TORONTO, ONT – Russell Teibert made history on Tuesday night at BMO Field.
The 23-year-old midfielder appeared in his 16th career Canadian Championship fixture, surpassing former Whitecaps FC goalkeeper Jay Nolly as the tournament’s all-time leader.
"I take pride in that," Teibert told reporters. "I take pride in [Vancouver] being the reigning Canadian champions and I want to be a Canadian champion again this year.”
Teibert, a native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, joined the Whitecaps FC Residency program at the age of 15 after a brief spell with Toronto FC’s academy. He is the longest serving member of the ‘Caps first-team, having made his pro debut back in 2010.
Whitecaps FC joined Major League Soccer the following year – at which point Teibert made his Canadian Championship debut. This is his sixth year competing in the tournament.
He’s been through the ups and downs.
In his first three years, Vancouver finished as the runners-up, watching Toronto FC lift the trophy twice at BMO Field and then – even worse – watching Montreal Impact doing so at BC Place in 2013. Then, in 2014, Teibert captained a youth-filled ‘Caps side that suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Toronto FC on penalties in the semifinal round.
Finally, the ‘Caps won their first-ever Voyageurs Cup in 2015.
As you could imagine, it meant the world to Teibert.
“You can’t describe the feeling from top to bottom,” he told whitecapsfc.com last month. “From the front office down to the equipment managers, to guys on the team who have gone through the heartbreak. It was a special moment, one of the top moments I’ve had since I’ve been here with the club since I was 15 years old.”
“Winning that trophy and finally getting that monkey off our back was a huge relief,” he continued. “The emotion of winning that trophy and being Canadian champions meant a lot to the guys and I can’t tell you how much it meant to me … And I hope we can have that same feeling this year to hold the trophy again and keep it in Vancouver.”
Whitecaps FC will look to complete the defence of their Voyageurs Cup next Wednesday, June 29, when they host Toronto FC in the second leg of the Amway Canadian Championship final. Tickets are on sale NOW. After a 1-0 loss in the first leg, the 'Caps need to win by at least two goals to repeat as champions. A 1-0 win would send the match to extra time and penalties if needed.
CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP ALL-TIME APPEARANCES LEADERS (2008-2016)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver 16
Jay Nolly, Vancouver 15
Gershon Koffie, Vancouver 13
Patrice Bernier, Montréal 12
Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto 12
Leonardo Di Lorenzo, Montréal 12
Daryl Fordyce, Edmonton 12
Doneil Henry, Toronto 12
Be a part of the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver! Whitecaps FC offer a flexible range of ticket products, including Half-Season Packs, 5-Packs, a Youth Soccer Half-Season Ticket, and single match tickets. For more information, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
