Vancouver Whitecaps produced yet another scintillating display in their quest to secure the Western Conference title, as they defeated a subpar San Jose Earthquakes team 4-1. Perhaps San Jose should consider signing Tim Ford on a permanent move.

Buoyed after lifting a fourth consecutive Canadian Championship trophy in midweek, the Whitecaps made two changes to their side, as Jayden Nelson replaced Emmanuel Sabbi on the wing and Ralph Priso returned to the backline to cover for Belal Halbouni.

With San Jose coming into this game having scored 57 goals this season but shipped 58, there was an expectation that this would be a lively game.

Indeed, it was the visitors who had the opening chance of the encounter, as a corner landed on the head of an unmarked Josef Martinez. However, with the net destined to bulge, Ralph Priso got up to head the ball off the line and prevent a certain goal.

That escape seemed to spark the Whitecaps into life, as they started to control proceedings. They had a flurry of chances, with Thomas Müller forcing a reaching save from San Jose goalkeeper Daniel, before Ali Ahmed was inches away from getting on the end of Rayan Elloumi’s pullback across the face of the goal.

The game fell into a bit of a lull, with Vancouver having a lot of possession but unable to make anything of it.

However, that changed five minutes from halftime. Ahmed beat Benjamin Kikanovic for pace and drew a foul from the wingback, and with the resulting free kick, Sebastian Berhalter found Rayan Elloumi, who tapped home from inside the six-yard box to hand his team the lead.

Vancouver then had chances to extend their lead before the interval. However, Elloumi blazed an effort high over the bar before Nelson saw his attempt smothered by the goalkeeper, meaning the score remained 1-0 at the interval.

After the restart, the Whitecaps picked up exactly where they left off. San Jose decided that marking was optional, allowing Berhalter to pick up the ball in acres of space in the middle of the park. He drove the ball forward before picking out Ahmed, who had time to find a wide-open Müller on the edge of the area. Leaving a player of his quality unmarked proved perilous, as the German forward fired a well-placed effort past Daniel and into the far corner of the net to capitalise and double the Whitecaps’ advantage.

The Earthquakes’ midfield was continuously absent without leave, allowing Berhalter and substitute Jeevan Badwal to run the show in the centre of the park. On one venture forward, the American international was left unmarked again, and again he made the San Jose pay. This time, he took the shot on himself, and his fierce strike from range rifled into the roof of the net to make the score 3-0.

San Jose wasn’t quite done, as in the 89^th minute, a long-range strike took a deflection off Beau Leroux, wrongfooting Takaoka and flying into the back of the Whitecaps’ net.

Any chance the Californian outfit had of getting anything out of the game was extinguished minutes later, as Berhalter yet again received the ball in tons of space on the edge of the area. He had time to steady himself and rifle an effort in off the far post, giving his side a 4-1 lead and rubberstamping the Whitecaps’ victory.

With two games left in the season, the result leaves the Whitecaps in 2nd in the Western Conference, level on points with San Diego FC, with a game in hand on their rivals.

After Philadelphia clinched the Supporters’ Shield yesterday, Vancouver continues their fight for the Western Conference title and seeding in the playoffs when they travel to Orlando next weekend in their penultimate matchday, before they host FC Dallas on Decision Day.