Vancouver Whitecaps return to Swangard Stadium in search of another Canadian title

BURNABY — The Vancouver Whitecaps will be returning to their roots, and forward Brian White will make some history Wednesday when they face Cavalry FC in the first leg of the Telus Canadian Championships quarterfinals.

The game will be played at Swangard Stadium, the 5,000-seat facility in Burnaby, B.C., which served as the Whitecaps’ home before joining Major League Soccer. It will also be the 200th match across all competitions for White, who joined the club in 2021.

“It’s special,” said White, who came to Vancouver in a trade from the New York Red Bulls. “I’ve been here for a number of years, and this club means a lot to me. The city means a lot to me,

“It’s kind of cool, kind of poetic, to have that 200th game at a place where the club started.”

Coach Jesper Sorensen said White has played a key role in the Whitecaps’ success.

“What it speaks to is his commitment to the franchise,” said Sorensen. “His contribution is way above what most people have done for this club.”

With the FIFA World Cup taking over BC Place, the Whitecaps will host Canadian Premier League side Cavalry at Swangard Stadium, a compact venue nestled in a Burnaby park, a corner kick from a public pool and framed by the North Shore Mountains.

Midfielder Ryan Gauld smiled as he surveyed the grass pitch and covered seats on one side of the field.

“It’s a cool, wee stadium,” said the native of Aberdeen, Scotland, who played just six games last season and is looking to return to action after undergoing an arthroscopic debridement procedure on his left knee in January. “Hopefully we can get a performance and the result that kind of brings back old memories.”

The stadium, named after Erwin Swangard, a prominent Vancouver Sun sports journalist and executive, served as the Whitecaps’ home from 1987 to 2010, when the team was known as the Vancouver 86ers.

The 86ers won four Canadian Soccer League championships from 1988 to 1991, and the 1990 North American Club Championship before the club reclaimed the Whitecaps name and won USL First Division titles in 2006 and 2008.

Walking on the field was a step back in time for midfielder Jeevan Badwal, a 20-year-old Surrey, B.C., native who played at the stadium as a member of the Whitecaps reserve team.

“It’s a beautiful place, brings back memories,” said Badwal, who has made 38 appearances for the Whitecaps over the last two seasons, including Vancouver’s run to the MLS final last year. “Going back to the change room, coming out on the pitch. It’s a bit historic.

“The Whitecaps have played here before; we’re coming back.”

Wednesday’s game will be staged as the country basks in the excitement of Canada’s national team advancing to the World Cup’s round of 16 and Vancouver playing host to seven matches.

Badwal was surprised by how the city embraced the moment with watch parties and one of the main downtown streets blocked off for fans.

“I didn’t expect it to be this big,” he said. “We haven’t done something big like this since the Olympics. It was an amazing show. It was an amazing feeling.”

White enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere.

“The city has been so much fun,” he said. “The city’s alive with that soccer spirit. It’s really fun to see so many different cultures come out.”

Gauld believes the Canadian team’s performance will further grow the sport in the country.

“It can only be great, especially for young kids, seeing what it means to everyone to have a good team here,” he said. “Canada’s on a good path. You can see how much the national team has improved.

“Hopefully there’s more and more young Canadians starting to get into football and improve the game in Canada.”

The Whitecaps haven’t played an MLS game since a May 23 win in San Diego. They are currently tied for first place in the Western Conference with San Jose with 32 points from a 10-2-2 record.

Cavalry, based in Calgary, played as recently as Saturday. They are second in the eight-team PCL with 26 points from an 8-2-1 record and have won four of their last five games.

The Whitecaps will be looking to win their fifth consecutive Voyageurs Cup and sixth Canadian title overall.

“It’s a tournament we take very seriously,” said Gauld. “When you’ve got that taste of winning, you want to get it going.”

White isn’t expecting an easy game against Cavalry.

“They’ve been playing games all through the summer; they’re playing really well in their league,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough challenge.

“We’ve had a break, but there’s going to be no excuses when the whistle blows. We’re going to have to be at our very best.”

The second game in the two-match series will be played Monday in Calgary.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2026

Jim Morris, The Canadian Press