Football: Marinos goalkeeper Takaoka to join Vancouver in MLS
(Mainichi Japan)
YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) -- Yohei Takaoka, the first-choice goalkeeper of J-League champions Yokohama F Marinos, is set to join Major League Soccer's Vancouver Whitecaps FC, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.
The 26-year-old Takaoka played all 34 league matches in Marinos' title-winning campaign last year and was named in the J-League Best XI for the first time in his career.
The 2023 season for North America's MLS begins in late February.
"Takaoka leaves the team on Feb. 4 for talks on a planned transfer to an overseas club and related preparations," Marinos said in a press release the same day.
Takaoka joined Marinos late in 2020 after stints with Yokohama FC and Sagan Tosu.
Whitecaps FC were ninth in the 14-team Western Conference last season.
