✍️ Baltej Bining

Hello Vancouver! I first want to apologize for not publishing a Vancouver Weekly last week, so this edition will also cover stuff from last week.

Anyways, we've got a lot to cover, so let's jump right into this edition of Vancouver Weekly!

Vancouver Whitecaps

What a way to respond to some poor form.

Last week, the Vancouver Whitecaps participated in the Leagues Cup, and it did not go well. A 1-0 loss to Atlante FC and a 3-1 loss to FC Juárez confirmed their elimination before they went to Mexico and grabbed a 1-1 draw against Tigres UANL, who would win after a penalty shootout, which saw Tunisian-Canadian Rayan Elloumi miss the decisive spot-kick, as it was sent over the bar.

During the loss against Juárez, Brian White went down due to hamstring tightness, as he's considered to be day-to-day.

After that Leagues Cup, the Whitecaps got a couple of pieces of business completed: Serbian midfielder Aleksa Cvetković joined the club on a four-year U-22 Initiative Player deal, while Canadian defender Ralph Priso extended his stay with the Whitecaps for a further three years. The club is also rumoured to be signing Vancouver FC standout midfielder Emrick Fotsing and American-born Colombian midfielder Sebastián Ramírez from Fortaleza CIEF.

Last night, the Vancouver Whitecaps snapped their poor run of form away from home, as a 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders saw them return to the top spot in the Western Conference, while also clinching a ninth Cascadia Cup.

The opener came from the previously mentioned Rayan Elloumi, who silenced his doubters with a composed finish, while the second goal was scored by Thomas Müller, who scored soccer's most interesting type of goal, an indirect free kick.

It wasn't all great for Vancouver, as standout youngster Jeevan Badwal was forced off after 18 minutes due to a head injury.

For the Whitecaps, they will have two crucial matches at home against a couple of Texas-based sides. They will take on second-placed Houston Dynamo on Wednesday before hosting FC Dallas on Saturday. The Houston game kicks off at 7:30 pm PT, while the Dallas game kicks off at a slightly earlier 6:30 pm PT.

Vancouver FC

The CPL's hottest team at the moment!

Vancouver FC cannot stop their terrific form, as a 1-0 win against Forge FC was followed up by a 1-1 draw against Pacific FC, a game which saw Terran Campbell score an acrobatic equalizer against his former side.

Previously mentioned in the Whitecaps section, Emrick Fotsing is set to join the MLS outfit for a reported fee of around USD $350,000 plus significant add-ons, while the Eagles will retain 20% and will also keep Fotsing on loan for the remainder of the 2026 Canadian Premier League season.

Before the game against Forge, Vancouver FC announced the signing of South African-born Canadian midfielder Benjamin Lee, who joined after two seasons with Irish outfit Treaty United. Lee is also a former WFC2 player.

Martin Nash's side find themselves in third place, but are tied with fourth-place Atlético Ottawa, who are behind on goal difference.

The Eagles will now begin a three-match road trip, beginning in the nation's capital against the previously mentioned Atlético Ottawa on Wednesday, before heading out east to take on the Halifax Wanderers on Saturday.

Wednesday's match kicks off at 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET, while Saturday's kicks off at 11:00 am PT / 3:00 pm AT.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2

As the season winds down, WFC2 will want the season to end.

After a week's break, WFC2 returned to action against first-placed Austin FC II, but were crushed by a 4-1 scoreline at Parmer Field. Stefan Dobrijevic scored a brace for the hosts, while Diego Abarca and Djakaría Barro added to the lead before Cristiano Bruletti converted a penalty to make the scoreboard more respectful.

Rich Fagan's side will have another bye week, as they now inch closer to being eliminated from playoff contention after making the past two seasons' editions.

Plenty of WFC2 players got call-ups for the first team in the Leagues Cup, as Trevor Wright and Johnny Selemani received one for all three games, with Micaah Garnette receiving two call-ups and Daniel Ittycheria receiving one. Selemani was the only player to receive minutes, having an impressive game against FC Juárez as a starter before getting some bench minutes against Tigres UANL.

WFC2 will return to action on the 26th of August at Swangard Stadium, hosting LAFC2 at 6:00 pm PT on that Wednesday game, before hosting Sporting Kansas City II on Sunday at 4:00 pm PT.

Vancouver Rise

The vibes are back up for Anja Heiner-Møller and the Rise!

After a disappointing 3-2 loss to the Calgary Wild that saw Tori Tumeth receive a red card, the Rise won it late against the Halifax Tides by a 2-1 scoreline, thanks to a late winner from Jessica De Filippo, as those results put the Rise two points behind the Tides, who hold the final playoff spot.

Some transfer business was made, as defenders Chantelle Swaby and Kaela Hansen joined the club from Leicester City and AFC Toronto respectively, while goalkeeper Kirstin Tynan has been loaned out to the Halifax Tides for the remainder of the 2026 Northern Super League season.

De Filippo scored four goals across the last two games for the Rise, and she is now tied with Elyse Bennett for the league's top scorer position with nine goals each.

Next up is an away day in Ottawa, as the Vancouver Rise take on the Ottawa Rapid on Saturday, who will be without DB Pridham after her red card against Calgary, which will help the Rise due to Pridham's ridiculous scoring record against them.

Kickoff is set for 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET.

That wraps up a lengthy edition of Vancouver Weekly, as the Vancouver sides had plenty of action over the past couple of weeks, and everyone barring WFC2 was able to experience a win during this time.

Thanks for reading Vancouver Weekly, and we will see you next week, Vancouverites!