Although the entire squad has been sensational over the course of the season, one man’s campaign epitomises the Vancouver Whitecaps’ rise this year more than any other.

Last season, Sebastian Berhalter had to work tirelessly to earn himself a place in the starting lineup under Vanni Sartini. He eventually secured his spot in the side just in time for the run-in, but his endeavours were in vain as the Whitecaps limped to an 8^th place finish in the Western Conference before bowing out to LAFC in the first round of the playoffs.

Two goals and four assists in league play were a solid return, but not enough to inspire expectations that he would be a starting midfielder in Vancouver and a core component of one of the best sides in MLS the following season.

However, with Jesper Sørensen at the helm, Berhalter has become revitalised. The midfielder has been integral to the Whitecaps’ rise from midtable mediocrity to the top of Western Conference standings, while his man-of-the-match displays against Pumas and Inter Miami sent his side to a first-ever Concacaf Champions Cup final.

Such a scintillating form has seen Sebastian step into the spotlight. He received a call-up to the MLS All-Star Game back in July, while he was also named to the USMNT squad for the Gold Cup and played a critical role throughout his side’s run to the final.

In a bid to find out more about his rise to stardom, The Third Sub sat down with the midfielder to discuss his progress and successes over the past year.

Understandably, the first topic of conversation was his rapid progress. Berhalter has already more than doubled his goal contributions for the campaign when compared to last season, having racked up 19 goals and assists across all competitions.

Even when looking at underlying metrics, his statistics show a player who has drastically improved. According to data from FBref, his passing accuracy rates, shot creation rates, and his frequency of defensive actions have all shot up when compared to last year, even on a per-game basis to factor in his increased involvement, proving that his all-around game is growing.

When asked about the causes of his improvement, Sebastian elected to be modest. He explained that he felt that Sørensen’s arrival as coach and the confidence that he instilled in the 23-year-old had had a major impact on his growth and development this year.

“Yeah, when coaches give you that confidence and they give you that playing time in general, that’s probably the biggest thing that can help. I think I was always ready for that moment. I knew once I got it, I wasn’t going to look back, and this year Jesper put a lot of trust in me from day one, and that’s something I’m super grateful for and thankful for.”

“The coach putting that much trust in you really can elevate a player, and for me, it just makes you want to keep getting better.”

One area where Berhalter has particularly stood out this year is in his set-piece delivery. His crosses have wreaked havoc on opposition defenders across the season, leading to crucial goals like Brian White’s late equaliser against Portland Timbers and Mathias Laborda’s goal to snatch a point and clinch the Cascadia Cup against Seattle Sounders.

Such dead-ball prowess was even critical for his national side, as one such cross found Chris Richards to fire the USMNT in front in the Gold Cup final. When discussing his deliveries, Berhalter said that establishing a routine was crucial to building confidence in the technique.

“I think for me, it was just establishing a routine, you know, doing the same thing every time I hit the set piece, the same steps back, you put the ball in the same way. And from there, it just gives me conference, you know it gives me confidence to go out and just hit my shot.”

“If it doesn’t go where I want it to go, I know I hit my shot, you know, and I think that’s something that, even if I hit one not as good, I know the next one, it’s gonna come.”

“So just the practice in it and the routine and making it something that I want to be great at, it’s helped me really this year.”

This season, the Whitecaps have suffered from a well-documented availability crisis, with key players such as Ryan Gauld, Sam Adekugbe, and Ranko Veselinovic missing large portions of the season, while Brian White and Tristan Blackmon have both spent significant spells away from the team.

With such a large absentee list, especially to some of their more important and experienced players, the Whitecaps were expected to suffer a slump in form.

However, that drop never properly transpired, as once again Berhalter stepped up to fill the void. The midfielder has played a bigger role than even he could have anticipated, as he has taken up the leadership mantle and was even recently handed the captain’s armband for some critical MLS clashes.

“I think, probably more than I even expected. At the beginning of the year, I just wanted a place in the starting 11. I wanted to work hard and prove that I could be in the starting 11 and provide to the team every game, and from there.”

“I’ve just been growing into my role, and just keep finding ways to get better and from there, it’s been just a steady a steady incline, you know?”

“That’s, I think, really rewarding as a player, knowing your hard work pays out.”

A classic example of Berhalter becoming a leader of the side came in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal against Inter Miami. The Whitecaps were down 1-0 on the night but winning 2-1 on aggregate when Sebastian received a yellow card that would rule him out of a potential final should the Whitecaps advance.

Unphased, Berhalter produced one of Vancouver’s standout individual performances of the season. He scored and grabbed two assists to secure the Man of the Match award and drag his team over the finish line and into the final.

Such an immense display took a great deal of selflessness and a team-first mentality, something that can be lacking in professional football but is a quality that has greatly enhanced Berhalter’s play and has been obvious even from the stands this season.

“I knew I wasn’t gonna be in the game and I was like, ‘Well, you know, if I’m not gonna be in the game, I’m gonna make sure my team’s there’ and give the guys the best chance and from there, I just went out and tried to give it everything I had.”

“I had nothing to lose and, you know, it was the credit to the whole team, everyone came out in the second half with a different intensity.”

“In that moment, I was thinking, you know, we just have to win this game. It doesn’t matter how it happens, we have to win this game now. And that’s what we did.”

This form led to him receiving a call-up from Mauricio Pochettino to the USMNT, and it turns out that all you have to do to make Sebastian smile is simply mention the call-up.

“I have no words for it,” he exclaimed, clearly struggling to find the way to express his pride, “It was, like, just even just seeing that the flag and you know, wear the crest, I never want to take it off.”

“It’s like the craziest feeling. I think it’s the biggest honour any athlete can have to play for their country, regardless of what sport. So, it was something that I never take for granted any time I’m there, and hopefully I just keep going back and keep helping my country.”

If Berhalter keeps playing like this, there is a strong chance that he will get the opportunity to wear his country’s colours on the biggest stage of all, as the USA is looking forward to hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.

For now, Sebastian will not be looking much further than the next match, which is the Canadian Championship final clash with local rivals Vancouver FC.

He hopes to resume his form with the Whitecaps heading into the final games of the season, as they continue their quest for the Canadian Championship, Western Conference title, and the MLS Cup.