Swangard Stadium in Burnaby will be home to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 for the inaugural MLS Next Pro season, the club has announced.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 will be one of 21 teams in Canada and the United States participating in the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro league, which Major League Soccer says aims to grow the game through innovation and diversity by bringing professional soccer to new markets, creating career opportunities for professionals on and off-field and providing communities with a strong sense of pride.
“We are very excited to play our inaugural season in MLS NEXT Pro, a league that will challenge and test our top young prospects who are knocking on the door of our first team,” Whitecaps FC Sporting Director Axel Schuster said in a news release.
“Swangard will be a great venue for our first season as we work towards a longer-term brand launch.”
The club will kick off its MLS NEXT Pro Season on March 26 at Houston Dynamo with the home opener at Swangard Stadium scheduled for April 10 against Cascadia rivals Portland Timbers 2.
Kickoff is at 2 p.m.
Each team in the MLS NEXT Pro league will compete in 24 regular-season games across 26 weeks, with a 50/50 split between home and away.
Whitecaps FC 2 has been placed in the Pacific Division alongside Salt Lake, San Jose, Seattle and Portland.
Admission information for Whitecaps FC season ticket members and the general public will be announced in the coming weeks, the club says.
