The Vancouver Whitecaps have set a new club record for attendance during an MLS game.
It was a weekend where the team was celebrating their 50th anniversary as a club, and their Saturday match against Austin FC brought out fans in droves. A total of 32,465 fans packed BC Place to see their team play to a 0-0 draw.
That is the most fans to ever attend a Whitecaps game in their MLS era.
IT’S OFFICIAL.
Thank you Vancouver for making our 50th Anniversary Match presented by @BMO, one to remember 🫶#VWFC | #FIFTYTGTHR pic.twitter.com/mNydOcylNa
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 5, 2024
Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini was in awe of the crowd and commended the fans on bringing an amazing atmosphere into the stadium for the game.
“It was beautiful. People behind my bench were offering me beer. What more could you say? It’s 32,000, it’s the record,” Sartini said after the game.
The team also had over 110 alumni at Saturday’s match ranging from players throughout their history from their North American Soccer League (NASL) beginnings in 1974 up to the current MLS iteration.
Though Sartini was disappointed that the team wasn’t able to pull out a victory in front of the record-setting crowd, he was still happy with his team’s effort.
“No one left this stadium disappointed for the effort, disappointed for the quality of the team, disappointed of the show we put on,” Sartini explained. “I think that in terms of commitment, in terms of way of playing, we actually honoured the 200 alumni that were here.”
Sartini went on to say that this won’t be a longstanding record for the Whitecaps as a much larger crowd is expected to pack the stadium in about two weeks when Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF come to the city for the first and only time this season on May 25.