VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Monday the 23-man roster for their 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) match at Sporting Kansas City tomorrow. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. PT at Children's Mercy Park - watch live on the CONCACAF Facebook page.
The club also confirmed that Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) goalkeeper Spencer Richey, centre back Sem de Wit, and forward Kyle Greig were signed to short-term agreements and are included in the 'Caps CCL 23-man roster.
The trio, who have led WFC2 to their current top-four ranking in the USL Western Conference, will look to help the first team advance to the CCL quarter-finals for the first time.
Richey has now been called up in each of the 'Caps three CCL matches, starting the tournament-opening 1-0 road win at Central FC last month. De Wit and Greig receive the call after being part of the 18-man roster in the CCL opener. Greig, hailing from nearby Olathe, Kansas, makes his homecoming after featuring as a second-half substitute in the first match.
Richey, 24, has 46 saves and five wins in his 13 starts, leading WFC2 goalkeepers in each category. In the August 3 CCL win in Trinidad and Tobago, the 2015 MLS SuperDraft selection registered a five-save clean sheet in his first-team debut.
De Wit, 21, has been a steady presence on the WFC2 back line, leads the the team in minutes played while starting 25 of their 28 matches. The Dutch centre back earned his first minutes with the first team as a substitute against Crystal Palace FC in July.
Greig, 26, leads WFC2 with 11 goals, and has scored or assisted in three of his last four matches. The WFC2 captain, who also spent three seasons with USL Premier Development League side Kansas City Brass from 2010 through 2012, has two first-team appearances under his belt.
MLS clubs may sign players from their USL affiliate to short-term agreements (up to four-day contracts) for CONCACAF Champions League, Amway Canadian Championship, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and exhibition matches. An MLS club may sign a player to a maximum of four short-term agreements each season (maximum of 16 days).
TRANSACTION: Whitecaps FC sign goalkeeper Spencer Richey, centre back Sem de Wit, and forward Kyle Greig to short-term agreements on Monday, September 12, 2016.
Whitecaps FC 23-Man Roster - CCL Group Stage Match 3
Goalkeepers (2): Spencer Richey, Paolo Tornaghi
Defenders (9): Fraser Aird, Marcel de Jong, Sem de Wit, David Edgar, Brett Levis, Tim Parker, Cole Seiler, Jordan Smith, Kendall Waston
Midfielders (8): Marco Bustos, Alphonso Davies, Andrew Jacobson, Matias Laba, Ben McKendry, Nicolás Mezquida, Pedro Morales, Cristian Techera
Strikers (4): Kyle Greig, Erik Hurtado, Masato Kudo, Blas Pérez
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