Football, hey. Bloody hell.
I have not been in Vancouver long, but I have learned one thing from my time in the city: nice things do not happen to Vancouver’s sports teams.
However, maybe—just maybe—the tide may be turning, at least in soccer. After Vancouver Rise won the inaugural NSL title, the Whitecaps won what might be the most enthralling playoff game they have ever been involved in to avenge their 2023 and 2024 losses to LAFC and advance to the Western Conference final for the first time ever.
Vancouver supporters had their emotions put through the wringer in a phenomenal match which had more twists than a rollercoaster. The Caps snatched a 2–0 lead in the first half, before Son scored an unbelievable free-kick equaliser in the 95th minute to tie the game, leaving Vancouver’s dreams in tatters.
The Whitecaps had to hang on for their lives into extra time, but they did so brilliantly and got to penalties. Once there, they prevailed yet again, sparking scenes of delirium inside the packed BC Place.
With all the build-up to the game centring around Heung-Min Son and Thomas Müller, this was always going to be a blockbuster clash. This belief was bolstered with the announcement of the lineups, as Jesper Sørensen elected to risk Brian White’s return to the starting XI, while LAFC went all-out attack with both Nathan Ordaz and Timothy Tillman playing.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given they ended the season in top form, both sides clearly approached this game with the intention of sticking with what had worked in recent weeks. Vancouver maintained probing possession on the edge of the penalty area and LAFC looked to capitalise on the spaces behind and play on the transition.
However, it was route-one football from the Whitecaps which led to the opening goal. After Virgil Van Priso brilliantly won the ball back, a long ball over the top from Yohei Takaoka caught the LAFC defenders off guard and set Emmanuel Sabbi in behind. The winger brilliantly won the race to the ball and lofted it over Hugo Lloris and into the back of the net, sparking wild celebrations inside BC Place.
As has been the case throughout the season, Vancouver’s successes came through their teamwork and collective camaraderie. Andres Cubas was exceptional alongside Berhalter to break up the LAFC attacks and distort the visitors’ rhythm. Even the fans did their part. The city of Vancouver turned out for this one, as the Whitecaps were backed brilliantly by the sold-out home support.
While most of the focus was on the superstars, it was one of Vancouver’s least-heralded players, Mathias Laborda, who became the hero for the second goal. Müller’s header from Sebastian Berhalter’s corner was tamely parried by Lloris into the path of the Uruguayan, who slipped the ball through the legs of the 2018 World Cup winner to double the Whitecaps’ advantage heading into the interval.
Facing elimination, Steve Cherundolo went for broke and changed system by bringing on Andy Moran and David Martinez to bolster the attack. The changes paid dividends on the hour mark, when Son tapped home from incredibly close range after a lapse in concentration from Vancouver’s back line.
What ensued next was 30 nervy minutes. Understandably, LA controlled the ball and pushed the Whitecaps right back, with the hosts breaking forward at any opportunity. There were chances at either end, with Tristan Blackmon being denied by a reaction save that reminded the world why Lloris was a world champion back in 2018 and Martinez firing over from the edge of the box.
The tension only grew in stoppage time. A rare Vancouver foray forward was punished with a swift move the other way, and Blackmon was forced to take a second yellow card to prevent Bouanga from going in on goal. That effort was in vain, as Son fired an inch-perfect free kick into the top corner to tie the scores.
Vancouver have faced adversity time and time again this season, and their ability to recover and overcome their setbacks has been integral to their successes. However, LAFC dominated the extra-time period, with a plethora of opportunities going astray and Takaoka equal to everything that threatened his goal.
Incredibly, the situation became even worse for Sørensen’s men. When Belal Halbouni was forced off injured with ten minutes remaining in the second half of extra time, the Whitecaps were forced to defend with everything they had, and any hopes of pushing forward were gone. The nine men of Vancouver had to hang on for dear life, desperately looking to secure a penalty shootout that would at least offer them a chance of progressing to the conference final.
Vancouver’s goal was living a charmed life in those dying moments. The net appeared certain to ripple when Martinez missed a gilt-edged opportunity to clinch the match, before Bouanga, one of the most clinical players in the league, hit the post and then the crossbar when scoring seemed inevitable.
It took a miracle to get there, but for the second straight game the Whitecaps were on to penalties to determine their fate.
Once there, victory felt inevitable when Son struck the post. The hero only an hour ago became the villain, and when Marc Delgado saw his Panenka clear the crossbar, Vancouver were firmly in control. Ocampo’s miss made the home faithful nervous, but goals from Berhalter, Nelson, Ryan Gauld and Mathias Laborda were enough to send Vancouver to their first-ever Western Conference final.
What an evening, as Vancouver yet again showed their ability to hold their nerve and advance in dramatic circumstances. This team does not die; they have made that abundantly clear.
Now we watch Monday’s other semifinal between San Diego FC and Minnesota United with expectation, knowing that Vancouver will play for a shot at an appearance in MLS Cup.
(Image: Chaehyun Lim)
If there is one certainty in the MLS playoffs, it’s the Refs gifting LAFC a dubious PK, extra man, or phantom 12 minutes of extra time when they need a goal to progress.
I get that players and coaches can’t publicly question the second yellow to Blackmon at risk of receiving a 6 match ban, but they better appeal it. He gets a touch to the ball and Bouanga is moving away from the ball when contact is made. Shouldn’t have even been a foul. And the initial 9 mins of stoppage despite no injuries or VAR in the half? Come on man.
MLS voodoo faced the Soccer Gods, and they answered, “YOU SHALL NOT PASS.” 😛
Yep – Add Son’s offside first goal that no one in the stadium knew was being subjected to a VAR review until it was instantly allowed, plus being given all the time in the world to take that free kick like it was the PGA? Sketchy AF.
I left before extra time started because I knew the fix was in, even if LAFC couldn’t cash in on it. I hope if this club can find new owners they stand up to this systematic abuse by MLS to appease bigger markets and Apple TV bandwagoners. Vanni was right.
Bouanga dived after the shoulder bump from Blackmon. The 9 minutes of stoppage time was closer to 12 while LAFC still had possession. It was extremely frustrating to watch.
Tristan knew what he was doing, but I know he didn’t expect to get a second yellow card. I think there was a total of 9 yellow cards dealt out by the referee. They were pretty evenly split except for the one that led to the red, and I know the referee knew the exact ramifications of showing the red. The action by Tristan didn’t *keep* Bouanga from scoring so it didn’t affect the end result. If anything, it gave them an advantage.
I just watched the InterMiami v Cincinnati game. It was a pretty physical game. Among other things, Messi took a hand to the face. No card. Not even a foul called. In fact, the referee, Drew Fischer, didn’t issue a single card, yellow or red, during the entire game.
It seems to me players have no idea from one game to the next what amount of physicality will be tolerated. Hopefully, the team admin will file an appeal and the red card will be overturned. The rules for an appeal are pretty stringent.
It’s hard to not jump on the conspiracy theory bandwagon, but it sure does seem like LAFC gets the benefit of the doubt more often than not.
Congratulations to the entire team for sticking together and grabbing the win. They deserved it.
You got it wrong man. 1. The 4th Official is the one who determines the added on time. And it’s for a variety reasons. 2. There was no dubious PK awarded. 3. Blackmon’s last foul was a clearcut caution. He made no attempt to play the ball as he delivered a deliberate body check on Bouango, which prevented an attacking play. 4. Blackmon didn’t get a touch on the ball, the ball deflected/skipped over his foot as he moved towards Buoango. I think what 99% of you all don’t realize is that the referee must live up to the badge on their chest, in this case the FIFA badge. Failure to live up to that standard means a possible demotion/downgrade which means a reduction of games and not being considered for World Cup assignments, which is the Holy Grail for referees. Now if you want to talk about corruption and organized crime then that’s valid
You do realize you’ve got the affliction, right? LAFC Denial Syndrome. When your team gets the referee breaks for this long, you begin to unconsciously expect it as normal and are unable to see the other side, no matter how blindingly obvious. The reality is that we mostly agree it was OK to call a foul on Blackmon but way over the top to call that a cautionable offence. Only small market teams like Vancouver consistently get these dubiously soft second yellows in key moments; big market teams in this situation always get the stern talking to and the key player gets off with a warning. LAFCDC also renders its victims unable to see the multiple similar fouls in the first half that stopped promising Caps attacks, many of which were not even deemed fouls. It’s not corrupt, nor a conspiracy, it is simply a disturbing trend which needs to be acknowledged and fixed. We only want the same standard applied to both teams regardless of the minute or the score. We’re still waiting. PRO is not getting the job done.
I 2nd this!
having been there in 1978 when the Whitecaps began to take the Vancouver sporting scene and then the EPIC run to the SuperBowl Cup which captured the whole Province’s imagintaion, this game last night was even beyond all that!! my throat is hoarse, my mind is replaying so many things- but what captured me the most was:
1. the passion and committment of the massive crowd from start to finish- WE NEVER GAVE UP- we were the 12th player
2. a dubious, very soft second yellow to Blackmon and the following red card placed the referee in the midst of becoming the determiner of a tremendous game… and quality refs dont let that happen- hopefully MLS HQs rescind the second yellow and Blackmon can play the next game- BUT because we are a Canadian city, i dont see that happening
3. the entire Caps TEAM played with such determination and resilience that this game will go down in the entire city’s folk lore- A TOTAL CLASSIC of what soccer can do to for the City and Province
4. the goals posts should be brought down and placed in the sporting museum HALL OF FAME
5. the thought that the existing Cap owners and new investors were maybe taking in the game and after seeing and hearing the supporters will do everything possible to launch the drive towards an outdoor stadium at Hastings Park; and the City will add on making the space around that an entertainment hub with Casino, hotel, businesses, a Canuck practice facility and a Skytrain link from Waterfront to the North Shore via Hastings Park and the IronWorkers Bridge
6. we all should watch the game of Minnesota vs San Diego- if the former win, the Western Final will be at BC Place Stadium next weekend- whoever can/is able to play, this Cap Team will do us and themselves PROUD
Salty
No. 4 has to happen LOL. I’ll be laughing at that one for a while.
That was my comment during the game last night. We do not need a statue of players or coach. Just put the posts! (though Jasper might need his statue is we win it)
They can put him next to the posts in a black turtleneck arms crossed watching intensely.
to clarify- i should have said potential new investors- at this point, i have NO knowledge of any new investors who will join with the existing Owners- just that Axel Schuster did mention the possibility back on November 4- but none are known at this time
cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mls-boss-garber-vancouver-whitecaps-new-stadium-9.6967168
Salty
I came over from the UK just for this game, and – going back 25 years – it was the best Caps occasion I have ever been present at.
Incredible game, incredible resilient performance, and incredible support inside the stadium. Cudos too to BC Place for handling nearly 54,000 people so efficiently. An evening I will never forget!
Anon.. you are our number one fan!……in the UK who do you support.. Crystal Palace? Brighton?
What a match.
Really wish that the same standard was applied by refs throughout the 90 minutes. Polencia committed at least 3 yellow card fouls against Ali in the first half, and one of their players literally pulls Cubas by the shirt from behind as he’s playing the ball, and all you get is a talking-to and in the 2nd everything was a yellow.
Somehow in the 2nd half everything was a yellow and since we were defending we got easily the worst of it.
The ref actually called the right fouls by and large, but the ones attached to cards and the ones that weren’t, and the one-sidedness of it, was baffling.
AI officiating. It can be done and would be a great test of an AI’s ability to deal with real time situations. Not just for soccer but all sports.
The MLS officiating is a joke. Most leagues have bribe-able officials. AI wouldn’t be worse than what we see in MLS.
Please can we have some video editing genius create a video showing the softness of the Vancouver yellows against the half-dozen similar incidents in the first half that were not even fouls somehow? This automatic PRO bias for LAFC and against Vancouver is getting so tiring. What is it about the Caps that we always get the second yellow when other teams invariably get the stern talking to, and don’t do it again from the refs. It feels like we have to be twice as good just to overcome the tilt in the officiating that’s always there.
It’s not just PRO, it’s MLS. Scripted “Sports Entertainment”. Whitecaps only won because LAFC forgot their lines in extra time.
The soccer gods weren’t smiling but grinning on us that game
> Hoefully muller isnt injured
Was wondering the same thing, I mean subbing him off 1 minute into extra time when he just had a little break? You think he might want to play a few more minutes at least, and of course would’ve been nice to have him for the penalties … But of course he’s also one of the oldest players out there and playing another 30+ minutes is maybe just too much… And in the end it didn’t matter 🎉🎉🎉🤯💪💪
Hoefully muller isnt injured. Pupe with a start next game? Or will jesper slide tate in and laborda over to cb. WHAT A GAME!!!!!!!!!!!
i think Jesper will go with Laborda and Priso as CBs- they did a few games together and did a really good job- there is little hope that Blackmon’s red card is rescinded
Salty
New York just beat Philly – if by some fluke they can upset Miami MLS cup could be in Vancouver