Vancouver FC's future in Vancouver continues to feel tenuous, with the team's possible relocation to Las Vegas sparking concerns among fans and the community. The uncertainty over a for-sale club whose stadium lease expires after this year and is bereft of local alternatives led to Thursday's protest. Fans in Vancouver show up, with the team having the second-most total fans attend their home games in 2026. Losing the Whitecaps might further the notion that Vancouver is not a sports city, but that just ain't right. If the Whitecaps do head south of the border, the impact to Canadian soccer would be immense. Canada is a relatively young soccer country, and the men's national team's ascent only truly began once MLS arrived in 2007. An academy system based out of one of the nation's largest cities – which services a sizable chunk of the country without nearby professional academy options – would immediately vanish. Canadian Premier League side Vancouver FC (based in nearby Langley, British Columbia) does not yet offer an academy program that stretches to young teenagers the way the Whitecaps academy does.