Interview with Bob Lenarduzzi
I recently had the chance to chat with Bob Lenarduzzi, President of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and CBC commentator for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Born and raised in the Vancouver area, Lenarduzzi could easily be referred to as the Wayne Gretzky of Canadian soccer. He was a star of the North American Soccer League, a member of the Canadian nation and Olympic soccer teams, and is a member of the Canadian National Soccer Hall of Fame as well as the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame.
We met out by Empire Field where a temporary stadium is being setup while BC Place undergoes a massive facelift. Once everything is complete, the Whitecaps will move into BC Place for the 2011 season as one of two expansion MLS teams. Lenarduzzi explains all this and more in the following video:
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Great interview! I’m going to the game Sunday Vs. Tampa Bay at Swangard.
Growing up I was a relatively large fan of soccer. I remember the old Whitecaps and looking up to Lenarduzzi. (I’ve always loved that name.) I even had one of their original Whitecaps banners hung up in my bedroom that I got prior to them changing their name to the Vancouver 86ers. Hopefully the city will find some way to allow the Whitecaps to build that waterfront stadium they are looking into now. The views of the mountains from it will be incredible.
Great guy and face of North American soccer. My wife went to school with him and he was a great person/kid in high school as well. I wish him and Whitecaps all the best.