Vancouver Whitecaps, Montreal Impact out of USL

Canadian clubs Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact will most likely not be a part of the United Soccer Leagues from next season.

USL CEO Alec Papadakis said that due to talks discussing a break-away league, the two clubs will not be a part of the USL in the future.

“The negotiations are finished,” said Papadakis. “We decided to continue our preparations for the season 2010 with the teams which wished to remain with us.

“I would like to thank the two Canadian teams, the Whitecaps and the Impact, for all that contribution to the USL for the past few years.” he said in an interview with Montreal radio station CKAC.

The USL later issued a statement it called “further elaboration.”

“While the statements made in the earlier interview were accurate in that we have ceased negotiations with the (breakaway) Team Owner’s Association as a group, we remain in dialogue with certain individual TOA teams about their possible participation in USL-1 for 2010,” the statement read.

“We are open to the return of the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps to USL-1 for 2010; however, we continue to move forward with our preparations for next season.”

Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said the possibility of a break-away league was still realistic.

“One way or another the Whitecaps will be playing soccer next season,” he said.