The Vancouver Whitecaps are currently experiencing their biggest spike in attendance since the organization joined Major League Soccer in 2011.
Each of last four home matches at BC Place, dating back to last season across all competitions, have featured crowds over 22,000 fans.
That’s expected to continue on Saturday, when Vancouver hosts the Portland Timbers. A crowd over 23,000 is anticipated in the Whitecaps’ first evening match at home this season.
A closer look at the numbers reveals that this five-game trend is not a mirage.
The Whitecaps’ season ticket base has grown to over 16,000 tickets in 2024. This is a jump of over 7,000 season tickets sold when compared to last year’s numbers.
Vancouver had a season ticket base of over 9,000 tickets last season.
The Whitecaps are playing exciting soccer, kick-off times have been earlier, and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami team are scheduled to play at BC Place this season.
“I think it’s all a combination,” Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster told Daily Hive this week. “We actually lost a lot of season ticket holders over the COVID years. We’ve always said that we have to constantly prove we’re a club that’s worth the support and we’re different than a few years ago, but things take time.”
Over 50,000 tickets have been sold for the May 25th match vs Inter Miami at BC Place.
“Maybe the attention that we got through the Messi game helped a little bit,” Schuster admitted. “I would say yes.”
Despite the jump in spectators, the Whitecaps have found littles success on home turf.
Vancouver is 0-2-2 in the last four matches played at BC Place across all competitions.
That includes a 1-1 draw vs Charlotte FC and a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake this season.
“The atmosphere has been unbelievable so far,” Ranko Veselinovic told Daily Hive earlier this week. “Thanks to all the people that have been supporting us, so many people came to the first two games. We need to give them more because the first two games wasn’t enough. We need to give them something to be happy about after the game.”
The Whitecaps’ slow start at home this season doesn’t sit well with Schuster.
#VWFC CEO & Sporting Director Axel Schuster.
“I have to apologize to the people that have shown up that we haven’t got the results at home that we have got on the road. We’re really desperate and fully motivated on Saturday to show the fans a better version of ourselves."#MLS
— Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) March 27, 2024
In his fourth season with the Whitecaps, captain Ryan Gauld has seen firsthand the growth in attendance. Gauld’s MLS home debut had a crowd of 11,144 on August 21, 2021, back when half-capacity crowds were mandated by the government.
“I think it gives us confidence,” Gauld told Daily Hive following training earlier this week. “The fact that numbers have shot up in the last couple of years. It kind of shows to us that were doing a good job, we’re improving. It’s always nicer to have a bigger home crowd. You always want to play in front of as many fans as we can. I think it gives us the confidence that we’re making good steps and there’s still plenty more to make.”
Attendance did not get off to a hot start last season in Vancouver.
#VWFC announced home #MLS attendance in 2023.
RSL – FEB 25: 19,615
DAL – MAR 11: 16,780 (afternoon game)
MTL – APR 1: 16,046
POR – APR 8: 17,029
COL – APR 29: 14,103
MIN – May 6: 14,047
SEA – May 20: 19,108#MLS— Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) May 21, 2023
Fast-forward a year and the Whitecaps set a record for attendance in an MLS home opener with a crowd of 29,624 on March 2 against Charlotte FC.
The crowd of 22,178 against Real Salt Lake was the first in a stretch of four consecutive matches at home and a strong indication of what fan support could look like the season.
A game that wasn’t a home opener, not part of the Whitecaps golden era ticket package, on the same night as a Canucks home game, and also during spring break.
“We wanted to see how the game against Salt Lake looks like,” Schuster revealed. “We have seen on a rainy day this amount of people show up. We all now feel a little bit better that it really has to do with us (the team). We are humbled enough to question that for a while. I think there is a boost coming from our performance and what the club has done.”
Head coach Vanni Sartini will be back on the touchline on Saturday after his multi-game suspension was reduced by MLS. Whitecaps assistant coach Michael D’Agostino went 2-1-1 during Sartini’s sabbatical.
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