Vancouver Whitecaps

Major League Soccer announced Thursday it's hired the Canadian law firm Rubin Thomlinson to handle an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Hubert Busby Jr. and Bob Birarda, former coaches of the now-defunct Vancouver Whitecaps women's soccer team.

The Associated Press provided a statement from MLS about the scope of the independent investigation:

The investigation will consider the club's internal processes and overall culture at the time of the allegations, including what steps it took in response to the allegations. The review will also consider the club's current policies and procedures and provide any recommendations on preventative measures to ensure that all players and staff within the Whitecaps organization work in a safe environment, free of all forms of harassment and fear of retaliation.

MLS announced plans for a probe into the matter in late October after former Whitecaps player Malloree Enoch detailed her experiences with Busby in 2010 and 2011 to Matthew Hall of The Guardian.

Enoch explained she reached out to Busby about a potential administrative role with the club when the coach suggested she could potentially join as a player. He set up two meetings under the guise of tryout opportunities, but in both cases no other members of the organization showed up.

Instead, he asked her to stay in the same hotel room as him on three occasions. The third came while he was scouting a tournament in Florida, which is when Enoch said the misconduct occurred.

"He was on all fours fully on the bed. He was definitely aroused. He tried to kiss and touch me. The light was not on but I don't think he had his shirt on. I had to negotiate to get him off the bed. I told him I wasn't interested," Enoch said.

Busby denied the allegations in a statement to The Guardian and said his departure from Vancouver after the 2011 season was because of football reasons: "I was offered a contract renewal and we obviously couldn't come to terms. When I went to discuss the contract renewal we decided to go in another direction."

Enoch said she reported the misconduct to Whitecaps soccer development director Dan Lenarduzzi, but the club took no action. A larger group of players later took overarching concerns about Busby and their treatment to the club.

The investigation has been expanded to include allegations against Birarda, who coached the club from 2006 through 2008.

In February 2019, former Whitecaps player Ciara McCormack detailed a wide range of abuse she said Birarda inflicted on her and several fellow players during his time in Vancouver and with the Canadian youth national team.

Birarda was charged in December 2020 with six counts of sexual exploitation, two counts of sexual assault and one count of child luring related to alleged offenses that ranged from January 1988 through March 2008.

"It's obviously been a very long journey for a lot of us," McCormack said. "There's still a part of me that's very upset about all the cover-ups that went on for years and allowed him to be on the field, and all the lives that were negatively impacted by him."

The Whitecaps women's team dissolved in 2012. The franchise continues to exist through its MLS men's team.

Vancouver chief executive officer Axel Schuster previously told the AP members of the front office who were part of the handling of previous abuse allegations and remain with the organization were placed on administrative review pending the outcome of an investigation.

MLS didn't provide a timetable for how long it will take to complete the probe and didn't say whether the results would be made public.

Major League Soccer announced Friday it's going to hire counsel to handle an independent investigation into the Vancouver Whitecaps' response to sexual misconduct allegations brought against former women's coach Hubert Busby Jr. by player Malloree Enoch in 2011.

MLS released a statement about the review, via the Associated Press:

The investigation will include a review of the club's internal processes and overall culture at the time as well as recommendations on preventative measures to ensure that all players and staff under the Whitecaps organization umbrella work in a safe environment, free of all forms of harassment and fear of retaliation. The league and club will publicly release the findings and recommendations of the investigation.

The Whitecaps women's squad competed in the USL W-League until the team dissolved in 2012.

Enoch detailed her allegations to Matthew Hall of The Guardian on Thursday, saying Busby asked her to stay in his hotel room on three occasions between 2010 and 2011.

The first request came after a meeting that was she was told would include other members of the Whitecaps staff, but no one else showed up. The second came when she was flown to Los Angeles to participate in a trial game to secure a squad place, but no other Whitecaps staff or players were present and no game was scheduled.

She said the third, which took place while Busby was in Orlando to scout a tournament that he requested she attend, is when the sexual misconduct occurred.

"He was on all fours fully on the bed. He was definitely aroused. He tried to kiss and touch me," Enoch told Hall. "The light was not on but I don't think he had his shirt on. I had to negotiate to get him off the bed. I told him I wasn't interested."

Enoch, who originally contacted Busby in 2010 seeking an administrative job, signed with the Whitecaps as a player in 2011.

She contacted Whitecaps executive Dan Lenarduzzi to detail some of her allegations against Busby at the end of the 2011 season. She explained why she waited until the end of the season to report the allegations of sexual misconduct:

I was embarrassed and didn't want to compromise being able to play. Of course the right thing to say is no. I know to say no but at the same time I know that with his power he can take away any opportunity I could have whether it was for a job or to play. It would be the end game if I pissed him off or didn't do something. What made me feel safe was that he had the backing of such a renowned club and I was protected.

After the season-end review, Vancouver decided not to extend Busby's contract but didn't provide a reason why, and Lendarduzzi wrote in an email to the players that it wasn't "appropriate to comment publicly on this matter" after the coach was let go.

Busby, who currently works as the head coach of the Jamaican women's national team, denied the allegations when contacted by The Guardian. He said his departure from Vancouver came after the sides couldn't reach a contract agreement amid different visions for the future.

"It was more about where they wanted the program to head to at that particular time and where I thought the program was at as well," Busby said.

The Jamaica Football Federation told the AP it has scheduled a meeting with Busby on Tuesday after learning of the allegations.

Members of the Whitecaps organization, which continues to field a men's team in MLS, who were involved in the handling of the Busby allegations and still remain with the team were placed on administrative review pending the outcome of the investigation.

Malloree Enoch said Hubert Busby Jr. attempted to solicit sex from her when she was a player and he was the head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps women's team.

The Associated Press (h/t Sportsnet) reported Enoch said Busby acted inappropriately toward her in 2010 and 2011, made her room with him on road trips and pressured her to have sex with him. She also said Dan Lenarduzzi, who was the team's soccer development director, did not take immediate action when she told him about the behavior.

Busby's contract with Vancouver was not renewed after it expired in October 2011.

Notably, a number of players on the team raised concerns about him to management before the contract was not renewed. 

Busby is now the head coach of Jamaica's women's team, and the AP reported the country's football federation plans on meeting with him about the allegations on Nov. 2.

The AP also noted this is not the first time a Whitecaps women's coach has been accused of abuse, as Ciara McCormack previously used a 2019 blog post to allege former Canadian women's under-20 coach Bob Birarda was abusive.

The former Whitecaps coach was charged with six counts of sexual exploitation, two counts of sexual assault and one count of child luring. Canada Soccer said it will conduct a "transparent, independent review of the investigation of allegations."

Enoch revealed yet another example of alleged abuse in North American women's soccer.

Earlier this month, the National Women's Soccer League announced it was "launching several critical investigative and reform initiatives to protect players and staff and the environments in which athletes live, train and compete to give athletes the agency and ability to safely report misconduct of any form."

The Athletic's Meg Linehan reported Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly said they were abused by former North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley.

The NWSL Players Association released a list of demands that called for "systemic transformation" to "end the culture of silence."

NWSL players stopped matches earlier this month to show solidarity for those who said they were abused in the league.              

EA Sports have played a nice touch by including 15-year-old cancer survivor Kenton Doust in FIFA 17.

The dedicated Vancouver Whitecaps supporter found out he had three brain tumours in 2015, but after 25 sessions of radiation and months of treatment, he found out he was cancer-free in May 2016.

Whitecaps captain Russell Teibert visited Kenton, sent him boots and a jersey while he was in hospital and was by his side when the youngster finally got the all-clear.

And EA Sports have since recognised Kenton's bravery by including him in their popular video game franchise, along with his very own 95-rated FIFA card.

Respect to EA for putting @KentonDoust in the game, for those who don't know he beat brain cancer pic.twitter.com/yzJUmRwGvw

— hugh (@Firmtinho) December 6, 2016

Well played, EA, and well done, Kenton.

[h/t Vancouver White Caps FC, Twitter, Instagram]

The Vancouver Whitecaps are riding high in 2015. They are one of the most entertaining teams in MLS, are fighting for the Supporters' Shield and just won their first-ever Voyageurs Cup after 13 years of trying.

Vancouver supporters have head coach Carl Robinson to thank for this success. However, it was just 18 months ago that Robinson was fighting for the job against a few marquee names.

When ex-coach Martin Rennie was fired after a disappointing 2013 campaign, the Whitecaps immediately went to work to find his replacement.

Frank Yallop was mentioned as a potential hire by Michael McColl of Away From the Numbers. Yallop was eventually hired by the Chicago Fire as both head coach and director of soccer just a few days later.

A wealth of candidates was brought in for interviews afterward. Robinson, one of Rennie's assistants at the time, was a frontrunner, but Bob Bradley became the top target, per Marc Weber of the Province.

There were three others who were interviewed as well. Current New York Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch, U.S. under-17 boss Richie Williams and the outspoken Preki were all considered by Vancouver, according to Weber.

The bid to land Bradley fell short. Yallop was in Chicago. That opened the door for Robinson, who was eventually hired.

The decision wasn't too much of a surprise. Robinson's name kept showing up no matter who was linked with the job in Vancouver.

The Whitecaps clearly made the correct decision. Robinson is now the winningest coach in Vancouver's MLS history. He earned the record-breaking win against Real Salt Lake on August 8. He now has 26 victories after triumphing over FC Dallas in the team's previous match.

Vancouver has already broken its single-season record for wins in a season. The Whitecaps will undoubtedly surpass 50 points, the most they've ever accumulated in one campaign.

The Whitecaps also trail the LA Galaxy by one point in the Supporters' Shield standings with a game in hand. The Voyageurs Cup triumph also guarantees that Vancouver will earn at least one trophy in back-to-back seasons for the first time.

Robinson's track record for signing talented Latin American players is particularly impressive.

One of these players is Kendall Waston, who has established himself as one of the league's top center backs since he was signed last summer.

Matias Laba is arguably MLS' best defensive midfielder. He was acquired from Toronto FC and is now the league's leading tackler, per WhoScored.com.

Pedro Morales has recorded 15 goals and 16 assists in 53 MLS appearances. He's now the club captain. 

Diminutive Uruguayan winger Cristian Techera has made a tremendous impact on the right flank. His technique and speed have proven difficult to contain this season.

Mauro Rosales and Nicolas Mezquida also provide vision and trickery in the final third behind the striker Octavio Rivero.

Rivero is not scoring at will like he was at the beginning of the season. However, he can unlock defenses with his intelligent runs, vision and strength.

The Whitecaps have depth in quality and also boast the youngest team in the league. Vancouver's average squad age is 24.3 years, per ESPN Deportes (via Alicia Rodriguez on the official MLS website).

Now that the Whitecaps have won the Voyageurs Cup, this may push them toward the Supporters' Shield.

Robinson has to be in the running for the Coach of the Year award. However, there are at least three others who will also be contending for this award.

Jesse Marsch may guide the New York Red Bulls to the top of the Eastern Conference with the league's lowest payroll, per ESPN FC.

Ben Olsen has done an incredible job with D.C. United, a team who will also fight for the Supporters' Shield without a marquee name on the roster.

Peter Vermes' Sporting Kansas City moved from the East to the Western Conference. Sporting has games in hand and are also in the race to win the shield.

However, Robinson still has a strong case. Not only does he have MLS' youngest team, but also they excel on both sides of the pitch.

The Whitecaps have conceded a league-low 26 goals and boast one the fastest counterattacking teams. Vancouver also has 13 players with at least one goal, which indicates how difficult it is to contain this side.

At this rate, Robinson will likely finish the season with Coach of the Year honors.

Peter Galindo covers MLS and U.S. soccer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @GalindoPW.

The Vancouver Whitecaps have fired manager Martin Rennie following the 2013 Major League Soccer season, according to reports.

Marc Weber of The Province confirmed the news on Twitter: 

I can confirm that Martin Rennie is out as coach but not that Yallop will be his replacement, as obvious as it seems. @aftncanada says done

— Marc Weber (@ProvinceWeber) October 29, 2013

The Whitecaps' front office wasted no time making the move, as the squad's season ended on Sunday after a 3-0 win over Colorado.

This season was Rennie's second with the club after becoming head coach in late 2011. The Whitecaps job was the first MLS gig for the 38-year-old.

Rennie significantly overhauled the roster upon his arrival, and it seemed to pay dividends early on, as the Whitecaps finished fifth in the Western Conference a year ago and were eliminated in the knockout round of the playoffs. It was the first time a Canadian team qualified for the MLS playoffs.

However, the 2013 season didn't bring more improvement for Vancouver. It finished 13-12-9 on the season, finishing seventh in the West and finishing three points out of the playoffs.

Vancouver may have Frank Yallop waiting in the wings, as the tweet indicated. He has won multiple MLS Cups and just parted ways with San Jose, and his ties to Vancouver early in his life make it a potential move. 

For a manager who quickly climbed the rankings of professional coaching, Rennie should be able to bounce back following a campaign as Whitecaps manager that gave plenty to build on. The 38-year-old may very well serve as an attractive option for an MLS club looking for significant change following the 2013 season.

If that isn't the case, the NASL may be an option, as Rennie has already coached at that level for the Carolina RailHawks. 

According to Sky Sports, English midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker is set to sign for the MLS side, Vancouver Whitecaps.

The 28-year-old defensive midfielder is due to fly out imminently to finalise personal terms on a move that appears all but sealed.

Reo-Coker, whose wife is American, has expressed excitement over signing for the Caps and can't wait to make his mark when the season kicks off on March 3:

"I am delighted, it will be a new experience and I can't wait. I am looking forward to the challenge."

The player's agent, Tony Finnigan, admitted there had been talks with both the New York Red Bulls and the Portland Timbers, but the Blue and White have stolen the headlines:

It is something new for Nigel, and he is relishing the prospect of going.

He just wants to play football, and that chance has arisen in Major League Soccer and he now taking that with both hands.

Everything is sorted, and he just has to finalise the details when he arrives there.

Reo-Coker started his career at Wimbledon, and after a move to Portsmouth failed to materialise, he ended up at West Ham United. He rose through the ranks and became captain, leading his team to the 2006 FA Cup final where they lost to Liverpool.

He swapped claret and blue shirts shortly after, signing for Europe-chasing Aston Villa for £8.5 million under Martin O'Neill and Randy Lerner.

He was a key player alongside Gareth Barry in the engine room for several years, then sampled the likes of right midfield and right-back before eventually being frozen out of the squad.

Gerard Houllier released him on a free transfer and, after a season with Bolton Wanderers and a short stint with Championship side Ipswich Town, is on the verge of making the well-marked transition to Major League Soccer.

Caps fans will be getting a midfield destroyer in its purest form. Reo-Coker does not have the ability to launch an accurate 50-yard pass to release a flying winger, but what he does have is the mental and physical strength to inspire his teammates.

He's committed and robust in the challenge, dogged in his marking and vocal on the pitch. His versatility has stood him in good stead, but he operates best as an anchor midfielder just in front of the back four.

The Caps are getting a good player who, unlike many others joining MLS sides from Europe, is not over the hill in terms of career. All he needs a place to feel like home.

Follow @stighefootball

MLS team Vancouver Whitecaps unveiled the signing of Kenny Miller on July 16.

The arrival of the Scottish international striker completes a dramatic midseason roster shake-up after the club unexpectedly traded striker Sebastien Le Toux to New York Red Bulls and playmaker Davide Chiumiento to FC Zurich.

Miller, 32, will be the Whitecaps' third designated player, joining striker Eric Hassli and fellow Scotsman, midfielder Barry Robson.

There are hopes the ambitious signing will help soothe tensions with Hassli, who was reportedly unhappy with Chiumiento's departure, according to Vancouver newspaper The Province. 

Miller was signed from Premier League-bound Cardiff City but is probably best known from his days as a goal machine for Wolverhampton Wolves from 2001 to 2006 and Glasgow Rangers from 2008 to 2011. 

Whitecaps head coach Martin Rennie said in a club press release:

“We’re delighted to bring an experienced striker like Kenny to our club. 

He has been a proven goalscorer with big clubs in Scotland and played in the England Premier League. His speed, energy, and work rate will be a valuable asset to our club, as we look to have a strong second half of the season in MLS.” 

Miller is expected to make his debut against LA Galaxy on July 18.