The New Vancouver Whitecaps: Sørensen’s Fast Fierce Football

When Axel Schuster announced that the club had decided to part ways with head coach Vanni Sartini, many Whitecaps fans, myself included, questioned whether he was making the right decision. But new head coach Jasper Sørensen has quickly stamped his influence on the team and the early returns are extremely promising.

Vancouver Whitecaps have opened their 2025 season in thrilling fashion, winning their first three matches in MLS play for the first time ever and advancing to the quarter-finals in the Concacaf Champions Cup, leaving Costa Rican giants Saprissa and CF Monterrey of Liga MX in their wake. The results are impressive, but the real excitement lies in how Sørensen has reshaped the team’s style of play.

Tactical Shift: Aggression and Possession

So what’s the difference?

One of the most noticeable changes under Sørensen is the team’s more aggressive approach to games. In possession, the Whitecaps are sending numbers forward, flooding the box with attacking players to overwhelm the opposition defence.

Sørensen said at the outset of the season that he wanted a more dynamic offence that was less reliant on the deadly duo of Bryan White and Ryan Gauld. He must be pleased with the results so far. Fully half of the team’s league goals have been scored by defenders. Sam Adekugbe, Ranko Veselinović, and Tate Johnson have all chipped in and it has become increasingly common to see center backs dribbling deep into the opponent’s half before dishing off a pass or trying a shot on goal.

The midfield also looks like a different animal. Jayden Nelson, Sebastian Berhalter, J.C. Ngando and Andres Cubas have dominated the center of the park. Pedro Vite, in particular, is thriving under Sørensen’s new system. He has looked dangerous in every game thus far and has already matched his goal contributions from last season. He could easily have had even more.

In an early press conference, Sørensen listed former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp and legendary Argentina football coach Marcelo Bielsa as two of his influences and both are evident in the Whitecaps new defensive posture. Like them, Sørensen has the Whitecaps maintaining a high defensive line and using relentless high-intensity pressing to disrupt their opponents’ build-up play. As often as not, they are winning back possession in their opponent’s half. This shift has created a sense of urgency and energy that has caught opponents off guard, allowing Vancouver to dictate the tempo of matches.

Equally important is the team’s increased emphasis on possession. Under former head coach Vanni Sartini, the Whitecaps often sat back and relied on quick transitions and counter-attacking football. Sørensen, however, has emphasized control of the ball, with the team building play methodically from the back. This has allowed the Whitecaps to dominate matches more consistently, limiting the opponent’s opportunities while generating sustained pressure in the attacking third. They are averaging more than 2.07 expected goals per game while their expected goals against is only 0.97 and the Whitecaps now lead the entire league in the total number of touches in the opposition’s 18-yard box.

Squad Rotation: Depth on Display

Another notable difference under Sørensen has been his willingness to rotate the squad. In the first six matches of the season, the head coach has made significant lineup changes from game to game, allowing more players to see meaningful minutes. Part of this may be attributed to the sheer number of games the Whitecaps have played to start the season and the injuries that resulted from their hectic schedule, but it’s clear that Sørensen’s approach is very different from Sartini’s tendency to rely heavily on a core group of players.

The result? Increased freshness across the squad and a deeper pool of players who feel genuinely involved in the team’s early success. Key contributors like Ryan Gauld and Brian White have continued to thrive, but lesser-used players from last season are now making meaningful impacts when called upon.

Room to Grow

While the early results are promising, Sørensen and the Whitecaps still have work to do. The upcoming stretch of matches will test the team’s resolve, particularly as they advance further in the Champions Cup campaign. Yet, the combination of an aggressive style of play, an emphasis on possession, and squad rotation suggests that Sørensen has laid the groundwork for long-term success.

For Whitecaps fans, the start of the 2025 season has provided plenty of reasons for optimism. Championships aren’t won in March, but if the team continues on this trajectory, Vancouver has to be considered a serious contender in both the MLS and Concacaf. Clearly, a leadership change was exactly what the team needed.

Axel Schuster, take a bow.