Fans attending the match should enter through Gate C or G starting at 6 p.m. PT. Suite holders can enter using the accessible entrance located underneath Gate F along Pacific boulevard starting at 5:30 p.m. PT. The box office at Gate C will also be open for ticket buyers.
VANCOUVER, BC – What an opportunity!
The Vancouver Whitecaps FC League1 BC women's team will play their final group stage match of the inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup when they host National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) powerhouse Portland Thorns at BC Place on Tuesday, October 15. The match is expected to be the final one in Canada for the legendary Christine Sinclair.
Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. PT, with tickets available at ticketmaster.ca/whitecaps.
For those not able to make it out to BC Place, the match will be broadcast live on Concacaf YouTube and Concacaf Go.
How they got here?
The 'Caps League1 BC women's side are built mostly on youth players between the ages of 15 and 17 from the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy, part of the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy System, and boosted by a few more experienced additions.
They qualified for the Group Stage after a monumental 1-0 win over eight-time El Savadorian champions Alianza Women FC in the Preliminary Round, courtesy of a penalty kick goal from 17-year-old Coquitlam, BC native Emily Wong - the first goal in Concacaf W Champions Cup history! Of the 22 players on the roster, 16 were teenagers.
Katie Collar's young side then faced a stiff challenge against one of the very best professional clubs in the region, falling to Club América Femenil.
However, they rebounded by making more history with their first group stage victory, on the road at Panamanian champions Santa Fé FC.
In their first home match at BC Place, they went toe-to-toe with NWSL side San Diego Wave FC, keeping the match to 0-0 until the 59th minute before finally falling 2-0.
Now they face three-time NWSL champions Portland Thorns.
Who are Portland Thorns?
Portland are one of the founding members of the NWSL, playing since 2013.
And since that time they have been led by the G.O.A.T., Christine Sinclair. They have won the NWSL title in 2013, 2017, and 2022, and the NWSL Shield in 2016 and 2021.
Sinclair is not the only Canadian. Current Canadian national team star midifielder Jessie Fleming also plays for the Thorns, who are coached by long-time Canadian youth national team and former CPL coach Rob Gale, with former Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy coach Mike Norris as technical director, and another Canadian soccer legend in Karina LeBlanc as general manager.
What's next?
Heading into their final group match, the 'Caps are still in contention to advance from Group B - an incredible achivement for this young group. Should they be eliminated, they will continue playing local matches throughout the remainder of 2024 as they prepare for the 2025 League1 BC season where they will look to defend both their league and national titles.
Come 2025, many young players, as well as the entire community, will look ahead to cheering on Vancouver Rise FC as they the start play in Canada's first professional women's soccer league - the Northern Super League (NSL). For more information on Vancouver Rise FC and to place a deposit on season tickets, visit vanrisefc.com.
