9 p.m.</p> |
<p align="center">Aloha Stadium</p> |
* Pre-tournament friendly – three 45-minute periods
“It’ll be exactly like Wales,” joked Robinson in reference to last year’s preseason trip. “No, it will be slightly different. I like to change things up … if you go to the same environment, same venue, day in day out every year, players get comfortable. And I don’t like players getting comfortable. I like to challenge them. We’ll go to Hawaii, yeah it’s warm, but it won’t be easy.”
It certainly hasn’t been easy thus far.
“During these double days, we’ve been pushing hard,” said new Whitecaps FC goalkeeper Brian Rowe. “They’ve been long days. We’ve been having some intrasquad scrimmages, but I think being able to challenge ourselves, get our 11 guys out there, play a full size game against another team will give us a good marker of where we’re at and what we can improve on.”
A total of 35 players will make the trip to Hawaii with Whitecaps FC, including training camp invitees Mark Bloom, David Edgar, Brandon Kerr, Isaiah Hudson, and Yohan Mollo, a 28-year-old French winger who most recently spent time with Fulham FC of the English Football League Championship. Unsigned SuperDraft selections Justin Fiddes and Lucas Stauffer and Whitecaps FC Residency players Jefferson Alade, Simon Colyn, Thomas Hasal, and Jake Ruby will also make the trip.
To join the 'Caps at the Pacific Rim Cup in Hawaii, contact Uniglobe One Travel - Neal Chark at nealc@uniglobeone.com or call 604.677.1495 – at any time for immediate, professional and expedited service.
