Vancouver Whitecaps FC are on the verge of reaching their first MLS Cup presented by Audi, with San Diego FC standing in their way during Saturday's Western Conference Final at Snapdragon Stadium (9 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV).
The 'Caps have hit historic heights in their first year under head coach Jesper Sørensen, from their remarkable run to the Concacaf Champions Cup final to winning a fourth straight Canadian Championship title.
The blockbuster summer signing of Germany and Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller further solidified a squad that's one win away from facing Inter Miami CF or New York City FC in the Dec. 6 final.
Let's take a closer look at how they got to this point.
Vancouver delivered a statement performance in their Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs opener, outshooting FC Dallas, 22-0, en route to a dominant 3-0 win at BC Place.
Müller netted his first postseason goal from the penalty spot after Daniel RÃos opened the scoring. Second-half substitute Kenji Cabrera got in on the action in the final minutes to put the finishing touches on the lopsided result.
The Whitecaps left it late, but completed the two-game sweep at Toyota Stadium. FC Dallas led deep into stoppage time on Petar Musa's early goal, only for Ralph Priso to force penalty kicks with a 93rd-minute equalizer.
Vancouver then went a perfect four-for-four from the spot, with Müller, Sebastian Berhalter, Cabrera and Belal Halbouni all converting to secure a 4-2 shootout win and clinch the club's first Western Conference Semifinal berth since 2017.
Vancouver slayed their postseason demons in front of an MLS-era club-record crowd of 53,957 fans at BC Place, defeating LAFC in a playoff game for the ages.
The now-legendary match looked all but wrapped up by halftime, after the 'Caps took a two-goal lead thanks to Emmanuel Sabbi and MathÃas Laborda. But the Black & Gold stormed back behind Son Heung-Min's brace – including a stunning 95th-minute free kick from the South Korean superstar that forced extra time.
Tristan Blackmon's red card and Halbouni's injury gave the Black & Gold even more momentum, but Vancouver held on with nine men before finally emerging victorious on penalty kicks.
Vancouver enjoyed a historic 2025 MLS campaign under Sørensen, setting club records for points (63), wins (18), goal differential (+28), and goals (66) en route to the Western Conference No. 2 seed.
This unprecedented level of success coincided with breakout seasons from Berhalter and Blackmon. Both earned MLS All-Star and Best XI selections, with Blackmon also claiming MLS Defender of the Year honors.
In attack, USMNT striker Brian White scored a career-high 16 goals despite being limited to just 21 appearances due to injury. Meanwhile, Paraguayan international Andrés Cubas stood out as one of the league's most effective midfield enforcers.
Add in Müller and his 9g/4a in 11 matches across all competitions, and Vancouver have all the makings of an MLS Cup contender.
