Good Monday morning Caps fans, hope you all are having a good Thanksgiving and are ready for whatever comes your way this week.

It was another magical night for Vancouver against Orlando, who seemed like they were about to let the chance to decide their own destiny in the Western Conference slip through their grasp. Then it looked like they were going to be the victim of MLS’ baffling decision to continue to refuse to implement goal line technology when Seb Berhalter was denied what seemed to be a clear goal.

But Thomas Müller had other ideas, and his winner on the stroke of full time lifted the Caps to a deserved win. The team dominated basically after Orlando scored and it was youngster Nelson Pierre who found himself in the right place at the right time to find an equalizer. I also loved Pierre’s mentality of refusing to celebrate his first league goal and instead hustle to get the ball back to the center spot to restart play. And that move paid off with the late winner.

Even outside the goal, Müller was fantastic but his clutch gene definitely will be what is remembered most from this one. Sure, Pedro Gallese could have done better (and so could Orlando’s defense) but great players find a way to take advantage of those sorts of moments and that’s what Müller did. While Son has been the more spectacular signing of the summer transfer window, Müller has been equally impactful, both on and off the pitch. His teammates clearly hold Müller in high regard and the German’s unironic love for Vancouver, for his teammates, and his commitment to excellence is remarkable and will continue paying dividends through the playoffs and into next season.

This team never uses the absence of key players as an excuse but rather finds a way to win. The last non-Tim Ford-related defeat for this team was against Colorado in July, and they have been unbeaten since Müller joined. This was a mentally tough team before, but their new signing has seemingly taken it to another level. And hey, having Ryan Gauld back on the pitch when chasing the game doesn’t hurt either.

The win puts Vancouver in the driver’s seat on decision day in terms of winning the Western Conference. It also ensures the lowest they could finish is second place after LAFC’s loss on Sunday night, guaranteeing the Caps will match their best-ever performance in the league table. And, most importantly, it is another moment to savor from a dream season. No matter what happens on decision day, this has been a ride to remember. But I suspect this team won’t be resting on its laurels against Dallas.

Shameless Self Promotion

We have the post-match recap of yet another vintage performance from Saturday night (and a reminder that ball don’t lie).

Best of the Rest

More on how the Caps spared MLS’ blushes when it comes to VAR and goal line technology.

A look at how Canada is planning on capitalizing on the World Cup next year.

Meanwhile, the Canadian national team had a humbling 1-0 defeat against Australia on Friday. Next up is Colombia in New Jersey.

The Caps’ win on Saturday (and LAFC’s defeat) had an unexpected beneficiary: Vancouver FC, who will play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup next season after reaching the Canadian Championship final.