Vancouver Whitecaps booted from BC Place by Home and Garden Show
The Vancouver Whitecaps are taking their show on the road, but not by choice.
Due to a scheduling conflict at BC Place, the Whitecaps are being forced to play a marquee match-up against Mexican club Tigres UANL on Vancouver Island. The Whitecaps will take on the Liga MX powerhouse on February 7 at Starlight Stadium in Langford as part of the Concacaf Champions Cup.
The unusual move is due to the BC Home and Garden Show, which takes place February 8-11 at BC Place but requires advance time to set up. The Whitecaps were given a window from February 6 to 8 to host the match.
“When Concacaf first confirmed the expanded format and earlier competition dates for the Champions Cup, we learned there was a potential conflict based on another event at BC Place during the same window. Immediately, we explored all possibilities, as well as venue options across British Columbia,” said Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster.
“Ultimately, Starlight Stadium was not only the sole Concacaf approved and available stadium in our province in early February, but the City of Langford has also been extremely welcoming. Although our preference is to always play at BC Place, we are excited for this unique opportunity to further connect with our many fans and supporters on Vancouver Island at a stadium we are familiar with.
“It is also important to note, we are thankful to have a great relationship with PavCo, who operate our home stadium, and together we work very closely on scheduling our home dates for both regular season and cup competitions at BC Place.”
Starlight Stadium has a seating capacity of just 6,000 and is home to Pacific FC of the Canadian Premier League.
The second leg against Tigres will take place the following week on February 14, at the 42,000-seat Estadio Universitario in San Nicolás de los Garza, near the city of Monterrey, Mexico.
The winner of the two-leg series will move on to face the winner of Orlando City SC and Cavalry FC in the Round of 16, set to be played March 5 and 12. Should the Whitecaps advance, their home match would be back at BC Place.
Cavalry FC is also being forced to play their Champions Cup home match in Langford, due to the frigid February weather expected at their home stadium in Calgary.