MLS' Whitecaps suffer teamwide illness after Champions Cup final in Mexico
The Vancouver Whitecaps say a 'significant number' of players and staff members fell ill with gastrointestinal symptoms following the team's 5-0 loss to Cruz Azul in the Concacaf Champions Cup final on Saturday.
At least 33 members of the traveling party were affected, a source familiar with the situation told The Athletic. The source requested anonymity due to the medical sensitivity of the situation. Only seven out of the 26 players who traveled did not present with any symptoms.
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The club canceled a training session on Wednesday out of precaution and instead held a modified individual closed session on Thursday.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, the Major League Soccer team said it was working closely with its medical team, local infectious disease consultants and Vancouver Coastal Health to monitor the outbreak. The club said each affected player has been provided with an individualized program by medical and performance staff to support their recovery and continued preparation.
'The health and well-being of our players and staff remain our top priority,' the club said in its statement. 'We are actively monitoring the situation and will provide updates as more information becomes available.'
The timing of the outbreak raises significant concerns about the Whitecaps' ability to field a competitive roster for their scheduled match against their regional rivals, the Seattle Sounders, on Sunday in Seattle. The club has not yet announced whether the game will proceed as planned or if it will seek a postponement from MLS.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that nine Whitecaps players were already scheduled to miss Sunday's game due to international duty. Canadian national team players Ali Ahmed, Sam Adekugbe and Jayden Nelson are among those training with the men's national team ahead of the inaugural Canadian Shield tournament, per The Canadian Press.
The teamwide illness caps a disappointing week for the Whitecaps, who saw their impressive 15-game unbeaten streak across all competitions come to a crushing end with a resounding 5-0 defeat to Cruz Azul in Saturday's Champions Cup final. Vancouver had been hoping to capture its first major continental trophy.
Cruz Azul's dominant 5-0 victory not only denied Vancouver the Champions Cup, but the trip appears to have created additional health challenges that could impact the team's domestic campaign.
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