(Photo: Canada Soccer)

VANCOUVER, B.C – The NWSL is not coming to Vancouver, and Whitecaps FC will not be adding a professional women’s soccer team from the already established league.

The Equalizer has learned that negotiations between Whitecaps FC and the NWSL were extremely close, but in the end neither side felt comfortable enough to get it finalized.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC President Bobby Lenarduzzi took time to explain.

“We spent close to two years just trying to put all the pieces together, to actually launch a women’s team,” Lenarduzzi said. “It was something that we dedicated a lot of time to. We did make some significant strides. We had some partnership sponsors, companies that were prepared to step up in a pretty significant way. That was coming together nicely.

“Ultimately we were in dialogue with the NWSL throughout the whole process. We thought we were aligned with what their thinking was, and they were aligned with what our thinking was, and primarily that came down to–we wanted to make sure that we could provide spots for as many Canadian players as possible…

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