Gordon Chin Comes Back To Whitecaps

CHIN RETURNS TO HOMETOWN WHITECAPS
VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced the re-signing of midfielder Gordon Chin. The native of Burnaby, BC, has signed a one-year contract – plus an option – with the club.

“Coming back to the Whitecaps means a lot to me,” said Chin. “I’ve been playing away from home since 2003, and been lucky enough to travel around and play soccer in other countries. Now, I’ve been given the opportunity to come home, so I’m really excited about being able to play for the Whitecaps again and to play in front of my family and friends. I’m looking forward to the 2009 season with my hometown team.”

Chin returns to Vancouver after spending five years playing away from home. Last month, the midfielder was part of the Whitecaps historic preseason trip to the United Republic of Tanzania. He re-joins the ‘Caps after spending the 2008 season in China’s second-tier Jia League with Yantai Yiteng.

A former youth trainee with English Premier League club Portsmouth FC, Chin made 14 appearances during his first spell with the Whitecaps back in 2003 before moving to former USL-1 club Edmonton Aviators for the 2004 season. Chin scored three goals and recorded an assist in 25 matches before the Aviators folded at the end of the season.

Following Edmonton’s demise, Chin moved to England and signed with former non-league club Halifax Town AFC. He scored one goal in nine appearances for the West Yorkshire outfit in English Conference National before returning to USL-1 when he joined Toronto Lynx for the 2006 campaign. Chin appeared 24 times in the Lynx’s final season in USL-1 before spending the 2007 season with Charleston Battery, where he scored two goals in 27 appearances with the South Carolina club. The midfielder also played the 2006-07 Major Indoor Soccer League season with Baltimore Blast, where he scored one goal in 17 appearances for the Maryland outfit.

A former Canadian youth international, Chin earned 21 caps with Canada’s U-20 national team and was an integral part of the squad that reached the quarterfinals of the 2003 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. That same year, he appeared in qualifying for the 2004 Athens Olympics with Canada’s U-23 side.

The defending USL-1 champion Whitecaps take on Portland Timbers at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, at Swangard Stadium. Whitecaps 2009 season tickets are now on sale. Season tickets include all men’s and women’s team regular season and playoff home matches at Swangard Stadium, Nutrilite Canadian Championship home matches against Toronto FC and Montreal Impact, as well as priority listing for Vancouver MLS 2011 at BC Place. For more information on the 2009 season ticket packages, visit whitecapsfc.com or call 604.669.WAVE (9283).