It’s been a busy second week of 2021 Training Camp, presented by Enerex, for Vancouver Whitecaps FC, with an experienced fullback coming in on loan, five call-ups for Canada’s Olympic Qualifiers and the club officially making Utah their temporary home base to start the season.
GASPAR JOINS ‘CAPS
Portuguese-Angolan defender Bruno Gaspar was officially announced on Tuesday, arriving from Portuguese giants Sporting CP on a one-year loan deal with an option to buy.
Having most recently helped Olympiacos FC win the 2019-20 Super League and the Greek Football Cup while on loan, Gaspar will add competition at fullback.
“We always felt we needed to grow in the competition in some places in the roster,” said Whitecaps FC head coach Marc Dos Santos. “Bruno’s gonna give us a different type of option and he’s a different type of player than Jake (Nerwinski). Jake understands that right now he is going to have competition there, and I think that’s great for the roster, great to keep a team on their toes.”
"It's very important for every position to have multiple players so we can get stronger. It's really good for us to build that competition so we can continue moving forward this year," said centre back Érik Godoy, who also saw time on the right side last season.
Gaspar will occupy an international roster spot and will join up with the team pending his International Transfer Certificate (ITC), medical, work permit and visa.
YOUNG ‘CAPS CALLED UP
As many as five ‘Caps will have the honour of representing Canada in this month’s upcoming Olympic Qualifiers.
Theo Bair, Michael Baldisimo, Derek Cornelius, Patrick Metcalfe and Ryan Raposo all received call-ups to Canada’s U-23 team for matches against El Salvador on March 19, Haiti on March 22, and Honduras on March 25.
"It would be a dream come true for a lot of people," striker Theo Bair told club reporter Sarita Patel. "Being an Olympian is something everyone wishes to be, so being able to do that with my brothers for my country it'd be amazing."
No other club has more players on the 20-man roster than Whitecaps FC.
“We’re investing in Canada, we’re trying to help the program as best as we can, so I’m happy when we see that,” said Dos Santos.
As a result, the five ‘Caps will miss part of the preseason training camp and will rejoin the team in Utah after Canada’s participation.
MDS also hinted at the amount of young talent within the roster, shedding light on the recent academy call-ups and how much they’ve impressed him during the first two weeks of preseason.
“Right now, working with some of the young players we have, it shows me that we’re going to have more guys coming forward in the next couple years.”
UTAH-BOUND
Major League Soccer announced the ’Caps opening two weeks of fixtures for the 2021 regular season Wednesday afternoon, with the ‘Caps set to open up the season at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah against Cascadia Cup rivals Portland Timbers on April 18.
Due to travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada, the ‘Caps will make Utah their homebase for the beginning of the season and hold training sessions at America First Field, while playing “home” matches at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Having played much of last season living in Orlando and Portland, 'Caps goalkeeper Thomas Hasal knows those previous experiences will help the team in the upcoming trip.
"Now that we've done it twice last year, we know what we're getting into," said Hasal. "We got one focus when we're one down there. Personally, I'm looking forward to it."
This marks the first time in MLS history the ‘Caps will begin the season out of Vancouver and the first time they’ll face a Cascadian rival in the opening game of the season.
“It’s exciting that we’re playing a rival like Portland,” mentioned Dos Santos. “I’m very excited the games have dates and we know where we start.”
Following the match against the Timbers, the Blue and White will travel to Orlando, Florida to face Canadian rivals Toronto FC at Exploria Stadium on April 24.
The full regular season schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
About Enerex Botanicals
Born and bred in Vancouver, Enerex Botanicals are proud to be the official vitamin supplement partner of Vancouver Whitecaps FC and presenting partner of the club's 2021 Training Camp. Enerex help promote a healthy, balanced lifestyle with premium, natural, performance-geared supplements. A formula for success both on and off the pitch, Enerex are committed to sourcing the best raw materials and most advanced production processes. Learn more about Enerex supplements by visiting enerex.ca.
