Official release from Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today that the club has exercised the 2014 contract options on 11 players from their 2013 roster.
Whitecaps FC picked up the options on defenders Jordan Harvey and Carlyle Mitchell, midfielders Aminu Abdallah, Bryce Alderson, Gershon Koffie, Erik Hurtado, Nigel Reo-Coker, Russell Teibert, and Matt Watson, as well as strikers Omar Salgado and Camilo Sanvezzo.
The club now has 19 players under contract for the 2014 season - a Major League Soccer team can have up to 30 players on their first team roster.
"We're very excited about the core we have in place and the opportunity to build around these players," said club president Bob Lenarduzzi. "With the combination of young and veteran players in the fold, our 2014 roster is heading in in the right direction and we will attempt to strengthen it even further this off-season."
The club also announced that it has declined the options for goalkeepers Joe Cannon, Brad Knighton, and Simon Thomas, defender Brad Rusin, midfielders Jun Marques Davidson and Daigo Kobayashi, as well as strikers Tommy Heinemann and Corey Hertzog.
"Some degree of roster turnover is expected at this time of year and although we have declined options on certain players, we will continue to have conversations with a couple players about opportunities moving forward," added Lenarduzzi. "We are thankful for the contributions that all of these players made to the club on and off the field."
Cannon, Heinemann, Hertzog, and Knighton will be eligible for the MLS Re-Entry process, which will take place following MLS Cup. A full list of players available in the Re-Entry Draft will be released by MLS at a later date.
