Whitecaps cut ties with Lucas Cavallini and four other players

Nov 15 2022, 12:59 am

Lucas Cavallini’s up-and-down tenure with the Vancouver Whitecaps has come to an end.

The Whitecaps have announced that they have chosen not to exercise the 29-year-old’s contract option, just one day after Cavallini was chosen to play for Canada at the FIFA World Cup.

In addition to Cavallini, the club has also decided to part ways with defenders Jake Nerwinski and Marcus Godinho, midfielder Leonard Owusu, and goalkeeper Cody Cropper.

“We are very thankful to Cody, Jake, Marcus, Leo, and Lucas,” said Whitecaps FC sporting director Axel Schuster. “All of these men helped us win the 2022 Canadian Championship and are fantastic individuals. They will always be welcome at our club and we wish every one of them the very best.”

The Whitecaps have also chosen to not exercise the 2023 contract options for centre-back Florian Jungwirth and Tosaint Ricketts, but are each “continuing discussions with the club around opportunities off the pitch.” Ricketts is already a member of the Whitecaps’ front office as the manager of community impact.

Cavallini failed to live up to expectations as the Whitecaps’ prized acquisition on a club-record transfer fee during the 2019 offseason. He went on to score just 18 goals in 63 matches, starting 46 of them.

After being surpassed on the depth chart by striker Brian White in 2021, Cavallini led the Whitecaps in goals in 2022 with nine. League-wide, that’s not an impressive stat, as he placed tied for 29th in goals during the regular season.

Cavallini had as many yellow cards (9) as he had goals, which placed him tied for the most in Major League Soccer among forwards.

In the end, Cavallini simply wasn’t good enough for a player who made $1.46 million in 2022 — second-most on the Whitecaps.

While the Whitecaps lose one member of Canada’s World Cup team in Cavallini, they’re getting another one back in centre-back Derek Cornelius. Cornelius, 24, last played for the Whitecaps in June 2021 and is currently on loan through December with Greek Super League side Panetolikos FC.

By adding Cornelius, the Whitecaps now have 23 players under contract.

MLS free agency opens on November 16. The 2023 MLS SuperDraft is set to take place on December 21.

Whitecaps first team players under contract for 2023

  • Goalkeepers (3): Max Anchor, Isaac Boehmer, Thomas Hasal
  • Defenders (8): Tristan Blackmon, Javain Brown, Matteo Campagna, Derek Cornelius*, Julian Gressel, Cristián Gutiérrez, Luís Martins, Ranko Veselinović
  • Midfielders (8): Caio Alexandre*, Sebastian Berhalter, Andrés Cubas, Ryan Gauld, Ryan Raposo, Alessandro Schöpf, Russell Teibert, Pedro Vite
  • Forwards (4): Déiber Caicedo, Cristian Dájome, Kamron Habibullah, Brian White
  • Away on loan: Caio Alexandre (Brazilian Série A side Fortaleza EC, through December 2022), Derek Cornelius (Greek Super League side Panetolikos FC, through December 2022)
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