The Canadian side, who might not even play in their home country next year, are just one away from a title - and that is no accident
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Thomas Muller jumped straight in on the banter. At least, that's what Brian White said. The German star, when he signed for Vancouver Whitecaps upon the conclusion of his contract at Bayern Munich, wasted no time in getting to know his teammates. There was no superiority, no gravitas, no sense that he, a World Cup winner who has beaten Lionel Messi seven times, was better - or even different - to them.
"He's that goofy guy. He's involved in the chats, involved in the banter and the team, and ever since he's come in, he's wasted no time getting involved. And I think you know that meant a lot to the group," White told GOAL.
And it was at that moment, when Muller was just as down to earth as the rest of the soccer world assumed, that White knew that everything would be well in Vancouver. His arrival, on Aug. 6, came at a critical juncture for the Whitecaps. The Canadian side had enjoyed an excellent start to the season, but was fading slightly. And while LAFC strengthened, San Diego held steady, and Inter Miami picked up steam, Vancouver needed a lift.
What might have been a destabilizing presence instead became an excellent asset, White said.
Of course, it takes more than the arrival of a decorated superstar to take a team to the MLS Cup. Vancouver's journey here has been one of the stars aligning, the outsiders coming good, and showing that what might have been perceived as early-season overperformance was in fact the reality of a team ready to compete for everything. And now, that team is just one win away.
"It's been awesome to see just the club grow and gain this kind of national attention. So it would mean everything culminates with the MLS Cup," he said.
NOTE: GOAL's Alex Labidou contributed reporting from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
An offseason of change
Most had written Vancouver off before the season. And it was fair to see why. Consider everything about the team, and they, on paper, shouldn't have been playoff contenders - never mind MLS Cup. It had been rumored for some time that ownership was looking for outside investment. And in December 2024, a week after watching the playoffs from home, the Whitecaps owners officially started the process of putting the club up for sale.
At the same time, it became clear there was little apparent movement on the possibility of the team securing a new stadium. The Whitecaps do not own BC Place, where they play week in, week out, and their agreement is up at the end of the calendar year.
And then, there was the coach. Previous manager Vanni Sartini was let go in the fall, with the Whitecaps having no apparent replacement immediately lined up. Instead, they went without a manager until the spring, when they appointed Jasper Sorensen, a seasoned manager, but one who lacked MLS experience. It all seemed primed for disaster - or, at least, mediocrity.
'Constant strive for almost perfection'
But White didn't buy that. At least, that's what his play suggested. The American showed in 2024 that he has a fine scoring touch. And in 2025, that continued in style. He started hot pretty much from day one, and after bagging four against Austin FC on April 12, he topped the Golden Boot race.
And he is the prototype here. White is 29 and spent nearly four full seasons plugging away for the New York Red Bulls without fully realizing his potential. To be sure, there were flashes of quality. But this year, under Sorensen, he found his touch.
"He's raised the demand and the intensity and training the demands [even] after wins. Where can we improve? How can we get better? They even got like, a couple shots on goal. Like, why did that happen? You know, how can I think it's all been a constant strive for almost perfection, and I think that's really what's pushed this team to such heights this year," White said.
Pieced together, White pushed his way into the USMNT picture and was named an MLS All-Star. In a packed No. 9 pool for the national side, there was a real chance that he could make himself the go-to. But then, disaster struck. It started with a little tweak in the hamstring, but White was out for the best part of two months. Not until last week in the Western Conference finals did he fully return.
But there, of course, he found his best, scoring twice in a 3-1 romp.
"It felt really good. The end of the year has been frustrating with injuries, dealing with that, coming back and then getting hurt again. It's always frustrating as a player, when you just want to be on the field, helping the team. But to be involved in the LA game and then to help the team win against San Diego, it meant a lot," he said.
Sorensen, the new coach who has stayed the course
Part of the credit here has to go to Sorensen, of course. Until Muller arrived, Sorensen had, in effect, done a lot with a little. Sure, there are fully fledged internationals in Tristan Blackmon and Sebastian Berhalter. But Sorensen still had to make the most out of them. Berhalter, along with White, has made his impact known with 11 assists and four goals in MLS play, and now might be in Mauricio Pochettino's best XI. If not, he's certainly among the best central midfielders in the league.
"He puts in the work every day. And I think Sebastian has, has really, is really easy for him to pick up advice. He wants to get all the information he can get. And he also wants to, you know, so badly, to develop," Sorensen said.
But outside of that, the Whitecaps are lacking in star power - especially after designated player Ryan Gauld went down with a long-term injury.
Yet Sorensen never panicked and trusted the system.
"There's always a constant demand for quality and discipline, and focus every training session, every game. So I think that's what's helped push us all year long to be as good as we had been," White said.
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