VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps got back to work on Tuesday minus 32 pairs of customized cleats.
After answering an unrelated question in his post-practice media scrum, head coach Carl Robinson blurted out that the specialized gear had been stolen from the team's training facility at the University of British Columbia.
"Just an example of what I have to deal with: overnight we had 32 pairs of boots stolen," said Robinson. "Someone's managed to break in and steal my players' boots, which is not acceptable, not good enough.
"I've got players without boots that have got their children's names on them that mean a lot to them."
The Major League Soccer club secured a 1-0 home win over the Houston Dynamo on Saturday for a second straight victory that evened their record at 2-2-0 on the season.
The media officer at the RCMP's UBC detachment was unavailable for comment Tuesday when contacted by The Canadian Press.
Meanwhile, Robinson hopes the cleats will be returned.
"If anyone knows, please give me a call," he said. "If you want boots, I'll buy you boots, but please bring these special boots that these players wear back to me. Please."
