No surprise: Whitecaps add Rochat to MLS roster By Steven Sandor Posted on January 21, 2011 Comments Off on No surprise: Whitecaps add Rochat to MLS roster 0 728 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The Vancouver Whitecaps announced Friday that the club will have Canadian-born Swiss national-team defender Alain Rochat on the roster for the 2011 MLS season. “We’re delighted to add Alain to our MLS squad,” said Whitecaps FC head coach Teitur Thordarson in a release. “He brings a wealth of experience and has won titles in a top-flight European league and has played in prestigious European club competitions like the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup.” Rochat agreed to sign with the Whitecaps last season, when the team was in the midst of the USSF Div.-2 season. But, he didn’t come over to play for the ‘Caps — he remained with his Swiss team, FC Zurich, for 14 more games. The move was made in 2010 with the view to bring Rochat on board in the 2010 season. The announcement wasn’t a major surprise. Rochat was on the Whitecaps list of players “in camp.” Rochat’s Zurich team made it to the group stage of the Champions League in 2009-10. Rochat’s most infamous moment in the Champions League came in a home game against AC Milan; he was given a straight red for bringing down Marco Borriello in the box, and Ronaldinho converted the ensuing penalty in a 1-1 draw that clinched the Rossoneri’s passage to the final 16. But, even though Rochat was born in Quebec, his family left Canada when he was two. He grew up in Switzerland. And he made an appearance for the Swiss national team in the qualifying process for the 2006 World Cup, so don’t go hoping that he could appear for Canada in the future.
