The 2023 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season was the club's thirteenth season in Major League Soccer, the top division of soccer in the United States and Canada. Including previous iterations of the franchise, this was the 46th season of professional soccer being played in Vancouver under a variation of the "Whitecaps" name.
Having won the 2022 Canadian Championship, the Whitecaps participated in the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time since the 2016–17 edition and third time overall.
Current roster
No. Name Nationality Position Date of birth (age) Previous club Goalkeepers 1 Thomas Hasal GK Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 18 Yohei Takaoka GK Yokohama F. Marinos 50 Max Anchor GK Whitecaps FC 2 60 Isaac Boehmer GK Vancouver Whitecaps Development Squad Defenders 2 Mathías Laborda DF Nacional 3 Sam Adekugbe DF Hatayspor 4 Ranko Veselinović DF Vojvodina 6 Tristan Blackmon DF Charlotte FC 7 Richie Laryea DF Nottingham Forest 12 Karifa Yao DF CF Montréal 14 Luís Martins DF Sporting Kansas City 23 Javain Brown DF South Florida Bulls61 Matteo Campagna DF Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 Midfielders 8 Alessandro Schöpf MF Arminia Bielefeld 16 Sebastian Berhalter MF Columbus Crew 20 Andrés Cubas MF Nîmes 22 Ali Ahmed MF Whitecaps FC 2 25 Ryan Gauld MF Farense 26 J.C. Ngando MF UNC Greensboro Spartans27 Ryan Raposo MF Syracuse Orange 30 Kamron Habibullah MF Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-2331 Russell Teibert MF Vancouver Whitecaps (USSF-D2) 45 Pedro Vite MF Independiente del Valle Forwards 11 Junior Hoilett FW Reading 24 Brian White FW New York Red Bulls 28 Levonte Johnson FW Whitecaps FC 2 29 Simon Becher FW Whitecaps FC 2 Out on Loan 7 Déiber Caicedo FW Deportivo Cali 8 Caio Alexandre MF Botafogo
Transfers
In
Transferred in #PositionPlayerTransferred fromFee/notesDateSource22 Whitecaps FC 2Free12 CF MontréalRe-Entry Draft Stage One29 Whitecaps FC 2Free26 UNC Greensboro Spartans2023 MLS SuperDraft/Generation Adidas50 Whitecaps FC 2Homegrown player2 NacionalFree18 Yokohama F. MarinosUndisclosed9 FC AugsburgUndisclosed/Designated Player28 Whitecaps FC 2Free3 HataysporUndisclosed11 ReadingFree
Loans in #PositionPlayerLoaned fromDateLoan expiresNotesSource7 Nottingham Forest
Out
Transferred out #PositionPlayerTransferred toFee/notesDateSource12RetiredOption declined15 FC Khimki1833 San Jose EarthquakesOut of contract2 Korona KielceOption declined9 Club Tijuana17 Odd26RetiredOut of contract, retired 28 St. Louis City SCOption declined55 Orange County SC87Retired13 Malmö FFUndisclosed 3 Toronto FCClaimed off Waivers11 D.C. United$350,000 GAM + $200,000 conditional GAM19 Columbus Crew$550,000 GAM + $300,000 conditional GAM9 AlanyasporUndisclosed
Loans out #PositionPlayerLoaned toDateLoan expiresSource8 Fortaleza7 Junior FC
MLS SuperDraft picks
RoundNo.Pos.PlayerCollege/Club teamTransactionSource 1(5) MF J.C. Ngando UNC Greensboro Signed to a Generation Adidas deal 1(29) FW Levonte Johnson Syracuse Signed with Whitecaps FC 2 2(42) DF Daniel Nimick Western Michigan Signed with HFX Wanderers 3(71) DF Buster Sjöberg Syracuse
Preseason
Competition overview
Major League Soccer
Regular season
League tables Western Conference
Overall
Results
Matches
MLS Cup Playoffs
The Whitecaps clinched a playoff berth on October 4, following a 3–0 win against St. Louis City SC. On October 7, Vancouver ensured that they would receive a bye into Round One of the playoffs following a 0–0 draw against Seattle Sounders FC guaranteeing them a home playoff game for the first time since 2017. Round One
Los Angeles FC won the series 2–0.
Canadian Championship
As champions of the 2022 tournament, the Whitecaps received a bye into the quarter-finals.
CONCACAF Champions League
Round of 16
Quarterfinals
Leagues Cup
Group stage
The Vancouver Whitecaps qualified to the Leagues Cup group stage as a wildcard team. They were drawn into West Group 3.
Knockout stage
Cascadia Cup
Statistics
Appearances and goals
! colspan="16" style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Goalkeepers
! colspan="16" style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Defenders
! colspan="16" style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Midfielders
! colspan="16" style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Forwards
! colspan="16" style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Players transferred out during the season
Goalscorers
NameMLSMLS PlayoffsCanadian ChampionshipLeagues CupChampions LeagueTotal 124FWBrian White15111220225MFRyan Gauld11010012329FWSimon Becher402017445MFPedro Vite400116519DFJulian Gressel30200569FWSergio Córdova20020476DFTristan Blackmon20001322MFAli Ahmed20100394DFRanko Veselinović20000216MFSebastian Berhalter200002112DFMathías Laborda1000013DFSam Adekugbe0100017DFRichie Laryea1000018MFAlessandro Schöpf10000123DFJavain Brown10000127MFRyan Raposo00001128FWLevonte Johnson001001Own goals401116Totals55295778
Clean sheets
NameMLSMLS PlayoffsCanadian ChampionshipLeagues CupChampions LeagueTotal 118GKYohei Takaoka8010110Totals8010110
Disciplinary record
PlayerMLSMLS PlayoffsCanadian ChampionshipLeagues CupChampions League Total 1GKThomas Hasal000 000 0000000000002DFMathías Laborda610 000 000 0000006103DFSam Adekugbe200 100 000 0000003003DFCristián Gutiérrez000 000 000 0000000004DFRanko Veselinović200 100 000 0001004006DFTristan Blackmon500 100 1000001007007FWDéiber Caicedo000 000 0000000000007DFRichie Laryea200 000 000 0000002008MFAlessandro Schöpf500 100 0000000006009FWSergio Córdova100 000 10000000020011FWCristian Dájome000 000 000000 10010012DFKarifa Yao000 000 00000000000014DFLuís Martins200 000 00000000020016MF 600 000 10000010080018GK Yohei Takaoka000 000 10000000010019DF Julian Gressel200 000 00000000020020MFAndrés Cubas700 000 00020000090022MFAli Ahmed200 000 00000010030023DFJavain Brown400 100 000100 10060024FWBrian White400 000 000 00000040025MFRyan Gauld500 000 000100 00060026MF J.C. Ngando000 000 00000010010027MFRyan Raposo500 000 000000 10060028FWLevonte Johnson000 100 000 00000000029FWSimon Becher000 100 00000000010030MFKamron Habibullah000 000 000 00000000031MFRussell Teibert000 000 000000 00000045MFPedro Vite400 100 000000 00040050GKMax Anchor000 000 00000000000060GKIsaac Boehmer000 000 00000000000061MFMatteo Campagna000 000 000 000000000Totals6210800400400 8008510
References