Vancouver Whitecaps FC will continue playing at their home away from home for a little while longer.
The Canadian club announced Friday that they'll remain at Real Salt Lake's Rio Tinto Stadium for home games throughout July, a decision made due to travel hurdles amid the COVD-19 pandemic. However, they're optimistic about returning to BC Place at some point not long after.
"We are optimistic we will once again be back home playing at BC Place this summer," CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster said in a club release. "We are very encouraged by BC’s Restart plan, the declining COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, as well as the strong response by British Columbians to getting vaccinated. As more and more Canadians get vaccinated and case counts continue to drop, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have been away from our city and our supporters for far too long and are optimistic we will once again be back home playing at BC Place this summer."
Vancouver have two wins and a loss from three "home" games in Utah so far this season. Between now and the end of July, the Whitecaps are scheduled to have six home games.
“We are very thankful to the entire Real Salt Lake organization for hosting us during this period," Schuster said. "At the same time, we will continue to work with government officials regarding border restrictions, public health authorities, and MLS to be ready to return when the time comes.”
Vancouver are the lone MLS team out of action during Week 7, giving them an early head start on the league's break at the beginning of June. They return to action June 18 as the road team at Rio Tinto against RSL.
