Vancouver Whitecaps to acquire Beitashour

MLSSoccer – VANCOUVER, It appears Steven Beitashour will be on the move after all, but it won’t be to Europe.

ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle reported Saturday that the San Jose Earthquakes right back would be heading to the Vancouver Whitecaps in exchange for an undisclosed amount of allocation money.

With his contract expiring at the end of 2013, Beitashour had expressed a desire to try his hand in Europe, but he now looks to be on the move within MLS.

Beitashour was originally drafted by the Quakes in the second round (No. 30) of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. An All-Star in 2012, the San Diego State product established himself as a mainstay in the San Jose lineup in 2011 and his service from the right flank was integral in their 2012 Supporters’ Shield triumph.

Though he had a comparatively quiet season in 2013, Beitashour nonetheless earned his first call-up and playing time with the Iranian national team, opting to represent the country of his parents’ birth on the international level after a handful of camps with the United States. To date, the soon-to-be 27-year-old has appeared in 87 regular season contests, with two career goals and 16 assists to his name.

The Earthquakes declined to comment on the report. A Whitecaps spokesperson told MLSsoccer.com, “We continue to explore all of our options to improve our roster and whenever there is something to announce we will.”