Thomas Hasal

Thomas Hasal (born July 9, 1999) is a Canadian soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer. He signed a contract with the Whitecaps on March 7, 2019.[1]

Thomas Hasal
Personal information
Full name Thomas Hasal
Date of birth (1999-07-09) July 9, 1999
Place of birth Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Number 51
Youth career
2012 Aurora Youth SC
2013–2016 Whitecaps Saskatchewan Academy
2016–2018 Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019– Vancouver Whitecaps FC 9 (0)
National team‡
2016 Canada U18 1 (0)
2017–2018 Canada U20 5 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of September 19, 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of February 18, 2020

Early life

Born in Cambridge, Ontario, Hasal joined the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Saskatchewan Academy Centre in 2013. In 2016 he joined the Club's U-18 Side and moved to Vancouver.[2] After joining the developmental academy Hasal started in 23 games and an additional 8 playoff games. In 2016 he led the U-19 team to the Academy Championship Semi-finals.[3]

Club career

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

On March 7, 2019 the Vancouver Whitecaps FC signed Hasal as a goalkeeper from the Whitecaps Saskatchewan Academy Centre.[4] Thomas Hasal signed through the 2020 season, with club options for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.[5] He became the first player signed from the Whitecaps U-23 development team and the fourth teenage academy soccer player signed onto the roster.[6]

Hasal primarily served as the club's third-string goalkeeper, and saw no playing time in the 2019 season. On July 19, 2020, Hasal made his MLS debut as a substitute early in the second half of an MLS is Back Tournament group stage match to replace Maxime Crepeau, who had suffered a fractured left thumb after being stepped on by a Seattle Sounders player.[7] Bryan Meredith normally served as the Whitecaps' backup goalkeeper, but he was unavailable after leaving the tournament bubble due to his mother's death, leaving Hasal as the Whitecaps' only option for the remainder of the tournament. Hasal did not allow any further goals against Seattle. He started in the next match and held Chicago Fire FC scoreless, making four saves in the 2–0 win that took Vancouver into the tournament's knockout stage.[8]

With eleven players unavailable and having performed mediocrely in the group stage, Vancouver was considered a significant underdog going into their round of 16 match against Sporting Kansas City. However, Hasal continued his shutout and made eight saves to hold the score at 0–0 through 90 minutes, before Vancouver ultimately fell to Kansas City with a 3–1 score in a penalty shootout.[9] Despite the loss, Hasal's strong performance throughout his unexpected tournament berth shined a spotlight on the young reserve goalkeeper, with MLSsoccer.com calling him "Vancouver Whitecaps FC's new Saskatoon star".[10] Hasal would take over the starting role in Crepeau's absence, but would lose that role after suffering a fractured tibia and concussion in September 2020.[11]

International career

Hasal represented the Canada at the U-18, U-20 and U-23 levels.[1] He was 17 years old when he made his debut for the Canadian youth program in 2016, and In 2017 he represented Canada in the CONCACAF men's U-20 Championship that took place in San Jose, Costa Rica. The following year he represented Canada in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship which took place in the U.S.[12] He has posted two clean sheets in his five starts for Canada throughout both of the Championships.[6]

Hasal was named to the Canadian U-23 provisional roster for the 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship on February 26, 2020.[13]

Personal life

Hasal was born in Cambridge, Ontario.[12] At age five, his family moved to Ottawa, where he began playing soccer.[12] His family moved again to Alberta at age seven, before settling in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan when he was nine.[12] Before joining the Whitecaps youth system, he played one year with Saskatoon club Aurora SC.[14] Hasal is of Czech descent, both his parents are first generation emigrants from the Czech Republic. His grandfather František was a former goalkeeper and introduced Hasal to soccer.[15]

Career statistics

As of 19 September 2020[16]

Club Season League Cup Playoffs Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2020 MLS 9000001[lower-alpha 1]0100
Career Totals 90000010100
  1. Knockout round of the MLS is Back Tournament.

Honours

Individual

  • Saskatchewan Soccer Youth Male Player of the Year 2016 and 2017[6]

References
  1. "Thomas Hasal". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  2. Bogart, Tom (March 7, 2019). "Vancouver Whitecaps sign goalkeeper Thomas Hasal to Homegrown deal". mlssoccer.
  3. Veth, Manuel (March 7, 2019). "Vancouver Whitecaps sign talented goalkeeper Thomas Hasal". Pro Soccer USA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  4. "Thomas Hasal". WhitecapsFC.com. September 2, 2016.
  5. AtlantisB (March 7, 2019). "Whitecaps Sign Homegrown Keeper Thomas Hasal". Eighty Six Forever. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  6. "Vancouver Whitecaps sign Saskatoon-raised goalkeeper Thomas Hasal". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. The Canadian Press. March 7, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  7. "Morris, Lodeiro lead Sounders past rival Whitecaps 3–0". Kitsap Sun. Associated Press. July 20, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  8. Sigal, Jonathan (July 25, 2020). "Vancouver Whitecaps GK Thomas Hasal will be "one of the best in MLS", says Ali Adnan". MLSsoccer.com. Major League Soccer. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  9. "Vancouver Whitecaps leave MLS is Back Tournament with heads held high". Yahoo! Sports. The Canadian Press. July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  10. Boehm, Charles (July 27, 2020). "Thomas Hasal, Vancouver Whitecaps FC's new Saskatoon star". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  11. "Veteran MLS goalkeeper Evan Bush stays in Canada with trade to Whitecaps". CBC. September 28, 2020.
  12. "Thomas Hasal". Canada Soccer. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  13. "Canada Soccer announces Provisional List for Concacaf Men's Olympic Qualifying". Canada Soccer. February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  14. "Whitecaps FC add Homegrown Goalkeeper Thomas Hasal to MLS Roster". WhitecapsFC.com. March 7, 2019.
  15. "Saskatchewan's own: How Thomas Hasal is defined by his home | Vancouver Whitecaps FC".
  16. "Thomas Hasal Profile". Soccerway. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
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