"Great part of our landscape" - What would a Whitecaps departure mean for Canadian soccer?

It was an exciting BC Derby in front of 3,507 fans at Victoria’s Royal Athletic Park as visiting Vancouver FC defeated hosts Pacific FC 3-1. Vancouver would win the derby thanks to goals scored by Mohamed Amissi (37’) and Terran Campbell (60’ & 82’), with Yann Toualy (78’) scoring the lone goal for Pacific FC. But in the background of what was a stunning day in British Columbia’s provincial capital was the ongoing talks about the possible relocation of the Vancouver Whitecaps.

After all, many of the protagonists involved in the Canadian Premier League clash have a Whitecaps past. Two-time goalscorer Campbell played for the Whitecaps. Marco Bustos, who captained Pacific FC and assisted Toualy’s goal, is also a former Whitecaps academy player. Both coaches also have a past with the Whitecaps. Pacific FC head coach James Merriman worked in the academy, and Vancouver FC head coach Martin Nash is a former Whitecaps captain. Marty Nash is also the brother of Whitecaps’ minority owner and NBA legend Steve Nash.

In other words, there are deep Whitecaps connections. “It’s sad to see,” Campbell said when asked about the relocation talk. “I’m from Burnaby, BC. I grew up in the academy with the Vancouver Whitecaps. I went to so many games as a kid, watching them. I just hope it gets resolved and they can keep the team there.” Campbell, who ranks fifth with 31 goals in 109 games in the CPL all-time goalscoring record, is one of 20 former Whitecaps academy players currently competing in Canada’s first division. Since the CPL was created eight years ago, 61 former Whitecaps academy players have featured in Canada’s first division.

Almost 10% of the player pool - Whitecaps academy a backbone of the Canadian Premier League

Just to put that in perspective, the CPL currently has 204 players under contract. Almost 10% of those players were, at one point or another, educated in the Whitecaps’ academy system. But it isn’t just the players. “I’m thankful for the time I had there, and I think many people, staff and players, are as well for what they were able to provide straight through the academy to the first team,” Merriman said to Transfermarkt. The 40-year-old Vancouver Island native launched his career in the Whitecaps academy system. Merriman points out that the Whitecaps were a competitive team last season and are once again a top team this year. “You can see the attendance growing. We have to do better as a country to make sure they stay for the development of football, especially in a year where the World Cup is in the country, and Vancouver is a host city.”

Nash agreed with Merriman. “We don’t have a lot of professional teams in this country,” Nash said. “They have done an extremely good job of recruiting and forming a fantastic team over the last few years,” Nash said. “I go to games, even in the evening after we have played. They are a great part of our soccer landscape.” Nash played 156 games (16 goals and 23 assists) for the Whitecaps before they joined MLS, and was also a part of the Canada men’s national team that won the Gold Cup in 2000. “Hopefully, with the World Cup coming, it pushes the city and the province to keep continuing.”

“How damaging would it be for Vancouver and the province if the biggest professional team leaves in the year they hosted the World Cup?” Merriman asked. It is a question that has an easy answer. For the development of the sport in British Columbia and perhaps all of Canada, it would be a devastating blow, one that would be felt for a long time and that perhaps the sport, at least in this part of the country, would never recover from. “At this moment, we need to take a big step forward. We need to figure this out and make sure they stay,” Merriman said.

"Need to make a step forward" - Whitecaps departure would be devastating for Canadian soccer

Indeed, this feels like a crucial year for Canadian football. After all, the still-young Canadian Premier League is still trying to truly break into the market. Downtown games like the two in Victoria over the last two weekends certainly help. But at the same time, it all still feels very fragile and dependent on the three Canadian MLS teams. After all, the Whitecaps have not only supplied a large percentage of talent to the CPL but also produced Canada’s arguably best player, Alphonso Davies. It is easy to forget how brittle the sport's entire ecosystem remains in Canada, especially given the stunning backdrop Royal Athletic Park provided on Sunday. But make no mistake, if the Whitecaps leave, everyone would be impacted, including the Canadian Premier League. It could even be a fatal blow for the game in this country.