Whitecaps, FC Edmonton discussing more loan deals

The mystery player that FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller had hoped would join the team when it moved its training camp to Vancouver likely won’t materialize, after all.

Last week, Miller said that a new player would join the Eddies’ camp when the NASL team moved its operation to Vancouver for the week for a series of friendlies and training sessions on outdoor pitches. That led to speculation that the player in question would be another loan from the Vancouver Whitecaps.

After Tuesday’ 4-2 loss to the Whitecaps in a friendly, Miller confirmed that he and the Whitecaps had discussed sending more players to the Eddies, but those talks ended without producing a new loanee for FCE.

“There’s one or two that we were discussing, but for whatever reason at this moment in time it’s not going to be possible,” said Miller, “but we’ll continue to work with the Whitecaps. We have a fantastic relationship with the club.”

Earlier this month, the Whitecaps sent Trinidad and Tobago international Carlyle Mitchell to FCE on a season-long loan.

Neither the Whitecaps nor FC Edmonton would confirm the identities of the“one or two” players in discussions, but the likeliest candidates would be the young Canadians on Vancouver’s roster. Caleb Clarke, who will turn 20 this season and scored twice in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship for Canada, would be the most obvious target. FCE doesn’t have a lot of depth at the forward position.

Teenage midfielder Bryce Alderson would also be an interesting target.

As the Whitecaps have Canadian keeper Simon Thomas on the roster, as well as Canadian resident Gershon Koffie and Canadian-born Alain Rochat, the team could loan Clarke and/or Alderson to FCE without disturbing their own Can-con minimum.

It had been rumoured that Alderson and Clarke would move to the Carolina RailHawks on loan. But, last week, NASL sources told The 11 that a deal between the RailHawks and Whitecaps would not happen, at least not as first rumoured.

With FC Edmonton confirming a discussion about more loans, it would suggest that one or more of the players who had been pointed in the RailHawks’ direction may have been offered to the NASL’s Canadian team.

Whitecaps coach Martin Rennie told The 11 that, no matter where players go, they have to go soon.

“Not sure about particularly to FC Edmonton, but we are thinking about at least a couple of players going on loan and we’ve got quite a few good options to do that. Probably in the next couple of weeks we would announce that because the teams that they may be going to would be starting [their season] pretty soon.”

Clarke was asked if he was on the move, and he confirmed he is in play.

“We’re still working on [a loan]. Nothing in the immediate future, but hopefully in the next couple of weeks we can work something out.”
And would that include a move to the Eddies?

“I don’t think so. It’s never out of the question, I guess, but nothing right there now.”