VANCOUVER, BC – It’s playoff time!
After their 1-0 win over Colorado Rapids, Vancouver Whitecaps FC are off to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the second time since joining the league in 2011.
This is the best time of the year – something longtime ‘Caps supporters would know all too well.
Since their inaugural year in 1974, the club has now reached the playoffs in 33 of 39 seasons. That’s an 85 per cent success rate. Over that period, Vancouver has won seven championships and posted a 47W-38L-16D combined playoff record.
Below, we look at some highlights from the club’s various playoff runs.
NORTH AMERICAN SOCCER LEAGUE
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<b>Bob Lenarduzzi and Carl Valentine reflect on NASL glory</b> |
Vancouver’s first foray into the playoffs came in 1976, their third year of existence. But when you think of the old NASL days, you think of 1979.
In 1979, the Blue and White became the city’s first professional sports team to win a major North American championship when they defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Soccer Bowl.
The improbable run, which saw the ‘Caps upset the heavily favoured New York Cosmos in the deciding mini-game of the 1979 NASL semifinal in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was a defining moment for the club and the entire City of Vancouver.
Upon return to Vancouver, as many as 100,000 people lined Robson Street to salute their heroes during a championship parade, creating arguably the most historic moment in Whitecaps history.
CANADIAN SOCER LEAGUE
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<b>The late Domenic Mobilio's Ring of Honour induction ceremony</b> |
While the 1979 Soccer Bowl title is the headliner, Vancouver’s CSL days were no doubt the most successful in club history. After a two-season hiatus, Vancouver returned to the professional soccer scene in 1987 and quickly established a dynasty in the short-lived CSL.
With Bob Lenarduzzi at the helm as head coach, the 86ers qualified for the playoffs in each of their six seasons in the CSL. That included a remarkable four straight league championships from 1988 to 1991 as well an unprecedented 46-match unbeaten streak.
The late Domenic Mobilio, who was recently inducted into the Whitecaps FC Ring of Honour, was the star of the CSL days, finishing as the team’s top goalscorer in four of their six years.
A-LEAGUE/UNITED SOCCER LEAGUES/USSF
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<b>Highlights from the 2008 USL-1 championship game at Swangard</b> |
The Blue and White spent a combined 18 seasons at the North American second division level and they missed the playoffs in just two of them. Among those 16 playoff appearances were a pair of USL-1 championship titles in 2006 and 2008.
In 2006, the ‘Caps finished fourth in the regular season before taking down Miami FC, Montreal Impact, and Rochester Raging Rhinos en route to their first USL-1 title. And then in 2008, Vancouver went on another memorable run culminating in a 2-1 win over first-place Puerto Rico Islanders in the championship final at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC.
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
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<b>Highlights from Vancouver's first-ever playoff game in MLS</b> |
This is the second time Whitecaps FC have qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs since joining the league in 2011.
Vancouver’s first MLS playoff match came in 2012, when they met LA Galaxy in the Western Conference Knockout Round. The ‘Caps stunned the eventual MLS Cup champions by taking a 1-0 lead in the third minute, before surrendering two second-half goals in a heartbreaking defeat at the StubHub Center (formerly the Home Depot Center).
The rest has yet to be written.
Participate in the best sporting experience in Vancouver! 2015 Whitecaps FC Season Tickets are on sale now. In addition to Season Tickets, Whitecaps FC offer a flexible range of ticket products, including Half-Season Packs, 5-Packs, Student Half-Season Tickets, and a Youth Soccer Half-Season Ticket. For more information on 2015 Season Tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
