CARSON - The LA Galaxy announced today that they will play a friendly match against the Vancouver Whitecaps of the USL First Division on Tuesday, May 13 at 7 p.m. The match, which will be the Galaxy's first-ever visit to Edmonton and the province of Alberta will be held at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.
"We have a tremendous relationship with the Vancouver Whitecaps and share their view of growing the sport throughout North America," said Galaxy Assistant General Manager Tom Payne. "The first time that we played the Whitecaps the game ended in a draw, this time we are looking to score goals, entertain the fans of Edmonton and come away with a victory."
This will be the Galaxy's second friendly against the Whitecaps in a six month span, with the two sides having played to a 0-0 draw in Vancouver on November 7. A crowd of 48,172 was in attendance at BC Place Stadium for that match, making it one of the biggest crowds ever to see a soccer game in Canada.
"We are extremely excited about the opportunity to play the Galaxy in Edmonton," said Whitecaps President Bob Lenarduzzi. "One of our club's mandates is to grow the game of soccer and this match will allow us to showcase two of North America's most storied soccer franchises. Alberta has successfully hosted some of the biggest soccer events in Canada and I am positive that this match will be no different."
The Whitecaps play in the 11-team United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1) and boast a formidable roster, which includes a mix of youth and experience. Long-time veterans include Canadian international Martin Nash, Jeff Clarke and Steve Kindel. Nash, the 2007 Whitecaps team MVP, has won three USL-1 titles and earned 38 international caps. All three members were key contributors to the Whitecaps 2006 USL-1 championship season.
The 2008 edition of the Whitecaps will see former Icelandic international striker Teitur Thordarson, who has also coached the Estonian national team, at the helm. Thordarson will look to integrate members from the Whitecaps Residency program, which may include Edmonton natives Randy Edwini-Bonsu, Marcus Johnstone and Antonio Rago, as well as Ethan Gage who hails from Cochrane, Alberta.
Whitecaps soccer hails back to 1973. The current franchise was formed in 1986 and is the oldest soccer franchise in North America. The Whitecaps kick off their 22nd season on April 12 at Swangard Stadium against Montreal Impact.
The Whitecaps and Galaxy will work closely with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League to ensure a successful event.
"As a community-owned team, the Eskimos are proud to help bring this very special event to our fans and the city of Edmonton," said Eskimos President and CEO Rick LeLacheur. "We look forward to playing host to the Whitecaps and Galaxy in what should be a great night at Commonwealth Stadium."
Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium has been host to some of Canada's biggest soccer matches. In 1994, Commonwealth drew close to 50,000 fans for a friendly between Canada and Brazil. In 2002, Commonwealth staged the FIFA U-19 Women's World championship match between Canada and the USA, which drew a crowd of 47,484. Last summer, Edmonton was also a host city for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in which three matches exceeded 30,000 fans in attendance.
Individual match tickets for the May 13 friendly will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, March 8 at 10:00 a.m. and will range from $25 to $85. Seating configuration at Commonwealth Stadium will be limited to the lower bowl of 24,408. However, if demand permits, select upper bowl seating may become available. For more information, visit whitecapsfc.com/galaxy. or call 604.669.WAVE (9283).
The Galaxy open their 13th season of play on Saturday, March 29 against the Colorado Rapids at 6:30 p.m. (PT), live on Fox Soccer Channel from Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. LA will play their home opener five days later on Thursday, April 3 when they host former head coach Frank Yallop and the San Jose Earthquakes at 7:30 p.m. at The Home Depot Center.
The 2008 MLS season is just around the corner and the LA Galaxy are now accepting deposits for the 2008 season. A non-refundable deposit secures your place for each 2008 Galaxy regular season game, plus great benefits including exclusive events with the team, special season seat holder gifts, and much more! Call 1-877-3GALAXY or visit www.lagalaxy.com for more details or to purchase your 2008 Galaxy season seats.
