VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps have folded their feeder team and have signed a new affiliation agreement with USL expansion club Fresno FC.
Major League Soccer’s Whitecaps announced Friday that Whitecaps FC 2 will not be returning for the 2018 USL season. The team struggled to gain traction in the Vancouver area, playing to small crowds on both the University of British Columbia campus and in suburban Langley.
“First of all, we would like to thank every person who has worked tirelessly with Whitecaps FC 2 over the past three seasons,” Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said in a statement. “With both the USL and Canadian soccer landscapes evolving, now is the right time to make this change for our club.”
Fresno FC will play its first USL season in 2018. The club will be led by former Canada international Frank Yallop as general manager and head coach Adam Smith.