United Soccer Leagues 2008: Whitecaps sign Pozniak

May 23, 2008

The Vancouver Whitecaps announced the signing of former Toronto FC defender Chris Pozniak. Pozniak was chosen in the expansion draft by the San Jose Earthquakes and was then traded last March to Chivas USA of Major League Soccer. The contract is pending international clearance.

Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said, "Chris brings a wealth of experience and quality to our back end. The signing of Chris made sense for a number of reasons for both the club and Chris. Chris was looking for a team that would be able to use his services for the next six weeks before allowing him to explore opportunities in Europe. We are currently playing through a busy stretch in our schedule and have sustained some recent injuries. This is a win-win for both club and player."

In 4 games with Chivas USA this season, Pozniak started 3 and recorded 311 minutes.

Pozniak, who was born in Kraków, Poland, and immigrated to Canada with his family in 1990, has been capped by Canada at the U-20, U-23 and senior levels. Pozniak earned his first senior cap in the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup against Haiti. He has since earned 21 caps, which includes a start in Canada’s 1-0 win over Martinique last January.