VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps have beefed up their backline for their drive to the Major League Soccer post-season.
The club announced Thursday that it has added Belgian centre back Joedrick Pupe from F.C.V. Dender and German centre back Sebastian Schonlau from Hamburger SV.
Schonlau is signed through 2026 with a club option for 2027, while Pupe is under contract through 2027 with a club option for 2028.
Both players had leadership roles in helping their European clubs advance to top-flight football.
The 28-year-old Pupe captained Dender to promotion to Belgium’s top tier and was named to the Challenger Pro League Team of the Season.
He had five assists in 64 appearances across all competitions for Dender.
"Joining Vancouver Whitecaps FC is an honour," Pupe said in a release. "I’m proud to represent this club and city, and I can’t wait to give everything I have for our incredible fans. I’m ready to work hard and help bring more success to Vancouver."
Schonlau was named captain of HSV shortly after joining the club in May 2021 and helped the team earn promotion to the Bundesliga for the 2025-26 season.
The 31-year-old has 19 goals and 18 assists over 327 professional matches in Germany.
"I'm very excited about my move to Vancouver Whitecaps FC and can’t wait to meet the players, coaches, and staff," Schonlau said in a release. "The team has done a great job so far this season, and I’m ready to do my part to help us reach our goals."
The arrivals come at a key moment for Vancouver, which has lost two veteran defenders to season-ending injuries — centre back Ranko Veselinović (ACL) and left back Sam Adekugbe (Achilles).
"We are in a position to compete for trophies this season, so our goal this window was to provide more options to (coach Jesper Sorensen) and the team," Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster said in a release.
Both signings are pending a medical, visa, work permit and international transfer certificate.
The moves came on the same day the Whitecaps transferred Norwegian centre back Bjorn Inge Utvik to Sarpsborg 08 FF in his native country.
The Whitecaps host St. Louis City SC on Saturday.
German star Thomas Muller is expected to make his second appearance for Vancouver after having a goal disallowed for offside in his MLS debut last Sunday, a 1-1 draw with Houston.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025.
The Canadian Press
