Music: {allcanada} STRUGGLING WHITECAPS FIRE HEAD COACH THORDARSON

Monday, May 30, 2011

{allcanada} STRUGGLING WHITECAPS FIRE HEAD COACH THORDARSON

VANCOUVER -- The struggling Vancouver Whitecaps have fired head coach Teitur Thordarson and goalkeeper coach Mike Salmon.

Tom Soehn, the current director of soccer operations, will take over as head coach for the test of the season.

The expansion Whitecaps have not won in MLS since opening day March 19 -- when they defeated Toronto FC 4-2 -- and have a 1-5-6 record.

Paul Barber, Whitecaps FC chief executive officer, says: "Teitur and Mike have served the club extremely well in recent seasons but we feel that today's changes are necessary in order to accelerate the process of turning around our difficult start to the season."

Soehn will have help from assistant coaches Denis Hamlett and Colin Miller.

Thordarson, a native of Iceland, took over as the Whitecaps coach in December 2007.