'Caps defeat TWU in preseason friendly
Published on February 15, 2009 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release
Vancouver Whitecaps FC continued their preparations towards the 2009 season with a 3-1 friendly win over Trinity Western University Spartans at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex on Friday afternoon.
Goals by Marlon James, Marcus Haber, and Alex Semenets gave Teitur Thordarson's side a positive conclusion to their latest training match, with the USL First Division champions completing the fourth week of their extensive preseason as a result. Only a very late TWU penalty denied both Jay Nolly and new Brazilian signing Diego from sharing a clean sheet in the Whitecaps goal.
Playing his preferred 4-4-2 formation, Thordarson handed starts to two trial players, with former Charleston Battery captain Marco Reda playing at centre back, while former Toronto FC midfielder Joey Melo partnered James in the Vancouver attack.
Whitecaps sign Haber and Knight
Vancouver Whitecaps FC announce the signings of striker Marcus Haber and defender Wes Knight. Haber has agreed to a one-year contract, plus an option, while Knight has signed a two-year contract, plus an option, with the club. Both deals are pending international clearance.
Haber, 20-years-old, joins the Whitecaps after spending three years in Europe. In July 2006, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound forward signed with the U-19 side of Dutch Eredivisie club FC Groningen. As a member of their U-19 A1 team, Haber scored nine goals in two seasons. He also played a handful of matches with Groningen's reserve team before being released by the club last summer.
The native of Vancouver, BC, first started playing soccer with the Dunbar Soccer Association at the age of five. As an 11-year-old, he joined the Vancouver Selects as an underage player before helping them to a Canadian club championship title in early 2006. During his time with Vancouver Selects, Haber was also a member of the BC provincial team at the U-14, U-15 and U-16 levels. In 2005, the striker helped BC win a Canadian All-Star championship title. Before his move to the Netherlands in 2006, Haber was also a member of the U-17 BCSA/Whitecaps program.
Residency pair help Canada to USA win
Coulton Jackson and Russell Teibert scored their first-ever international goals, as Canada's U-17 men's national team defeated USA U-17's 5-2 in a friendly on Wednesday morning.
The Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency pair put in some fine displays for their country, as Sean Fleming's side made a bright start to their latest preparation camp ahead this spring's CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Tijuana, Mexico. Jaineil Hoilett, Mujtaba Sharifi, and Jordan Ongaro were Canada's other goalscorers on a warm day at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Playing on turf, it was the Canadians that made a bright start by taking the lead inside the first minute on the counter-attack. Teibert found Jackson with a cross-field pass before the Residency striker cut inside his American marker and unleashed an unstoppable drive into the top left-hand corner of the USA goal for 1-0.
Whitecaps add Jackson and Levry
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency announce that they have added striker Coulton Jackson and midfielder Axel Levry to their full-time program.
Jackson, 17-years-old, formally joins Whitecaps Residency after making significant progress in the Whitecaps Prospects program. The native of Surrey, BC, who can play as a striker or as an attacking midfielder, first joined the Whitecaps Delta Prospects Academy in early September 2008 before appearing on the Residency team's successful 12-day tour of Japan last December. He appeared in all five of the tour's matches as a substitute and scored in the 4-2 victory over Kyoto Sanga U-19's on December 10. The forward has also appeared for the Delta WFC side that currently plays in the Men's Premier Division of the Vancouver Metro Soccer League.
USL First Division Stories from February 15, 2009
- 'Caps defeat TWU in preseason friendly - Vancouver Whitecaps
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