Vancouver Whitecaps FC is a Canadian professional
soccer team based in
Vancouver,
British Columbia that competes in
Major League Soccer (MLS) in the
Western Conference of the league. The Whitecaps are the 17th team of Major League Soccer and replaced the
USSF Division 2 team of the same name. The club has been owned and managed by the same group since their USSF days, having graduated to MLS after the conclusion of the USSF's 2010 season. The MLS version of the team is the third to share the legacy of the Whitecaps name. In the 2012 season, the team became the first Canadian team to qualify for the
MLS Cup Playoffs.