# 2012 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season

The 2012 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season was the Whitecaps' second season in Major League Soccer, the top tier of soccer in the United States and Canada. In 2011, the expansion Whitecaps FC struggled to find the results and finished at the bottom of the league table winning just six matches with none on the road. By finishing last overall in the regular season the Whitecaps FC received the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft and 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft that were held in January 2012.
The Whitecaps second season began on March 10 against expansion side, and Canadian rivals, Montreal Impact at BC Place with a 2–0 victory. Vancouver set a MLS record by going 427 minutes without conceding a goal to start the season. The club qualified for the playoffs for the first time on October 23 when Seattle Sounders FC defeated FC Dallas. They became the first Canadian MLS team to make the playoffs in MLS history.
Vancouver finished as runners-up in the 2012 Canadian Championship after losing to Toronto FC in the Final for the second consecutive season, under the current bracket format. The Whitecaps defeated FC Edmonton with an aggregate score of 5–1 in the semi-finals before falling 2–1 on aggregate to Toronto.

## Season overview
### January/February

By finishing last overall in the league table in 2011, the Vancouver Whitecaps received the 2nd overall draft choice in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft and Supplemental Draft. The SuperDraft was held on January 12 and the club selected Darren Mattocks with their first-round pick and Chris Estridge with their second-round pick. As a Generation Adidas player, Mattocks was already signed to a league contract prior to being drafted. The Whitecaps also selected four players in the Supplemental Draft, Gienir Garcia, Greg Klazura, Andrew Fontein and Mark Fetrow. Garcia was traded shortly after to Montreal in exchange for the discovery rights to Etienne Barbara.
Training camp for the 2012 MLS season began in Vancouver on January 23. Under new head coach, Martin Rennie, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC underwent a large number of personnel changes both on the pitch and off. Rennie replaced assistant coaches Colin Miller and Denis Hamlett with Paul Ritchie, Carl Robinson and Jake DeClute. He also acquired several high-profile players to add to the club. After signing Lee Young-Pyo and Lee Nguyen in December, the club acquired MLS All-star striker Sébastien Le Toux from the Philadelphia Union on January 31 in exchange for allocation money. On February 16 the Whitecaps also announced the signing of Middlesbrough F.C. midfielder, and Scottish international, Barry Robson as their newest designated player, replacing Mustapha Jarju who was released shortly before. Robson will join the club in July after his season with Middlesbrough has concluded.
The Vancouver Whitecaps FC spent ten days training at the Grande Sports World complex in Casa Grande, Arizona for the second consecutive season. During the training camp the club played in two friendlies against Seattle Sounders FC and Real Salt Lake. Both matches ended in 1–1 draws with Camilo and Darren Mattocks scoring the goals for Vancouver. The Whitecaps returned to Vancouver for training and played a friendly against Victoria of the CIS. The Whitecaps won the match 2–1.
On February 21 the Whitecaps began training at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The Whitecaps signed their second-round Supplemental Draft choice, Greg Klazura, on February 22. During their two-week training camp in Florida they competed in the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic. Vancouver played three group stage matches against Montreal Impact, Houston Dynamo, and Sporting Kansas City. They finished the group stage with three wins while scoring seven goals, led by Le Toux with three, and conceding none.

### March

The Vancouver Whitecaps won their first trophy as an MLS franchise when they defeated Toronto FC by a score of 1–0 in the Walt Disney Pro Soccer Classic Final on March 3. Camilo scored the lone goal of the match for Vancouver in the 10th minute. The club then played their final match of the preseason, a community shield friendly, against Martin Rennie's former club, Carolina RailHawks FC, the following day. The match also featured former RailHawks FC players Brad Knighton and Matt Watson. The Whitecaps tied the match at 2 with a last-minute goal by Davide Chiumiento but ultimately lost 4–2 on penalties.
The Whitecaps kicked off their second MLS season on March 10 against rivals Montreal Impact in front of a sold-out crowd of 21,000 at BC Place. This was the first match between the two storied rival squads in Major League Soccer. The Whitecaps scored early with Sébastien Le Toux registering his first goal for Vancouver in the 4th minute after receiving a flicked on header from Eric Hassli before sliding the ball passed goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. In the league's seventeen season history, Le Toux's strike was the fastest opening goal ever to start a season. The Whitecaps increased their lead when 2011 leading scorer, Camilo, scored his first goal of the season in the 54th minute. Joe Cannon made five saves to earn his first win, and clean sheet, of the season as the Whitecaps won their season opener 2–0. The match was watched by an average of 541,000 viewers in Canada, with a total of 2.5 million people tuning in for at least a portion of the match, on TSN and RDS making it the most-viewed MLS game ever in the country.
Vancouver played their first road match of the season on March 17 against Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center. Captain Jay DeMerit scored the lone goal, his first as a Whitecap, of the match with a header off a corner kick in the 68th minute. Goalkeepers Joe Cannon and Brad Knighton combined for the clean sheet and the Whitecaps won their first away match in their MLS history. Knighton replaced Cannon who was subbed off with an injury in the 41st minute. Joe Cannon was awarded the MLS Save of the Week for his stop on Casey Townsend in the 32nd minute.
The Whitecaps continued their streak of not conceding a goal on March 24 in a 0–0 draw with D.C. United. Cannon was awarded with his second consecutive Save of the Week when he blocked a Hamdi Salihi header off a corner kick in the 67th minute. Vancouver capped off the month of March with their fourth clean sheet of the season but, once again, failed to score themselves against the Philadelphia Union.

### April

The Whitecaps saw their four-match unbeaten streak to open the season end on April 7 against the San Jose Earthquakes. Sébastien Le Toux scored a second half goal for Vancouver but Chris Wondolowski replied with a brace and San Jose won 3–1. The match also saw the Whitecaps set a new MLS record for shutout streak to open a season end at 427 minutes, a mark previously set by the New York Red Bulls at 421 minutes.
John Furlong, former CEO of VANOC for the 2010 Winter Olympics, was named Executive Chair of the Whitecaps on April 12.
Vancouver suffered their second consecutive 3–1 at the hands of Sporting Kansas City on April 18 before rebounding to beat both FC Dallas and Columbus Crew 1–0 on April 21 and 28 respectively. Camilo and Lee Young-Pyo scored the goals respectively.

### May

The Whitecaps opened the month of May with the first leg of their semi-final fixture for the 2012 Canadian Championship in an away match against FC Edmonton of the NASL. They earned a 2–0 victory over their Canadian rivals with goals from Eric Hassli and Atiba Harris while Brad Knighton earned the clean sheet in his first start for the club. On May 5 the Whitecaps had a re-match with the San Jose Earthquakes at BC Place. Vancouver were able to defeat San Jose 2–1 despite falling behind in the 15th minute. Eric Hassli scored in the final minute of stoppage time to give the club its first ever win when trailing in a match. The match took place exactly thirty-eight years since the Whitecaps played their first ever competitive match as a club, also against the San Jose Earthquakes, where they were defeated by the same 2–1 scoreline.
On May 12 the Whitecaps suffered their worst defeat of the season to date dropping a 4–1 decision to the New England Revolution. Lee Nguyen, who was waived by the Whitecaps in the preseason, scored two goals and helped set up another. Vancouver drew 1–1 against Toronto FC in the first leg of the Canadian Championship. Ryan Johnson put the visitors ahead but Eric Hassli scored in stoppage time to salvage a draw. Hassli's goal was described by analysts as "jaw-dropping" and compared to his goal against Seattle Sounders FC in 2011, which received international acclaim and was a finalist for the 2011 Best Play ESPY Award and runner-up for MLS goal of the year.
Vancouver opened the 2012 Cascadia Cup against Seattle Sounders FC at BC Place on May 19. Twice the Whitecaps earned the lead with goals from Alain Rochat and Camilo but both were answered by Eddie Johnson and Fredy Montero for Seattle with the match finishing in a 2–2 draw. Vancouver failed to win their first Canadian Championship losing 1–0 to Toronto FC, 2–1 on aggregate. The Whitecaps ended the month in Portland where they drew 1–1 with the Timbers. Darren Mattocks scored his first MLS goal in the 84th minute to pull the Whitecaps even.

### June

On June 15, the Vancouver Whitecaps unveiled their new third kit. The design features an arbutus brown colour with sky blue trim. The new kit debuted on June 17 against Colorado where the Whitecaps won 1–0. On June 18 the club introduced Barry Robson to the media. Robson will be eligible to join the line-up on June 27. On June 28 the Whitecaps waived midfielder Floyd Franks and traded forward Tan Long to D.C. United.

### July

Barry Robson made his club debut on July 4 against Colorado. Robson was named to the starting eleven by Martin Rennie and played 57 minutes before being subbed off. The Whitecaps won the match 1–0 on a goal by Darren Mattocks. The win brought Vancouver to 29 points, eclipsing their total of 28 points in 2011. On July 8 captain Jay DeMerit was named to the MLS All-Star first XI. The 2012 MLS All-Star game took place July 25 at PPL Park in Philadelphia. The MLS All-Stars defeated the 2012 UEFA Champions League and 2012 FA Cup winners, Chelsea, 3–2.
On July 11 it was announced that Davide Chiumiento would be transferred to FC Zürich. Further moves were made on July 13 when Sébastien Le Toux was traded to New York Red Bulls in exchange for Dane Richards. On July 16 the Whitecaps announced the addition of a third designated player, captain of the Scottish national team, Kenny Miller. Miller made his Whitecaps debut coming off the bench against San Jose a week later.
On July 20 Martin Rennie made more moves by trading away the club's first ever designated player Eric Hassli to Toronto FC in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft and an international roster slot through the 2013 season. This also freed an international slot for the club in addition to the slot acquired from the trade.

### August

The club made two depth acquisitions to begin the month of August signing Irish centre back Andy O'Brien and Brazilian midfielder Tiago Ulisses. O'Brien made his debut coming off the bench against Real Salt Lake on August 11.

### October

On October 21 the Vancouver Whitecaps became the first Canadian MLS team to qualify for the MLS Playoffs. They entered the day needing either a win against Portland, an FC Dallas defeat, or a draw with Portland and a FC Dallas draw with Seattle. Vancouver fell 0–1 but still clinched as the Sounders defeated Dallas 3–1.

### November

The team lost their one-game playoff game against Los Angeles Galaxy 2–1 despite opening the scoring in the third minute of the match. The Galaxy eventually went on to win the MLS Cup.

## Players
### Squad information

    As of August 8, 2012
| No. | Name | Nationality | Position | Date of birth (age as of Nov. 1) | Previous club |
| Goalkeepers ||||||
| 1 | Joe Cannon | United States | GK | (1975-01-01)January 1, 1975 (aged 37) | San Jose Earthquakes |
| 18 | Brad Knighton | United States | GK | (1985-02-06)February 6, 1985 (aged 27) | Carolina RailHawks |
| 24 | Brian Sylvestre | United States | GK | (1992-12-19)December 19, 1992 (aged 19) | Vancouver Whitecaps Residency |
| Defenders ||||||
| 3 | Jordan Harvey | United States | LB | (1984-01-28)January 28, 1984 (aged 28) | Philadelphia Union |
| 4 | Alain Rochat | Switzerland | LB | (1983-02-01)February 1, 1983 (aged 29) | Vancouver Whitecaps (USSF-D2) |
| 6 | Jay DeMerit | United States | CB | (1979-12-04)December 4, 1979 (aged 32) | Watford F.C. |
| 12 | Lee Young-Pyo | South Korea | RB | (1977-04-23)April 23, 1977 (aged 35) | Al-Hilal FC |
| 15 | Martín Bonjour | Argentina | CB | (1985-04-09)April 9, 1985 (aged 27) | Rampla Juniors |
| 19 | Carlyle Mitchell | Trinidad and Tobago | CB | (1987-08-08)August 8, 1987 (aged 25) | Joe Public F.C. |
| 32 | Greg Klazura | United States | RB | (1988-01-27)January 27, 1988 (aged 24) | Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
| 40 | Andy O'Brien | Ireland | CB | (1979-06-29)June 29, 1979 (aged 33) | Leeds United A.F.C. |
| Midfielders ||||||
| 11 | John Thorrington | United States | CM | (1979-11-17)November 17, 1979 (aged 32) | Chicago Fire |
| 13 | Michael Nanchoff | United States | CM | (1988-09-24)September 24, 1988 (aged 24) | Akron Zips |
| 14 | Barry Robson | Scotland | CM | (1978-11-07)November 7, 1978 (aged 33) | Middlesbrough F.C. |
| 16 | Matt Watson | England | CM | (1985-01-01)January 1, 1985 (aged 27) | Carolina RailHawks |
| 20 | Dane Richards | Jamaica | RW | (1983-12-14)December 14, 1983 (aged 28) | New York Red Bulls |
| 23 | Tiago Ulisses | Brazil | MF | (1989-05-09)May 9, 1989 (aged 23) | Botafogo Futebol Clube |
| 27 | Jun Marques Davidson | Japan | DM | (1983-06-07)June 7, 1983 (aged 29) | Tokushima Vortis |
| 28 | Gershon Koffie | Ghana | MF | (1991-08-25)August 25, 1991 (aged 21) | Vancouver Whitecaps (USSF-D2) |
| 31 | Russell Teibert | Canada | LW | (1992-12-22)December 22, 1992 (aged 19) | Vancouver Whitecaps (USSF-D2) |
| 36 | Bryce Alderson | Canada | MF | (1994-02-05)February 5, 1994 (aged 18) | Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency |
| Forwards ||||||
| 7 | Kenny Miller | Scotland | FW | (1979-12-23)December 23, 1979 (aged 32) | Cardiff City |
| 8 | Etienne Barbara | Malta | FW | (1982-06-10)June 10, 1982 (aged 30) | Carolina RailHawks |
| 9 | Atiba Harris | Saint Kitts and Nevis | FW | (1985-01-09)January 9, 1985 (aged 27) | FC Dallas |
| 17 | Omar Salgado | United States | FW | (1993-09-10)September 10, 1993 (aged 19) | C.D. Guadalajara |
| 22 | Darren Mattocks | Jamaica | FW | (1990-09-02)September 2, 1990 (aged 22) | Akron Zips |
| 34 | Caleb Clarke | Canada | FW | (1993-06-23)June 23, 1993 (aged 19) | Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency |
| 37 | Camilo | Brazil | FW | (1988-07-21)July 21, 1988 (aged 24) | Gyeongnam FC |
* See also: List of Vancouver Whitecaps FC players

### Transfers in

| Date | Player | Position | Previous club | Fee/notes |
| November 17, 2011 | Bryce Alderson | MF | Vancouver (Residency) | Free |
| December 6, 2011 | Lee Young-Pyo | DF | Al-Hilal | Free |
| December 15, 2011 | Lee Nguyen | MF | Becamex Binh Duong F.C. | Free, Weighted lottery process |
| December 16, 2011 | Matt Watson | MF | Carolina RailHawks | Free |
| January 6, 2012 | Martín Bonjour | DF | Rampla Juniors | Undisclosed terms |
| January 12, 2012 | Darren Mattocks | FW | University of Akron Zips | 2012 MLS SuperDraft |
| January 17, 2012 | Brad Knighton | GK | Carolina RailHawks | Free |
| January 19, 2012 | Jun Marques Davidson | MF | Tokushima Vortis | Undisclosed |
| January 31, 2012 | Sébastien Le Toux | FW | Philadelphia Union | Acquired for allocation money |
| February 16, 2012 | Barry Robson | MF | Middlesbrough | Free transfer, pre-contract. Joined club in July. |
| February 22, 2012 | Greg Klazura | DF | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | Supplemental Draft, 2nd round |
| February 28, 2012 | Etienne Barbara | FW | Carolina RailHawks | Discovery rights acquired from Montreal. Signed February 28, 2012 |
| March 6, 2012 | Floyd Franks | MF | Carolina RailHawks | Free |
| April 24, 2012 | Caleb Clarke | FW | Vancouver (Residency) | Free |
| July 13, 2012 | Dane Richards | MF | New York Red Bulls | Acquired for Sébastien Le Toux |
| July 16, 2012 | Kenny Miller | FW | Cardiff City | Transfer, undisclosed fee |
| August 1, 2012 | Andy O'Brien | DF | Leeds United A.F.C. | Transfer, undisclosed fee |
| August 3, 2012 | Tiago Ulisses | MF | Botafogo Futebol Clube | Transfer, undisclosed fee |

### Transfers out

| Date | Player | Position | Destination club | Fee/notes |
| November 7, 2011 | Alexandre Morfaw | MF | | Waived |
| November 23, 2011 | Jeb Brovsky | MF | Montreal Impact | Expansion Draft |
| November 23, 2011 | Nizar Khalfan | MF | Philadelphia Union | Waived, free transfer |
| November 23, 2011 | Bilal Duckett | DF | | Waived |
| November 30, 2011 | Shea Salinas | MF | San Jose Earthquakes | Traded for allocation money |
| December 5, 2011 | Jay Nolly | GK | Chicago Fire | Traded for a 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft Round 1 pick |
| December 29, 2011 | Greg Janicki | DF | San Antonio Scorpions | Waived |
| December 29, 2011 | Jonathan Leathers | DF | | Waived |
| December 29, 2011 | Peter Vagenas | MF | C.D. Chivas USA | Waived |
| January 20, 2012 | Mustapha Jarju | FW | R.A.E.C. Mons | Contract terminated. Later re-signed with RAEC Mons on January 25, 2012. |
| January 20, 2012 | Philippe Davies | MF | | Option declined |
| March 1, 2012 | Lee Nguyen | MF | New England Revolution | Waived. Later selected by New England in waiver draft on March 2, 2012. |
| June 22, 2012 | Michael Boxall | DF | Wellington Phoenix FC | Waived |
| June 28, 2012 | Floyd Franks | MF | Carolina RailHawks | Waived |
| June 28, 2012 | Tan Long | FW | D.C. United | Traded for 2015 MLS SuperDraft Round 3 pick |
| July 11, 2012 | Davide Chiumiento | MF | FC Zürich | Transfer fee undisclosed |
| July 13, 2012 | Sébastien Le Toux | FW | New York Red Bulls | Traded for Dane Richards and allocation money. |
| July 20, 2012 | Eric Hassli | FW | Toronto FC | Traded for 2014 MLS SuperDraft Round 1 pick and international roster spot through 2013. |

## Club
### Front office and staff

| Position | Staff |
| Owners | CAN Greg Kerfoot USA Stephen Luczo CAN Jeff Mallett CAN Steve Nash |
| President | CAN Bob Lenarduzzi |
| Head Coach | SCO Martin Rennie |
| Director of Operations | USA Tom Soehn |
| Assistant Coaches | USA Jake DeClute SCO Paul Ritchie WAL Carl Robinson |
| Staff Coach | CAN Martin Nash |
| Goalkeeper Coach | NOR Marius Røvde |
| Scouting Coordinator | USA Jake DeClute |
| Head Athletic Trainer | USA Jake Joachim |
| Physiotherapist | CAN Graeme Pool |
| Head of Sports Medicine & Science | CAN Rick Celebrini |
| Strength & Conditioning Coach | USA Mike Young |
    As of March 15, 2012

## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Major League Soccer | Major League Soccer | MLS Cup Playoffs | MLS Cup Playoffs | Canadian Championship | Canadian Championship |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | USA | Joe Cannon | 28 | 0 | 26+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | USA | Jordan Harvey | 30 | 1 | 18+8 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | SUI | Alain Rochat | 31 | 2 | 27+0 | 2 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | USA | Jay DeMerit | 35 | 1 | 31+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | SCO | Kenny Miller | 14 | 2 | 8+5 | 2 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 8 | FW | MLT | Etienne Barbara | 4 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | SKN | Atiba Harris | 8 | 1 | 3+4 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 |
| 11 | MF | USA | John Thorrington | 24 | 0 | 14+5 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | KOR | Lee Young-Pyo | 36 | 1 | 33+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 13 | MF | USA | Michael Nanchoff | 11 | 0 | 1+8 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | SCO | Barry Robson | 18 | 3 | 16+1 | 3 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | ARG | Martín Bonjour | 31 | 1 | 27+1 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Matt Watson | 17 | 0 | 10+5 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | USA | Omar Salgado | 8 | 0 | 5+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 18 | GK | USA | Brad Knighton | 13 | 0 | 8+2 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | TRI | Carlyle Mitchell | 4 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | JAM | Dane Richards | 13 | 3 | 9+3 | 3 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 22 | FW | JAM | Darren Mattocks | 25 | 9 | 15+6 | 7 | 1+0 | 1 | 0+3 | 1 |
| 23 | FW | BRA | Tiago Ulisses | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 24 | GK | USA | Brian Sylvestre | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | JPN | Jun Marques Davidson | 26 | 0 | 24+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | GHA | Gershon Koffie | 32 | 3 | 28+1 | 3 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 31 | MF | CAN | Russell Teibert | 4 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 32 | DF | USA | Greg Klazura | 2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 34 | FW | CAN | Caleb Clarke | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 36 | MF | CAN | Bryce Alderson | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 37 | FW | BRA | Camilo | 31 | 5 | 19+9 | 5 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 |
| 40 | DF | EIR | Andy O'Brien | 9 | 0 | 7+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| — | DF | NZL | Michael Boxall | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| — | MF | SUI | Davide Chiumiento | 20 | 0 | 15+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 |
| — | FW | FRA | Eric Hassli | 22 | 4 | 9+9 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 3+1 | 2 |
| — | MF | USA | Floyd Franks | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| — | FW | FRA | Sébastien Le Toux | 22 | 6 | 18+1 | 4 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+1 | 2 |
| — | FW | CHN | Tan Long | 5 | 0 | 0+4 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
Last updated: January 7, 2013 Source: Vancouver Whitecaps FC Italic: denotes player is no longer with team

### Goalkeeper stats

| No. | Nat. | Player | Total | Total | Total | Total | Major League Soccer | Major League Soccer | Major League Soccer | Major League Soccer | MLS Cup Playoffs | MLS Cup Playoffs | MLS Cup Playoffs | MLS Cup Playoffs | Canadian Championship | Canadian Championship | Canadian Championship | Canadian Championship |
| No. | Nat. | Player | MIN | SV | GA | GAA | MIN | SV | GA | GAA | MIN | SV | GA | GAA | MIN | SV | GA | GAA |
| 1 | | Joe Cannon | 2,457 | 79 | 36 | 1.32 | 2,277 | 73 | 34 | 1.34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 180 | 6 | 2 | 1.00 |
| 18 | | Brad Knighton | 1,052 | 40 | 10 | 0.86 | 782 | 27 | 7 | 0.81 | 90 | 5 | 2 | 2.00 | 180 | 8 | 1 | 0.50 |
| 24 | | Brian Sylvestre | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Updated to match played January 7, 2013 Source: Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Italic: denotes player is no longer with team

### Starting XI

Configuration based in August 2012 starting lineups.

### Top scorers

Includes all competitive matches. The list is sorted by shirt number when total goals are equal.
| Ran | No. | Pos | Nat | Name | Major League Soccer | MLS Playoffs | Canadian Championship | Total |
| 1 | 22 | FW | | Darren Mattocks | 7 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 2 | — | FW | | Sébastien Le Toux | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 37 | FW | | Camilo | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | — | FW | | Eric Hassli | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | 14 | MF | | Barry Robson | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | 20 | MF | | Dane Richards | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | 28 | MF | | Gershon Koffie | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | 4 | DF | | Alain Rochat | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | 7 | FW | | Kenny Miller | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | — | — | — | Four players tied with 1 goal each | Four players tied with 1 goal each | Four players tied with 1 goal each | Four players tied with 1 goal each | Four players tied with 1 goal each |
| TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | 35 | 1 | 6 | 42 |
    As of January 7, 2013
Italic: denotes player is no longer with team

### Top assists

Includes all competitive matches. The list is sorted by shirt number when total assists are equal.
| Ran | No. | Pos | Nat | Name | Major League Soccer | MLS Cup Playoffs | Canadian Championship | Total |
| 1 | — | MF | | Davide Chiumiento | 5 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| 2 | 37 | FW | | Camilo | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | 12 | DF | | Lee Young-Pyo | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | 4 | DF | | Alain Rochat | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | — | FW | | Eric Hassli | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | 3 | DF | | Jordan Harvey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | 14 | MF | | Barry Robson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | 17 | FW | | Omar Salgado | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | 28 | MF | | Gershon Koffie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | — | — | — | Ten players tied with 1 assist each | Ten players tied with 1 assist each | Ten players tied with 1 assist each | Ten players tied with 1 assist each | Ten players tied with 1 assist each |
| TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | 35 | 1 | 6 | 42 |
    As of January 7, 2013
Italic: denotes player is no longer with team

### Disciplinary record

Includes all competitive matches. The list is sorted by position, and then shirt number.
| N | P | Name | Major League Soccer | Major League Soccer | Major League Soccer | Canadian Championship | Canadian Championship | Total | Total | Total | Notes |
| 1 | GK | Joe Cannon | | | 1 | | | | | 1 | |
| 18 | GK | Brad Knighton | | | | | | | | | |
| 24 | GK | Brian Sylvestre | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | DF | Jordan Harvey | 1 | | | 1 | | 2 | | | |
| 4 | DF | Alain Rochat | 6 | | | | | 6 | | | |
| 6 | DF | Jay DeMerit | 3 | | | | | 3 | | | |
| 12 | DF | Lee Young-Pyo | 1 | | | | | 1 | | | |
| 15 | DF | Martín Bonjour | 5 | | | 1 | | 6 | | | |
| 19 | DF | Carlyle Mitchell | | | | | | | | | |
| 32 | DF | Greg Klazura | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | MF | John Thorrington | 1 | | | 1 | | 2 | | | |
| 13 | MF | Michael Nanchoff | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | MF | Barry Robson | 1 | | | | | 1 | | | |
| 16 | MF | Matt Watson | 1 | | | | | 1 | | | |
| 20 | MF | Dane Richards | | | | | | | | | |
| 23 | MF | Tiago Ulisses | | | | | | | | | |
| 27 | MF | Jun Marques Davidson | 6 | | | | | 6 | | | |
| 28 | MF | Gershon Koffie | 6 | | | | | 6 | | | Suspended August 15 vs. FC Dallas for yellow card accumulation. |
| 31 | MF | Russell Teibert | | | | | | | | | |
| 36 | MF | Bryce Alderson | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | FW | Kenny Miller | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | FW | Etienne Barbara | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | FW | Atiba Harris | 1 | | | | | 1 | | | |
| 17 | FW | Omar Salgado | 1 | | | | | 1 | | | |
| 22 | FW | Darren Mattocks | 7 | 1 | | 2 | | 9 | 1 | | |
| 34 | FW | Caleb Clarke | | | | | | | | | |
| 37 | FW | Camilo | 1 | | | | | 1 | | | |
| 40 | DF | Andy O'Brien | | | | | | | | | |
| — | DF | Michael Boxall | | | | | | | | | |
| — | MF | Davide Chiumiento | | | | | | | | | |
| — | MF | Floyd Franks | | | | | | | | | |
| — | FW | Eric Hassli | 6 | | | | | 6 | | | |
| — | FW | Sébastien Le Toux | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | |
| — | FW | Long Tan | | | | | | | | | |
Last updated: August 11, 2012 Source: Competitive matches Ordered by , and = Number of bookings; = Number of sending offs after a second yellow card; = Number of sending offs by a direct red card.
Italic: denotes no longer with club.

## Competitions
### Overall

| Competition | Started round | Current position / round | Final position / round | First match | Last match |
| Pro Soccer Classic | Group stage | — | Winner | February 24 | March 3 |
| Major League Soccer | — | — | 5th, West 11th, Overall | March 10 | October 27 |
| MLS Cup Playoffs | Play-in Round | Play-in Round | | November 1 | |
| Canadian Championship | Semi-finals | — | Runners-up | May 2 | May 23 |
| Cascadia Cup | — | — | 3rd | May 19 | October 21 |
Updated to match played October 28, 2012 Source: Competitions

### Major League Soccer
#### League table
##### Western Conference

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | San Jose Earthquakes | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 72 | 43 | +29 | 66 | MLS Cup Conference Semifinals |
| 2 | Real Salt Lake | 34 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 46 | 35 | +11 | 57 | MLS Cup Conference Semifinals |
| 3 | Seattle Sounders FC | 34 | 15 | 8 | 11 | 51 | 33 | +18 | 56 | MLS Cup Conference Semifinals |
| 4 | LA Galaxy | 34 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 59 | 47 | +12 | 54 | MLS Cup Knockout Round |
| 5 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 34 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 35 | 41 | −6 | 43 | MLS Cup Knockout Round |
| 6 | FC Dallas | 34 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 42 | 47 | −5 | 39 | |
| 7 | Colorado Rapids | 34 | 11 | 19 | 4 | 44 | 50 | −6 | 37 | |
| 8 | Portland Timbers | 34 | 8 | 16 | 10 | 34 | 56 | −22 | 34 | |
| 9 | Chivas USA | 34 | 7 | 18 | 9 | 24 | 58 | −34 | 30 | |

##### Overall

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | San Jose Earthquakes (S) | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 72 | 43 | +29 | 66 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 2 | Sporting Kansas City | 34 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 42 | 27 | +15 | 63 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 3 | D.C. United | 34 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 53 | 43 | +10 | 58 | |
| 4 | New York Red Bulls | 34 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 57 | 46 | +11 | 57 | |
| 5 | Real Salt Lake | 34 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 46 | 35 | +11 | 57 | |
| 6 | Chicago Fire | 34 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 46 | 41 | +5 | 57 | |
| 7 | Seattle Sounders FC | 34 | 15 | 8 | 11 | 51 | 33 | +18 | 56 | |
| 8 | LA Galaxy (C) | 34 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 59 | 47 | +12 | 54 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 9 | Houston Dynamo | 34 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 48 | 41 | +7 | 53 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 10 | Columbus Crew | 34 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 44 | 44 | 0 | 52 | |
| 11 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 34 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 35 | 41 | −6 | 43 | |
| 12 | Montreal Impact | 34 | 12 | 16 | 6 | 45 | 51 | −6 | 42 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 13 | FC Dallas | 34 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 42 | 47 | −5 | 39 | |
| 14 | Colorado Rapids | 34 | 11 | 19 | 4 | 44 | 50 | −6 | 37 | |
| 15 | Philadelphia Union | 34 | 10 | 18 | 6 | 37 | 45 | −8 | 36 | |
| 16 | New England Revolution | 34 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 39 | 44 | −5 | 35 | |
| 17 | Portland Timbers | 34 | 8 | 16 | 10 | 34 | 56 | −22 | 34 | |
| 18 | Chivas USA | 34 | 7 | 18 | 9 | 24 | 58 | −34 | 30 | |
| 19 | Toronto FC | 34 | 5 | 21 | 8 | 36 | 62 | −26 | 23 | |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | Pts | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
| 34 | 43 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 35 | 41 | −6 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 25 | 17 | +8 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 24 | −14 |
Last updated: October 28, 2012 Source: MLSSoccer.com Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference

#### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
| Ground | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | H | A | A | A | A | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | A | A | A | H | H | H | H | A |
| Result | W | W | D | D | L | L | W | W | W | L | D | D | W | W | D | L | W | D | L | L | D | W | L | W | L | L | L | L | L | D | D | W | L | D |

#### Match results

Schedule
Win  Draw  Loss

##### Note

^a Indicates a match against a Cascadia Cup rival.

### Canadian Championship

The club participates in the four-team Canadian Championship which includes FC Edmonton, Montreal Impact and Toronto FC. The champion of the tournament is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and qualifies for the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League group stage. Each round will feature a two-legged home-and-away format. The team with the higher aggregate score from both matches will be declared the winner. Should there be a tie in the aggregate score, the away goals rule will be used to determine the winner. Should the away goals also be even then an additional 30 minutes of extra time will be played with the away goals rule no longer in effect. The final tiebreaker will be a penalty shootout.

#### Final
### MLS reserves

The Vancouver Whitecaps will compete in the West Division for the 2012 MLS Reserves season. The division consists of six teams, including Chivas USA, Los Angeles Galaxy, Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders FC and San Jose Earthquakes. The Whitecaps will play each other team twice, once home and once away.

#### League table
##### West Division

* v
* t
* e
| Pos | Team | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | LA Galaxy (C) | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 11 | +11 | 19 |
| 2 | San Jose Earthquakes | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 12 | +3 | 17 |
| 3 | Seattle Sounders FC | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 13 |
| 4 | Portland Timbers | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 17 | 18 | –1 | 13 |
| 5 | Chivas USA | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 12 |
| 6 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 22 | –11 | 11 |
Source: MLSsoccer.com

#### Match results

Schedule
Win  Draw  Loss

## Cascadia Cup

The Whitecaps have had a long-standing rivalry with the Pacific Northwest clubs Seattle Sounders FC and Portland Timbers, dating back to the 1970s when ancestry clubs of the same name played in the original and now-defunct North American Soccer League. The tri-member tournament will continue in 2012.
The winner is determined through league matches between the sides, and the club with the best record against both sides wins the trophy. The 2012 MLS season will see an unbalanced schedule due to an uneven number of teams with the addition of the Montreal Impact. As a result, the Whitecaps will play three matches each against Portland and Seattle. The odd number of matches means Vancouver will host the Sounders twice and Timbers once while visiting Seattle Portland once and twice respectively. This setup will alternate each year.
* v
* t
* e
| Pos | Team | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Portland Timbers | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 11 |
| 2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 9 |
| 3 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 3 |

## Recognition
### MLS Save of the Week

| Week | Player | Save | Report |
| 2 | USA Joe Cannon | 32' | SOTW |
| 3 | USA Joe Cannon | 67' | SOTW |

### MLS Team of the Week

| Week | Player/Manager | Position | Report |
| 7 | Lee Young-Pyo | DF | MLS Team of the Week: 7 |
| 8 | Lee Young-Pyo | DF | MLS Team of the Week: 8 |
| 11 | Alain Rochat | DF | MLS Team of the Week: 11 |
| 12 | John Thorrington | MF | MLS Team of the Week: 12 |
| 13–15 | Darren Mattocks | FW | MLS Team of the Week: 13–15 |
| 13–15 | Sébastien Le Toux | FW | MLS Team of the Week: 13–15 |
| 13–15 | Martin Rennie | Coach | MLS Team of the Week: 13–15 |
| 18 | Joe Cannon | GK | MLS Team of the Week: 18 Archived July 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine |
| 23 | Camilo | MF | MLS Team of the Week: 23 |

### MLS All-Stars

| Player | Position | Note |
| Jay DeMerit | DF | First XI |

## Miscellany
### Allocation ranking

Vancouver is in the No. 11 position in the MLS Allocation Ranking. The allocation ranking is the mechanism used to determine which MLS club has first priority to acquire a U.S. National Team player who signs with MLS after playing abroad, or a former MLS player who returns to the league after having gone to a club abroad for a transfer fee. A ranking can be traded, provided that part of the compensation received in return is another club's ranking.
Vancouver moved to the top position in the allocation ranking after the Montreal Impact exercised their allocation rights to acquire Eddie Johnson. On June 26 the Whitecaps swapped their allocation ranking with the Philadelphia Union, who were in the 12 position, in a trade. Philadelphia then used their allocation ranking to sign Bakary Soumaré.

### International roster slots

Vancouver have 11 MLS International Roster Slots for use in the 2012 season. Each club in Major League Soccer is allocated 8 international roster spots. Vancouver acquired one additional slot from Colorado Rapids in November 2010 and a second slot from Colorado in January 2012. They acquired a third additional slot from Toronto FC in July 2012.

### Future draft pick trades

Future picks acquired:
* 2013 MLS SuperDraft Round 1 pick from Philadelphia Union
* 2013 MLS SuperDraft conditional pick from Real Salt Lake
* 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft Round 1 pick from Chicago Fire
* 2014 MLS SuperDraft Round 1 pick from Toronto FC
* 2014 MLS SuperDraft Round 2 pick from Colorado Rapids
* 2014 MLS SuperDraft Round 3 pick from Seattle Sounders FC
* 2015 MLS SuperDraft Round 3 pick from D.C. United
Future picks traded:
* 2013 MLS SuperDraft Round 2 pick to Philadelphia Union