Whitecaps release schedule
Published on January 26, 2007 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release
VANCOUVER, B.C. - The Vancouver Whitecaps FC, in conjunction with the United Soccer Leagues (USL), released their 2007 men's and women's regular season schedule today. The 2006 USL First Division champion Vancouver Whitecaps will start the defence of their title on Saturday, April 21 at home against the 2005 champion Seattle Sounders. The W-League champion Whitecaps will kick off on Sunday, May 20 versus the Seattle Sounders Saints at Swangard Stadium.
The Whitecaps men's schedule will once again feature 28 regular season games: 14 away and 14 at Swangard Stadium. The USL First Division uses a single table format and this year the league has expanded to 13 teams with the additions of the Carolina RailHawks and California Victory, while the Toronto Lynx have moved to the USL Premier Development League.
The men will play a home and away game against each team as well as an additional home game against the Seattle Sounders and Minnesota Thunder and an additional road match versus the Portland Timbers and expansion side California Victory.
The Whitecaps women's schedule will include 12 regular season games in the W-League Western Conference: six away, four at Swangard Stadium, one at Exhibition Field in Chilliwack and one at a stadium to be named in the near future. The women will play a home and away against each team once as well as an additional home game against the Seattle Sounders Saints and an additional road match versus the Fort Collins Force.
The Whitecaps 2007 home schedule will include three doubleheaders: Sunday, May 20, Sunday, June 10 and Saturday, July 14. The first doubleheader of the year, Sunday, May 20, will see the women open their season against arch rivals the Seattle Sounders Saints at 4:00 p.m. (PT). The night cap will see a rematch of last year's USL First Division final when the Rochester Raging Rhinos make their lone visit to Swangard in a 7:00 p.m. (PT) kickoff. Last year's regular season champions (Commissioner's Cup winners), the Montreal Impact, will travel to the West Coast for an all-Canadian tilt on Sunday, August 12, at 7:00 p.m. (PT).
The women's regular season will wrap-up at home versus the Real Colorado Cougars on July 21. The top two teams from the Western Conference will qualify for the playoffs with the winner advancing to the W-League Final Four; location and dates still to be announced.
The men's final regular season game is on Sunday, September 9 against long-time rivals the Portland Timbers in a special 4:00 p.m. (PT) start time. The USL First Division playoffs will kick off the following week and will now include the top eight qualifying clubs which will play a two-leg aggregate score series in the quarterfinals. The winning clubs from the quarterfinals will be re-seeded for the semifinals, also a two-leg aggregate score series, to determine the two clubs for the USL First Division championship game. The championship match will be hosted by one of the two finalists on Saturday, September 29.
Whitecaps full season tickets start at just $199 and include all Whitecaps men's and women's regular season and playoff matches at Swangard, priority purchase rights for the proposed Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium and much more. For more information call 604.669.WAVE (9283) or visit our TICKETS page.
USL First Division Stories from January 26, 2007
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