Whitecaps sign experienced French striker

By Josh Martin, Sports Editor

he Vancouver Whitecaps FC signed French
striker Eric Hassli last Friday as the team’s

first designated player. Hassli joins his
new team after spending the past three and a half
seasons with the Swiss Super League club FC
Zurich, where he played with now new teammate
of the Whitecaps, defender Alain Rochat. During
his time with Zurich, Hassli scored 36 goals in 115
competitive matches, which included 21 goals and
ten assists in 34 appearances when Zurich won the
Swiss Super League title in the 2008-09 season. So
far this season Hassli has scored five goals in 18
appearances with Zurich, including four goals in his
last three games.

With the Whitecaps playing their first season in
the MLS it’s huge to establish themselves right away
as a top competitor. “It was important for us to bring
in an experienced striker,” said Whitecaps FC head
coach Teitur Thordarson: “Eric is big, strong, and
will give us a physical presence all over the pitch.
His addition will complement our team very nicely
for the coming season, and I’m very much looking
forward to having him in our club.”

Hassli will join Jay DeMerit who was officially
announced as the Whitecaps first ever MLS team

captain last Wednesday. DeMerit already has his
very own inspirational commercial to the public
which shows him around the city of Vancouver. He
also gives some valuable tips in the game of soccer,
defending his goal by heading the ball away from
the net with great emphasis on making sure you
make contact with the ball when you’re at the peak
of your jump with the front part of your forehead. It
was pretty impressive to say the least.

The new captain of Vancouver becomes the 20°
man in team history to dawn the ‘C’. The defender
will not be the only leader on the field however, with °
midfielders Terry Dunfield and John Thorrington
recently being named the team’s alternate captains.

“[My job is to] try to glue us together as a unit
and to make sure we’re all on the same page come
March 19,” DeMerit said. “Two weeks is still a
long time and there’s still a lot of work that we need
to do—and I think we’re all awate of that—but
you can feel the excitement starting to build. It’s
an exciting time, and I think it’s important for us
to not feel the pressure of that, but to embrace the
excitement.”

This is a huge mark in sports history for the city
of Vancouver. Just imagine watching the Whitecaps
play in BC stadium once it’s up to snuff. Now that
will be one heck of a time.

 

 

 

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