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BOB FRID/VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC 62 BCBUSINESS.CA SEPTEMBER 2023 24-team MLS. In 2022 and so far in 2023, the club has averaged under 16,500 gate turns and has been 22nd and 26th in an expanding MLS of 28 and 29 teams, respectively. That's even as the team stood seventh in the Western Conference (good for a playoff spot) in mid-July. "I don't compare us too much with other markets; every market is different," says Schuster over a Zoom call. "We look at ourselves, and we feel ourselves chal- lenged to understand the market in the best possible way and to work on the right product for the market, for the people who want to and hope to attend the games." Still, Schuster sees some positive signs. He points to recent games in which the club has drawn more than 20,000 people, including the Canadian Championship Final win against Montreal in June. "That's not at the back end of the rankings," says Schuster. "We have in our market an average of more than 70,000 people following games on broadcasts. There is interest in our games." Schuster, who last worked as senior director of sport for the German Bundes- liga's FC Schalke 04 before joining the Whitecaps in November 2019, knows that understanding a new market takes time. The club recently sent out a survey to fans who attended games in the past but haven't come back. "More than 3,000 people responded and participated, and close to 80 percent said they're planning to come back," he says. The survey also brought in some feed- back about things that the team isn't totally in charge of, like its start times. "It's a bit of an issue for families—I have a five-year- old daughter, I get it, 7:30 is bedtime," says Schuster. "We have a new broadcast deal and with that came the decision to kick off games at the same time, with very few exceptions. We had one this year versus [FC] Dallas. We kicked off earlier and had a better crowd." That game saw some 600 more fans than the average home match. Schuster adds that the club has already taken steps to address feedback, including $5 food and beverage items. "What I want to say to the fans is that we see what our market is looking for and will continue to work on finding better solutions," he says. With the World Cup coming to Vancou- ver in a few years, BC Place will be getting real grass to replace the artificial turf, but reportedly it will be a temporary measure. So don't be surprised if Lionel Messi or any other big ticket MLS stars skip over sched- uled trips to B.C. in the future. Asked whether the cavernous BC Place is the ideal spot for soccer in the city, Schuster doesn't beat around the bush. "It's the ideal spot because it's the only one we can play in right now," he says. "We've seen games with 20,000 people—there's no other option to play for that crowd in our market. To have another option won't happen tomorrow. If we want to improve our product in every single area—and I think we have improved on the pitch—within the next months and the next season, it will be with BC Place. Working with PavCo and BC Place, it's been a good relationship. All sides are very open and interested in finding solutions because everyone benefits at the end with more peo- ple in the stands." £ 21-year-old Ecuadorian Pedro Vite has brought speed and excitement to Vancouver's midfield. He's tied for third on the team in goals. And though Vite was left off Ecuador's World Cup roster in 2022, he was called up to the senior national team in June thanks to his stellar play with the 'Caps. P L AY E R TO WAT C H The Vancouver Whitecaps FC are in the midst of one of the club's most successful seasons in years, at least on the field. Off it, the team remains near the bottom of the league table in terms of attendance S P O R T S