Vancouver already defeated Inter Miami in this year’s big tournament, so the Whitecaps feel there’s no reason they can’t win again in this year’s tournament. MLS Cup Final.
In late April, the Whitecaps defeated Lionel Messi & Co. 5-1 on aggregate in two games in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-finals. Vancouver won the first game 2-0 at BC Place, followed by a 3-1 win at Florida.
“We just have to trust our game. We’ve played there before, we’ve played here this year, we put in a great performance, we got two really good results, so we proved what we can do even in the semi-finals when the stakes were already high. Now it’s the final,” midfielder Ryan Gold said. “So I have to start over again.”
At that time, Vancouver was doing great.sitting at the top of the league standings with just one loss through 10 games. Striker Brian White had already scored six of the team’s top 16 goals this season.
The Whitecaps, 18-7-9, are in second place in the Western Conference behind FC San Diego and advanced to Saturday’s championship match in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with a 3-1 victory in the conference finals last weekend.
This will be Vancouver’s first appearance in MLS Cup. Gold and his teammates already know the challenges posed by a team featuring Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez.
“I think the threat they bring is obvious when you look at guys who can create magic out of nothing. They’re guys who can stay quiet for eight or nine minutes and then come back to life,” Gold said. “So it’s about staying switched on and doing our job for 90 minutes, 120 minutes, whatever it is.”
Last season, the Whitecaps finished eighth in the standings and were eliminated by LAFC in the first round of the playoffs after routing Portland in the wild-card game.
Vancouver has made the playoffs in three of the past five years, but has never made it past the first round. Since the Whitecaps joined the league in 2011, the furthest they have advanced was in the quarterfinals in 2015 and 2017.
Vancouver’s first season under Danish coach Jesper Sørensen has kept the team focused amid uncertainty over a potential sale and the arrival of the German superstar.
Vancouver’s owners announced late last year that they were putting the club up for sale. Greg Kerfoot has been the owner since 2002, when it was part of the North American Soccer League. Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett and former NBA star Steve Nash joined Kerfoot in 2008 before the Whitecaps became part of MLS in 2011.
Mr Mallett suggested in August that the group’s strategy may have shifted to adding new partners.
The Whitecaps also added World Cup winner Thomas Muller this summer after spending 17 seasons with Bayern Munich. But rather than lifting his teammates up, Muller took on the role of facilitator.
“We don’t just have one player. We have so many strong players, so many qualities,” Muller said after the win over San Diego. “We have to unite it. We are growing and learning. I’m very happy to be a part of this and bring my experience to the group.”
Sorensen said he never expected the Whitecaps to play in MLS Cup.
“But as the season goes on, you start to realize that maybe you have what it takes to go far,” he said. “And now we’re here.”
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