After five years with the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy, Surrey teen Jeevan Badwal has signed to play with the soccer club’s FC2 team, next in line to the top squad.
The 17-year-old was the youngest player at Whitecaps FC preseason training in Marbella, Spain, and is the 12th Canadian teenager to be signed to a professional contract since WFC2 began play in MLS NEXT Pro in 2022.
His contract with FC2 was followed Tuesday, Feb. 6, with news that Badwal and fellow young midfielder Jay Herdman signed MLS short-term agreements for Wednesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup Round One first leg game (Feb. 7) against Tigres UANL, at Starlight Stadium in Langford (Vancouver Island). Badwal and Herdman both remained on the bench as substitutes who didn’t play in the 1-1 draw.
Still, it’s been amazing couple of weeks for the young players.
“This is a great opportunity for Jeevan and Jay,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director.
“Our second team is an extension of our first team, providing a clear pathway for all of our players such as Ali Ahmed, who started his career in MLS NEXT Pro and has gone on to play with the Canadian men’s national team. We look forward to seeing Jeevan, Jay, and all of our young players continue to progress in their development.”
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Training in Spain with @WhitecapsFC: How Surrey 17-year-old Jeevan Badwal signed to play soccer with FC2 squad and has a shot at top club.
— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) February 7, 2024
STORY: https://t.co/3urvdIMRhs pic.twitter.com/BuD9qdwZH5
In his youth, Badwal played at Coastal FC, Surrey FC, Supra Academy and B.E.S.T. Academy, then joined the club’s BMO Academy as a 13-year-old in 2019.
A lifelong Newton-area resident, Badwal went to Tamanawis Secondary for Grade 8 before transferring to Vancouver’s University Hill Secondary, where Whitecaps academy players are schooled. He’s now in Grade 12.
Last July he was picked to play at the MLS NEXT All-Star Game in Annapolis, Maryland.
On the international stage, Badwal has represented Canada at the U17 level, starting all three matches at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, and will play for Canada’s U20 team at the upcoming CONCACAF qualifier games starting Feb. 23 in Trinidad and Tobago.
Now home from training in Spain with the Whitecaps, Badwal dreams of playing for the club’s top team one day, after playing a few games with FC2 last season.
“It was a different experience, obviously, it’s professional,” Badwal said in a video interview with the Whitecaps media team.
“Obviously playing with older guys, playing faster, playing stronger and everything, it’s a good experience for me.”
Badwal said it feels “really good” to rise up the ranks as an academy player in the Whitecaps organization.
“I feel like a standout, but obviously I can’t get over my head,” he said. “I gotta tell these kids that you can’t get too cocky getting this far. Obviously, it can get taken away like that. But yeah, telling every kid that it’s possible, don’t let go of your dreams.”
WFC2 start the season on the road at North Texas SC on Friday, March 15.
The team will play its home-opener at BC Place Stadium versus Real Monarchs on Saturday, March 23, with an 11 a.m. kickoff before the first team takes the stage at BC Place against Real Salt Lake at 4:30 p.m.
They will be back at BC Place for another double day on Saturday, March 30 to face Timbers2 at 2 p.m., followed by the MLS match against Portland Timbers at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets to enter BC Place for the WFC2 matches are separate from the tickets for the MLS matches, and all spectators will be required to leave the stadium in-between matches. Capacity for WFC2 matches is limited and on a first come, first serve basis.
For WFC2, the remaining 12 matches are at Swangard Stadium starting on Sunday, May 26 against LA Galaxy II, and concluding the home schedule on Saturday, September 21 against Tacoma Defiance.