The Vancouver Whitecaps logo is seen in this file photo.The Canadian Press
The Vancouver Whitecaps have acquired a USL Pro affiliate, which will begin play this spring.
Bob Lenarduzzi, president of Major League Soccer's Whitecaps, made the announcement today.
The team, called Whitecaps FC2, will play its home games at Thunderbird Stadium at the University of British Columbia.
The USL Professional Division (known as USL Pro) is a third-tier league below MLS and the North American Soccer League.
Lenarduzzi says the team will form a bridge between the Whitecaps' residency program and MLS squad.
USL Pro had 14 teams in 2014, and expansion franchises have already been announced for 2015 in MSL cities like Portland, Seattle, Toronto and Montreal.