While the Vancouver Whitecaps continue to prepare game in and game out for their MLS schedule and a hopeful berth in the playoffs, there is another competition on their minds right now.
The 2022 Canadian Championship has seen the Whitecaps beat CPL clubs Valour FC, Cavalry FC and York United FC. They are now set to face MLS club Toronto FC in the final.
The last time Vancouver was in this position was in 2018, which ended in a loss to Toronto FC. Back then, the final was played over two legs. The only two players from the current squad that played in that iteration of the competition were Russell Teibert and Jake Nerwinski.
The last time the Blue-and-White won the Canadian Championship was in 2015 when they beat Montreal Impact. (Now called CF Montreal.) Only Teibert was around back then.
But what about his teammates? Where have the likes of David Ousted, Kendall Waston and Darren Mattocks gone?
In a tribute to the upcoming final, let’s take a look at the squad from the 2015 Canadian Championship, the last major cup won by the ‘Caps, and see where they are now.
David Ousted
The giant Dane came up big in 2015, playing to a 2-2 draw at Saputo Stadium in Montreal. The second leg in Vancouver saw him get a clean sheet as the home team won 2-0 and finished 4-2 on aggregate.
He continued to play for Vancouver in 2016 and 2017, earning himself a spot in the 2016 MLS All-Star game. After the 2017 season was completed, Vancouver declined to exercise an option in his contract for an additional year as Stefan Marinovic had taken over the top spot between the sticks.
However, Vancouver kept hold of his MLS rights. Those rights were sold to D.C. United for a second-round pick (26th overall) in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.
But the goalkeeper only lasted a season in the American capital. Placed on waivers at the end of 2018, he was grabbed by the Chicago Fire.
Leaving the MLS in 2019, Ousted went to Sweden on a free transfer to play for Hammarby IF. In two seasons of playing for them, he helped them to win the 2020-21 Svenska Cupen, Sweden’s main cup competition, where he came up big as the final went down to penalties.
In December 2021, Ousted announced his retirement from professional football. However, like Paul Scholes in 2012 or Landon Donovan in 2018, he quickly came out of retirement to play back in Denmark for FC Midtjylland. His contract was only to go for six months, but he decided to play until the end of 2022 when he will retire for good.
The plan for the goalkeeper is to move back to Canada with his family.
Jordan Harvey
Harvey would go on to play for the Whitecaps for another two seasons before leaving on a free transfer for the newly established Los Angeles FC. He was one of their first free transfer signings after the expansion draft.
In his four years with LAFC, he would help his team win the Supporters’ Shield in 2019.
He announced his retirement from football in February of this year.
Tim Parker
The 2015 MLS SuperDraft pick for Vancouver also played for another couple of years at BC Place.
But in March 2018, he was traded to New York Red Bulls in exchange for Felipe Martins, $500K in TAM and an international roster spot for the 2018 season. With NYRB, he won the Supporters’ Shield in his first year there. He would play for the team for three years.
In early 2021, Parker was traded to the Houston Dynamo for $450K in GAM and an additional $600K in performance-related incentives.
His current contract runs through to the end of the 2024 season.
Kendall Waston
The big Costa Rican centre-back played for Vancouver until the end of the 2018 season. His dominance was so important to the Whitecaps’ back line that the club even signed him to a Designated Player contract for his final year.
He was also named to the MLS Best XI twice, once in 2015 and again in 2017.
But at the end of the 2018 season, he was traded to MLS newcomers FC Cincinnati for $450K in GAM, $300K in TAM and an international roster spot. He would spend two years in Cincinnati.
Waston went back to Costa Rica where he signed with his boyhood club, Deportivo Saprissa, where he continues to play today.
For the Costa Rican national men’s team, Waston is a regular choice, having played in major tournaments throughout his career, including the 2018 World Cup.
Steven Beitashour
Beitashour has moved around a few times since leaving Vancouver. The Canadian Championship-winning season with the Whitecaps was his last as he was traded to Toronto FC for a 2nd round pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.
He played there for two years, ending his tenure with the 2017 Canadian Championship, Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup.
Beitashour would go on to sign as a free transfer in early 2018 for LAFC for their first season in the MLS. Alongside his former Whitecaps’ teammate Harvey, they would go on to win the Supporters’ Shield in 2019.
But that was his only year in California. He signed as a free agent with the Colorado Rapids in September 2020. He would not play in that season, but he would go on to be a veteran presence for 2021.
He is currently on a one-year contract with the Rapids for the 2022 season.
Gershon Koffie
The Ghanaian midfielder finished the 2015 season with the Whitecaps before being traded to the New England Revolution for an undisclosed amount of GAM and TAM as well as a future sell-on fee.
He played the season with the Revs before moving to Sweden and joining Hammarby IF. It was a bit of a homecoming of sorts for Koffie.
While he had never played for the Swedish club, he had a trial with them in 2009. Unfortunately, he broke his leg during the trial. The club helped him with his surgery and rehab before he ultimately went to the the Whitecaps. This second time was a new chance to break into Europe.
But it did not go as planned. Although he signed a three-year contract with Hammarby, he only played two matches before he was deemed surplus requirements. New England was still high on the player, so he returned to his former club on loan.
On his return to Hammarby at the end of the 2017 season, his contract was terminated by mutual consent.
Koffie moved on to Kuwait where he played for Al-Fahaheel Sporting Club for a season and then to Israel’s second division for Hapoel Kfar Saba.
It would seem Koffie’s world tour would end, but he was not finished. He returned to the United States and signed Indy Eleven in the USL Championship. However, that only lasted a season before he was off again, this time to Poland and Sandecja Nowy Sacz in the second division.
In June 2022, he went back to Israel, signing with Ironi Tiberias. They will begin the 2022-2023 season in the second division after just being promoted by winning the third division last season.
Russell Teibert
Teibert’s story is well-known to Whitecaps’ fans. He is the longest-serving player on the Whitecaps, having just played his 300th match for the club. He is also the current club captain.
Kekuta Manneh
Manneh, the speed merchant for the Whitecaps before the days of Alphonso Davies, left Vancouver early in the 2017 season for Columbus Crew SC in exchange for midfielder Tony Tchani, $225K in TAM and $75K in GAM.
But it was the last year of his MLS contract, and he chose to try his luck elsewhere. He signed with Mexican Liga MX club, CF Pachuca. But he only played in one match for the club and was just on the pitch for 10 minutes.
Little playing time meant he was moving once again. For the 2018-2019 season, he joined FC St. Gallen in the Swiss Super League. But it was another frustrating stint in which he did not finish out the season. In February 2019, he came back to MLS, joining the newly created club, FC Cincinnati.
With Cincinnati, he finally found some playing time, playing in 27 matches in 2019. But he was off again after just two games in the 2020 season, this time to the New England Revolution in exchange for an international roster spot.
He did not play much with the Revs, only getting two starts and a total of six appearances. The contract option was declined by the club and he left for FC Austin on a free transfer for the 2021 season. There was a little bit more playing time in Austin, but only as a sub. A contract option was again declined and he left at the end of 2021.
He is currently with San Antonio FC in the USL Championship after signing with them in February 2022.
Pedro Morales
The playmaker from Chile played one more season with the Whitecaps after the 2015 Canadian Championship. Unfortunately, a locker room dust-up between him and Ousted led to him ultimately leaving the club at the end of 2016.
He moved back to his native Chile, playing for Colo Colo in the first division. But he only played in seven matches, starting in three of them. It was a forgettable experience. He quickly moved on to C.D. Universidad de Concepción in the same division.
Again, he played very little over a full season. He left the club and signed for Deportes Temuco in the Chilean second division. However, the writing was on the wall. He played five matches for the club before being released.
He has not played football professionally since 2019.
Cristian Techera
Techera continued to play for the Whitecaps through the next three seasons. At the end of the 2018 season, he was loaned to Argentinian second division club, Club Atlético Belgrano, which turned into a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee.
After a couple of seasons in Argentina, he returned to his native country of Uruguay and signed for Atenas de San Carlos in the second division. He left the club in 2021.
Currently, Techera plays for Ayacucho FC in the top flight of Peruvian football.
Octavio Rivero
The Designated Player Uruguayan striker played for one more season for the Blue-and-White before moving on. He was sold to Colo Colo in the top flight of Chilean football for an undisclosed transfer fee as well as a sell-on clause.
With Colo Colo, Rivero excelled in his first year. The team finished second, but the striker reached 10 goals over 24 matches. In his second year with the club, they won the league title.
After that winning season, he was transferred to Liga MX in Mexico with Atlas F.C. However, his good form did not follow him. He failed to get on the scoresheet in the nine matches he played. Rivero went back to Chile, this time with Nacional. He did well again, scoring five goals in 10 matches along the way to helping his team win the league title, Rivero’s second in Chile.
But not one to give up, he went back to Mexico, this time with Santos Laguna. He spent two seasons there, but he had trouble finding consistent form. He left at the end of the 2020-2021 season.
It was once again back to Chile for Rivero. He joined Unión La Calera partway through the 2021 season. Currently in 2022, he is playing for Unión Española, still in Chile.
That rounds out the starting XI for the Whitecaps in the 2015 Canadian Championship. But there were also seven on the bench as well as the coach.
Let’s look at their careers next.
Matias Laba
After the 2017 MLS season, Laba was transferred to Argentinian club, Estudiantes de La Plata. But being back in his home country was not all it was cut out to be. He only played one match before moving to Unión La Calera in Chile in 2019.
He had a much better time in Chile, starting in all 22 of his matches. Laba attempted to try Argentina again, this time with Defensa y Justicia. But again, he only managed to get a single game.
He returned to Unión La Calera in Chile for the next two seasons, being a mainstay in their starting XI.
However, he is not done with Argentina. In 2022, he transferred to Club Atlético Central Córdoba where he has had better luck, starting in the majority of their matches so far.
Darren Mattocks
Mattocks left the Whitecaps after the 2015 season. He was transferred to the Portland Timbers in exchange for an undisclosed amount of GAM and TAM as well as a 2017 international roster spot. He played in most of their matches, but he struggled to find the net.
Before the 2018 MLS season, he was transferred to D.C. United in exchange for a 2018 international roster spot. In the American capital, he did well, scoring 10 goals in 25 matches. However, the introduction of Wayne Rooney into the D.C. United lineup him partway through the season saw him move from being a starter to being a sub. He left during the 2018 MLS Expansion Draft for FC Cincinnati.
In Cincinnati, his goal scoring form dipped. He also found himself in trouble with the law, being charged with one count of making a false, fraudulent or incomplete insurance claim, and another count of theft by deception. The charges led to the club choosing to not sign him for the 2019 season even though he had been participating in preseason training while in contract negotiations.
That left Mattocks without a club for a year. He eventually found a new home in Sudan, playing for Al-Merrikh SC. But it was only a short time before he was on the move again.
Currently for the 2022 season, he is back in the United States, playing for Phoenix Rising FC in the USL Championship.
Mauro Rosales
The veteran midfielder left the Whitecaps at the end of the 2015 season and joined FC Dallas in exchange for Blas Perez. But he would only stay a season in Texas before coming back to Vancouver for the 2017 MLS season on a free transfer.
He was mainly a leadership presence in the club, playing in only five matches as a sub all year. He did not play in 2018, but he came back for a short stint in 2019 with Argentinian second division club Club Atlético Alumni.
He retired from football in October 2019.
Robert Earnshaw
Earnshaw only played for the Whitecaps in the 2015 season. He announced his retirement in early 2016, becoming the head coach of Vancouver’s U-14 pre-residency program.
Currently, he is an assistant coach with Orange County SC in the USL Championship.
Paolo Tornaghi
The backup goalkeeper for the Whitecaps played sparingly during his time with the time. His contract was terminated with mutual consent in July 2017.
Without a club, he returned to his native Italy, signing with Pro Patria, who had just been promoted to the third division. He played 41 games for them before moving on Obia in the same division as their starter. He stayed for two seasons, but he eventually lost his starting place.
Currently, he is now with F.C. Crotone in Italy’s third division.
Christian Dean
The American centre-back stayed until the end of the 2017 MLS season with the ‘Caps before being transferred to the Chicago Fire for $50K in GAM, $50K in TAM and a future sell-on clause.
He played for two seasons with the Fire, but he did not see a lot of the pitch. He only featured in five games throughout his time there. He announced his retirement in November 2018.
But that was not the end of his story. He came back to football, signing with the Charlotte Independence in the USL Championship for the 2021 season. Citing physical and mental health issues as the reason for stepping away for a few years, he felt he was better prepared to deal with the pressures of the game.
For the beginning of the 2022 season, Dean signed with Bay Cities SC in the NISA, the third tier of American soccer. But he only played four games before moving back to the USL with Forward Madison FC, where he currently plays.
Jordan Smith
Smith played for Vancouver on a loan from his parent club, Deportivo Saprissa, until the end of the 2016 season.
Since then, he has bounced around Central America football, playing for Costa Rican club A.D. San Carlos and Club Deportivo Iztapa and Club Social y Deportivo Mixco in Guatamala, where he currently plays.
Carl Robinson
The head coach continued to lead the club until 2018. He was let go with just five matches left in the season.
In February 2020, he signed on to coach the Newcastle Jets in Australia. However, in late 2020, he moved clubs in Australia, coaching Western Sydney Wanderers.
Unfortunately, his time there was marred by controversy. His assistant coach and the club’s coach of the women’s team cited Robinson as being the cause of a toxic culture. They accused him of leading a team with no identity.
He was let go in early 2022.
