VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC will commence their ninth season in Major League Soccer when they host Minnesota United FC on Saturday, March 2 at BC Place, the club confirmed today. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. PT.

The 'Caps will then head to Utah for their second match of the season, facing Real Salt Lake on March 9 at Rio Tinto Stadium (3 p.m. PT). MLS announced the home openers for all 24 clubs on Thursday. The complete regular season schedule, along with the national television schedules for the U.S. and Canada, will be announced in January.

Whitecaps FC will take the field for the first time led by Marc Dos Santos, who was hired as the club’s new head coach in November.

“We’re building a team that will be proud to wear the crest on their chest,” said Dos Santos. “There is a true passion for the club in Vancouver, and that brings a big responsibility to set a very high standard and live up to that support. We want to hear the fans in the stadium as we build towards a future that we hope will once again bring a championship to this city.”

The 2019 season marks the 40th anniversary of Vancouver’s 1979 NASL Soccer Bowl title, when the ‘Caps famously brought the city a major North American championship, leading to an outpouring of more than 100,000 people packing downtown for the parade.

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Whitecaps FC finished 2018 with a 13W-13L-8D record in MLS play, including a thrilling 4-2 victory over MNUFC on July 29 at BC Place.

Vancouver are 2W-1L-1D against the Loons in MLS play and 5W-2L-1D in their home openers since joining MLS. Last year, the ‘Caps defeated Canadian rivals Montreal Impact 2-1 at BC Place in front of 27,837 fans, setting a record for the highest attended home opener in club history, dating back to the first season in 1974.

Home Opener packs are available in time for the holidays featuring two tickets and a scarf for $90, or four tickets and two scarves for $175. Fans can join the celebration for the entirety of the anniversary season by securing their 2019 season ticket membership.