Thomas Hasal (born July 9, 1999) is a Canadian professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player who plays as a goalkeeper for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

Early life

Born in Cambridge, Ontario, Hasal moved with his family to

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

when he has a year old, where he began playing soccer at age five. He then moved to Calgary at age seven, Edmonton at age eight, and Saskatoon at age nine. He played with youth club Aurora SC in Saskatchewan for a year, later joining the Whitecaps FC Saskatchewan Academy Centre in 2013, and also played for the Saskatchewan provincial team in 2014 and 2015. In August 2016, he joined the Whitecaps Residency Academy and later joined the Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 developmental squad in 2018. In 2016, he led the U19 team to the Academy Championship semi-finals. In 2016 and 2017, he was named the

Saskatchewan Soccer Association Saskatchewan Soccer Association (SSA) is the governing body for soccer (Association Football) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The association was formed in 1905. History of Soccer in Saskatchewan Soccer has always played an integr ...

Male Youth Player of the Year.

Club career

In March 2019, he signed a professional contract with Vancouver Whitecaps FC of

as a homegrown player through 2020, with club options for 2021 and 2022. Initially serving as the third-string goalkeeper, he made his debut on July 19, 2020, coming on as a substitute against the

Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...

, early in the second half of an MLS is Back Tournament group stage match after an injury to Maxime Crépeau. He made his first start in the next match on July 23, keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 victory. He led the team to the Round of 16, where they were defeated in penalty kicks by

Sporting Kansas City Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and t ...

, following a 0–0 draw, with Hasal finishing the tournament with no goals against in regulation. Despite the loss, he was named Man of the Match and was selected to the MLS Team of the Week. After the tournament, he was named a finalist for the MLS is Back Tournament Golden Glove, Best XI, and Save of the Tournament. 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. Following the return of Crepeau, Hasal began the 2021 season in a backup role. In 2022, he extended his contract through the 2023 season, with club options for 2024 and 2025. Following the trade of starter Maxime Crepeau, Hasal began the 2022 season as the Whitecaps' first-choice goalkeeper. However, on May 8, he suffered a fractured finger, putting him out of action. On June 25, he joined the second team Whitecaps FC 2 in MLS Next Pro in their match against

San Jose Earthquakes II San Jose Earthquakes II is an American professional soccer team that is located in San Jose, California. It is the reserve team of San Jose Earthquakes and participates in MLS Next Pro. History On December 6, 2021, San Jose Earthquakes were na ...

in his first game back.

International career

Hasal made his debut in the Canadian youth program in October 2016 when he was called up to the Canada U18 team. In 2017, he was called up to the Canadian U20 team for a pair of friendly tournaments in January 2017, where he saved a penalty against El Salvador. He was then named to the roster for the

2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship The 2017 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship was the 5th edition of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship (26th edition if all eras included), the men's under-20 international football tournament organized by CONCACAF. It was hosted in Costa Rica between ...

. At the CONCACAF Championship, he played every minute in Canada's three matches. He was then named to the roster for the

2018 CONCACAF U-20 Championship The 2018 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship was the 6th edition of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship (27th edition if all eras included), the men's under-20 international football tournament organized by CONCACAF. It was hosted at Bradenton, Florida, ...

. In January 2020, Hasal was named to a camp with the Canada U23 team, before being named to the provisional roster for the

2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship The 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship was the fifteenth and final edition of the CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying, the quadrennial, international, age-restricted football tournament organised by CONCACAF to determine which men's ...

on February 26, 2020. In November 2022, he was called up to the Canada senior team for the first time, ahead of a friendly against Bahrain, although he did not appear in the match.

Personal life

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.

Career statistics

As of August 18, 2023

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hasal, Thomas 1999 births Living people Soccer people from Ontario Sportspeople from Cambridge, Ontario Canada men's youth international soccer players Canada men's under-23 international soccer players Canadian people of Czech descent Canadian men's soccer players Major League Soccer players Vancouver Whitecaps FC players Homegrown Players (MLS) Men's association football goalkeepers MLS Next Pro players Whitecaps FC 2 players