Report and Reaction: Dominant Whitecaps win first Western Conference title to set up MLS Cup showdown with Miami

(Photo Courtesy: @WhitecapsFC/x.com)

Vancouver Whitecaps’ history-making season continued in San Diego on Saturday night and it’s not over yet. The ‘Caps put in a controlled and dominant performance to claim their first ever MLS Western Conference title, beating the number-one seeded San Diego FC 3-1 and booking their berth in next week’s MLS Cup final in Miami.

A stunning start to the match left San Diego shellshocked, as a Brian White strike and a Pablo Sisniega own goal had Vancouver two goals to the good just 11 minutes in. When White grabbed his second of the match in first half stoppage time it already felt like game over, and even after Hirving Lozano pulled one back on the hour mark with the aid of a wicked deflection, the Whitecaps look untroubled and could have added to their own tally in the last half hour of the match.

San Diego’s night went from bad to worse when Sisniega saw a straight red card for a last man challenge with 11 minutes remaining, and although the home side fought valiantly till the very end, there was no way back and Vancouver easily saw out the match to reach their first ever MLS Cup final and a date with Inter Miami next Saturday.

Jesper Sorensen went with the line-up everyone expected, with Mathias Laborda sliding into the middle of the defence to partner Ralph Priso, replacing the suspended Tristan Blackmon, and rookie Tate Johnson coming in at left back.

This was two teams that like to control the ball, and both tried to turn up the pressure in the opening minutes to try and assert an early dominance in the match. The midfield battle was always going to be a key one, but one of Vancouver’s key advantages was also going to be their speedy wing play and quick passing moves, and it was both of things that combined to see the Whitecaps quickly take control of the match.

With just eight minutes on the clock, Andres Cubas broke up a play 20 yards out, playing a quick give and go with first Sebastian Berhalter and then Ali Ahmed. With the goal at his mercy, Cubas unselfishly played the ball to the back post for a sliding White to turn the ball in from two yards out and Vancouver had the early breakthrough they keenly sought.

The travelling Whitecaps faithful were sent in to a frenzy, but even better was to come just three minutes later.

Keeping the pressure on, Emmanuel Sabbi brought the ball down, cut inside, and played a neat one-two with Thomas Müller. Sabbi then showed some sublime footwork to shake himself free in the box before firing off a shot which Sisniega could only parry away as he rushed off his line. The rebound fell to Ahmed but his goalbound shot was blocked on the line by Manu Duah. Unfortunately for San Diego, the ball ricocheted off the defender, onto the back on Sisniega and then back over the goalline and the Whitecaps led by two.

San Diego slowly regrouped, with both teams exchanging long range efforts, but the home side just couldn’t get the foothold they were wanting as Vancouver shut up shop at the back, blocking or clearing everything that was being sent in to their box. The closest San Diego came to reducing the deficit came when Müller’s sliced clearance hit off the leg of Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka and off the right post. But that was about it.

With a two goal lead, as we saw last week, the game was still very much in the balance and the next goal in this one felt absolutely crucial. It was and it went once again the way of the Whitecaps.

With the game in first half stoppage time, Cubas sent a beautiful long ball out to Ahmed on the left wing. The Canadian international cut inside then dragged the ball past Ian Pilcher, hitting the byeline before sending the ball in across goal for White to chest in from close range.

Vancouver were three goals up at the half and in dreamland.

They weren’t to look back, dominating possession after the restart, but San Diego, who had made three changes at the break, suddenly got themselves back into it on the hour mark. A quick free kick was taken to Lozano and the veteran controlled it nicely before firing in a long range effort that came off the back of Johnson, lifting it his and over Takaoka into the net, and we were back to a two-goal game.

An element of fortune, and you need that in football, but San Diego couldn’t capitalise on it and the Whitecaps immediately went back at them to try and restore their three goal advantage.

Sabbi came close to doing that in the 63rd minute, cutting inside and firing off a goalbound shot that was denied by a Duah header, before Ahmed drilled a fierce shot wide five minutes later.

With Vancouver keeping pushing, Sisniega was caught well off his line in the 79th minute and clipped Ryan Gauld as he knocked the ball past him, giving referee Joe Dickerson the easy decision off a straight red card for DOGSO.

Down to 10, replacement goalkeeper Duran Ferree immediately denied Gauld with a strong one-armed stop, before the Scot crashed a shot off the right post in the 83rd minute.

San Diego, to their credit, didn’t give up and fought to the end, with Takaoka brilliantly saving a Duah header from a corner in the 89th minute (although the ball had gone out and come back in again), before the Japanese keeper kept out a Jeppe Tverskov shot in the dying seconds of the game.

The final whistle blew and the Whitecaps celebrated their first ever MLS Western Conference title. Another milestone in a season of them for the club.

Now they look to add one more in Miami next Saturday in the MLS Cup.

A stacked Inter Miami side, at home, will be a whole different proposition for the ‘Caps, but they’ve already gone there and got the victory once this season. This time, of course, they’re not benefitting from a two-goal lead, but they have the fight, spirit, and resilience that got them to four final this year.

The treble is on.

FINAL SCORE: San Diego 1 – 3 Vancouver Whitecaps

ATT: 32,502

SAN DIEGO: 13.Pablo Sisniega; 27.Luca Bombino, 26.Manu Duah, 97.Christopher McVey, 25.Ian Pilcher (22.Franco Negri 46′), 8.Onni Valakari (7.Marcus Ingvartsen 71′); 6.Jeppe Tverskov, 20.Aníbal Godoy (14.Luca de la Torre 46′); 90.Amahl Pellegrino (18.Duran Ferree 80′), 21.Corey Baird (11.Hirving Lozano 46′), 10.Anders Dreyer [Substitutes not used: 15.Pedro Soma, 17.Paddy McNair, 19.David Vasquez, 77.Alex Mighten]

VANCOUVER: 1.Yohei Takaoka; 18.Édier Ocampo (27.Giuseppe Bovalina 88′), 2.Mathías Laborda, 6.Ralph Priso, 28.Tate Johnson; 16.Sebastian Berhalter, 20.Andrés Cubas (59.Jeevan Badwal 89′); 11.Emmanuel Sabbi (17.Kenji Cabrera 74′), 13.Thomas Müller (25.Ryan Gauld 61′), 22.Ali Ahmed (7.Jayden Nelson 89′); 24.Brian White [Substitutes not used: 32.Isaac Boehmer, 23.Joedrick Pupe, 26.J.C. Ngando, 75.Rayan Elloumi]

SCORING SUMMARY:
8’ – VAN – Brian White (Andrés Cubas, Ali Ahmed)
11’ – VAN – Pablo Sisniega (own goal)
45’+2 – VAN – Brian White (Ali Ahmed)
60′ – SD – Hirving Lozano (Jeppe Tverskov)

STATS:
Possession: SD 51% – VAN 49%
Shots: SD 12 – VAN 12
Shots on goal: SD 4 – VAN 8
Saves: SD 4 – VAN 3
Fouls: SD 16 – VAN 22
Offsides: SD 2 – VAN 4
Corners: SD 5 – VAN 1

CARDS:
5’ – VAN – Édier Ocampo
27’ – SD – Onni Valakari
60’ – VAN – Andrés Cubas
66’ – SD – Manu Duah
75’ – SD – Hirving Lozano
79’ – SD – Pablo Sisniega [RED]

REACTION:

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

JESPER SORENSEN

On the match:

“Of course I’m really happy, first and foremost for the players, for everybody who has been here for a long time building the foundation for this wonderful club, and really have worked and put a lot of effort in to take us where we are now, and I think that’s definitely something that I’m really happy for. Also all of the fans who have been supporting the club. Moments like this is not something that you can plan for. You can hope, and then put the work in, and we’ve done that. The players have been amazing throughout the season, and I’m really happy.”

On staying in control after going up 2-0:

“Psychology in sports is unbelievable. We saw what happened a week ago, how the game went back and forth. I think [after going up 2-0] we started playing a little bit too much backwards to Yohei, and then we got a little bit long in our team and gave the ball away, but we were up against a very good team. San Diego was the only team from the Western Conference we hadn’t been able to beat so far this season. So of course they also had something to bring into this game, you cannot just play like we did the first 15 minutes. But we survived a bad period, and then we got the break in the end before halftime and that calmed it down.”

On his team:

“Working with this group has been absolutely amazing for me as a head coach. Coming in, I didn’t know much about the group and about the players, because I didn’t follow MLS that closely. It’s a group where they like each other off the pitch, they also want to work hard and they’re very disciplined. Everybody is open to coaching and how we would like to do it. Everybody is just doing everything they can every day, to put the work in, and they’re so motivated. For me, this group is special in so many ways. The discipline, the ability, and the willingness to learn and try to help teammates out and be unselfish, I think it’s quite unique from what I’ve experienced, even though I’ve experienced very good groups before. It’s been unbelievable for me to come in and take over this group, and also it means huge credit to the persons who created this group before I came in.”

STRIKER BRIAN WHITE

On his two goals:

“It’s been a tough spell the last couple months with injuries, but to come out and help the team win and move on to the next round is always the goal.”

On winning the Western Conference:

“Obviously the goal is to win MLS Cup. Winning the conference and getting a trophy is nice, and we’ll enjoy that. But the ultimate goal is to win MLS Cup, and we know how hard that’s going to be down in Miami.”

On playing in MLS Cup:

“I think we’ve been through a lot this year. We’ve gone to tough environments, we’ve played in these big games already this year. So I think we’re confident, knowing it’s going to be a tough test against a good team in a hostile crowd.”

MIDFIELDER THOMAS MÜLLER

On his history against Lionel Messi:

“That’s the past, that’s history. I want to keep going for sure. I know about my games against Messi, but I’ve also lost against him. It’s not about Messi versus Thomas Müller, it’s Miami against the Whitecaps. Maybe they rely a little bit more on him than we do on me, because we are such a good group. I try to keep it together, and I think the boys are appreciating it as well. But you could see on the pitch today, we had some great actions offensively and defensively, and I’m very proud to be a part of this group.”

On how the team has progressed:

“We are not done yet, but I see the progress [from] when I came in August. They were already in a really good shape. I think they already had two parts of the season, until the Concacaf final they were doing really good, then I think the summer break was a little bit bumpy. Some injuries, and a little bit less wins. But when I came in everybody was ready to perform. Everybody asked questions, everybody was open for my advice. Also the coaching staff brought me in to do that. I think we are still growing, we are still building it up step by step, but I have the feeling we are in a great shape as a group.”

SAN DIEGO

HEAD COACH MIKEY VARAS

Thoughts on the game and the performance:

“Details are for later, but it clearly wasn’t our best night and they had a very good night. We got out and they won the game. Proud though that the guys didn’t give up, came out and down 0-3, you get to decide who you are in that moment. These guys came out and kept fighting and got it to 1-3 and even with the red card, could make it 2-3 and I think we all believed that we were going to make it 3-3 until the final whistle.”

What was said at half time and thoughts on the fans’ reaction after the match:

“The fans were the best tonight. They showed up, they were great, and they pushed us along, even in a hard moment. Half time was a similar statement – this is what life is asking of us. Down 0-3, who are we? We get to decide who we are. It’s easy to be who you want to be when things are good, but a true measure is when life kicks you in the teeth. What do you do?”

What was his postgame message to the team?:

“The message was, we got to take this head on and know that this wasn’t our best night and they had a good night, and that starts with me. First and foremost, I’m always the first. Proud that the group kept fighting and tried everything possible to show that relentless mentality and belief that we could get the 3-3. We really believed it, all the way to the end. That I know that this hurts, but no-one can take away the season that these guys did. Nobody can take that away from them and they made the city dream, they made the whole region dream. We were one step away from MLS Cup, when 12 months ago we were all introducing ourselves.

“Then ultimately, this hurts really bad right now and it’s not time for details, it really isn’t. It’s not time for details, but what we can all agree on is that each and every one of us is going to carry this a little bit with us and we’re going to carry it with us and use it as motivation to come back even stronger this season.”

How did Vancouver make it so difficult for San Diego?:

“They were just really sharp on the night. They didn’t miss almost any passes and they were very, very intense and they beat us to a lot of plays and we looked a little bit slower than usual. That’s not on the players, that’s on me because it’s my job to get them ready to play.”