CLEVE DHEENSAW
sa国际传媒
If this wintery weather continues, there might even be a snow bank for Sam Adekugbe to jump into at Starlight Stadium on Feb. 7 when the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer play Liga MX powerhouse Tigres UANL to open the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League.
Adekugbe’s backwards leap into a snow pile at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, after a goal in the victory over Mexico, became one of the signature images of sa国际传媒’s qualification march to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The left-back, who has 42 caps for sa国际传媒, split last season between the Whitecaps and Turkish giant Galatasaray and said he is looking forward to returning to the Island.
“People forget that the Whitecaps don’t only have fans in Vancouver. There’s Abbotsford, Langley, Victoria,” said Adekugbe, during a media conference in Vancouver.
The 28-year-old harkened back to his earlier tenure with the Whitecaps when preseason games against the University of Victoria Vikes were an annual fixture at Centennial Stadium during Bruce Wilson’s era as Vikes coach.
“Back in the day when I played here [in Vancouver for the Whitecaps], we used to play games against the University of Victoria,” recalled Adekugbe.
“It’s nice to head back to the Island. We’re looking forward to playing the game and it’s nice to connect to all the fans who maybe don’t have a chance to get out to sa国际传媒 Place.”
And this time the club’s Island fans will actually get to cheer for the Whitecaps at Starlight Stadium. That was not the case in the Caps’ last two appearances here that packed Starlight — a pulsating and memorable 4-3 quarter-final loss in the Canadian Championship to Island-based Pacific FC of the Canadian Premier League in 2021 and the 3-0 semifinal victory over PFC last year en route to the Canadian Championship title which secured for the Caps their place in this year’s CONCACAF Champions League.
Tickets for the Whitecaps-Tigres CONCACAF Champions League fixture at Starlight Stadium, being played on the Island due to a booking conflict with a flower and garden show at sa国际传媒 Place, are now on sale starting at $30 at ticketmaster.ca/whitecaps.
Another CONCACAF Champions League game is also scheduled for Starlight Stadium on Feb. 21 between CPL representative Cavalry FC and Orlando City of MLS. That game was shifted to the Island because of expected wintery conditions in Calgary at that time of year. Ticket details for that game will be announced.
