MLS boss is coming to Vancouver to lobby for the Whitecaps

The head of Major League Soccer has long believed Vancouver has what it takes to be a premier soccer market. 

Now, as the Vancouver Whitecaps reach new highs on the field, league commissioner Don Garber is coming to the city to lobby for change. 

"My trip isn't just to celebrate all the great things that have been going on over the years," he said in a phone interview. "It's to help make sure that success is sustainable long term."

Garber will be speaking with business leaders and public officials during the trip, and high on his list of talking points will be the Whitecaps' stadium deal. 

Vancouver Whitecaps celebrate 50 years as city's soccer team

The club currently plays its home games at B.C. Place, a 55,000-seat venue in Vancouver's downtown core. 

Opened in 1983, the stadium is owned by PavCo, a provincial Crown corporation that leases the venue to tenants, including the Whitecaps and CFL's B.C. Lions. It’s also set to host seven matches during the FIFA World Cup in June and July.

The venue is also used for non-sporting events, including concerts — it hosted the final three dates of Taylor Swift's Eras tour last December — and trade shows. 

Garber says the Whitecaps' stadium deal "isn't optimal" because of scheduling issues and the limited revenue the club receives from food and beverage sales. 

“The club isn't sustainable in a situation where they’re … in a building which they have no control over, they have minimal participation with revenue. The biggest issue is the lack of schedule flexibility," he said. 

Last year, the 'Caps had to cede home-field advantage to the Portland Timbers for a playoff game because a motocross show was already booked in at B.C. Place for the same date. 

B.C. Place said in a statement