Joe Hanson (soccer)
Joseph Hanson (born August 10, 2003) is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Whitecaps FC 2 in MLS Next Pro. Hanson is notably the first player from the Yukon to ever sign and play professional soccer. Early life
Hanson was born in Whitehorse, Yukon to an American father and a Canadian mother. He began playing youth soccer at age five with the Total Soccer Excellence Academy, which was run by his father. He later joined Yukon Selects FC. Soon after, he had an opportunity to be a guest player from an Alaskan team, before joining Washington state club Crossfire Premier for tournament matches (but not league matches) between 2014 and 2016, where he won Washington State championships with the team at U10, U11, and U12 levels, while still also playing with the Yukon Selects. In 2018, he played at the Canada Soccer National U15 Championships, helping the Selects to a 7th place finish, which was the highest finish for a club from the Yukon. In May 2019, he joined the Vancouver Island Wave, winning the British Columbia title with them that summer. He then joined the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy in August 2019, becoming the first player from the Yukon to join the Whitecaps academy. In May 2021, he began playing with the Vancouver Whitecaps U23 team. Club career
In March 2022, he signed a professional contract with Whitecaps FC 2 in MLS Next Pro, becoming the first player from the Yukon to sign a professional soccer contract. He made his debut in the team's debut match on March 26, 2022, coming on as a substitute against Houston Dynamo 2. On April 24, 2022, he scored his first goal against Sporting Kansas City II. Career statistics

References

Living people
2003 births
Canadian men's soccer players
Men's association football midfielders
Whitecaps FC 2 players
Sportspeople from Whitehorse
MLS Next Pro players
Whitecaps FC Academy players