The Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer named Marc Dos Santos of Montreal, Quebec their head coach on Wednesday. Dos Santos takes over from Craig Dalrymple, who was named the interim head coach of the Whitecaps on September 25.
Dos Santos becomes the first Canadian to be the head coach of the Whitecaps since they joined Major League Soccer in 2010. Dale Mitchell of Vancouver, British Columbia coached the Whitecaps in the United Soccer League from 2000 to 2001, while Bob Lenarduzzi of Vancouver, British Columbia coached the Vancouver 86ers of the old Canadian Soccer League from 1987 to 1993.
Dos Santos has spent three seasons as an assistant coach in the MLS. He was with Sporting Kansas City in 2015 and 2016, and Los Angeles FC in 2018.
The Whitecaps had a disappointing 2018 Major League Soccer regular season. They finished in eighth place in the Western Conference and missed the MLS Cup Playoffs. They were two points back of the sixth place Real Salt Lake for the final playoff spot in the West.
There are two Canadian soccer players left playing in the 2018 MLS Cup playoffs. Kwame Awuah of Toronto, Ontario is playing as a midfielder/defender for New York City FC and Amer Didic of Edmonton, Alberta is a defender for Sporting Kansas City. New York City FC is currently trailing 1-0 to Atlanta United after their first game in their two game total point series in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Sporting Kansas City meanwhile is currently tied 1-1 against Real Salt Lake after their first game of their two game total point series in the Western Conference semifinals.
