San Diego FC may have gotten one over on the Whitecaps in the regular season, but Vancouver made it quickly apparent that they weren’t going to let that happen in the postseason, delivering a comprehensive 3–1 win this past Saturday.

Vancouver blitzed the expansion side in the first half behind a brace from Brian White and managed to avoid any sort of repeat of the conference semifinal adventure. It was a complete, professional display that may not have had the drama of last week, but was probably the more solid performance.

White, naturally, was a standout. But on a historic night for the ‘Caps, pretty much everyone on the pitch had a match to remember. Whose star shone brightest? Read on for the penultimate Report Card of the season.

Yohei Takaoka: 8

Takaoka came up big late with two massive saves to ensure San Diego didn’t grab a late lifeline. His distribution was sharp as well, reinforcing how important he is to how this team plays.

Tate Johnson: 7.5

Johnson was unfortunate to be the one whose deflection led to San Diego’s goal, as he was generally rock solid all night. He made a couple of key defensive interventions early as San Diego settled into the game, and he held his own 1v1.

Ralph Priso: 7

He struggled a bit in the air, and it wasn’t Priso’s cleanest game, but he hung in there and his passing remained important for taking the sting out of San Diego’s press. Ultimately, Priso and Laborda both did what they needed to do.

Mathias Laborda: 7

Moved to centre-back after Tristan Blackmon’s red card, Laborda chipped in a team-high nine defensive actions and looked largely comfortable.

Edier Ocampo: 7

Ocampo picked up a questionable yellow card minutes into the match, which definitely influenced some of his decisions defending out wide. He responded well, however, offering plenty of quality going forward to help drive the match and pin San Diego’s wide players deep.

Sebastian Berhalter: 7

It wasn’t Berhalter’s most impactful game, but he was still key in moving the ball from end to end, giving the wingers the chance to isolate San Diego’s fullbacks. He worked hard defensively alongside Cubas in a fantastic collective display, with both players covering a remarkable amount of ground.

Andrés Cubas: 8.5

It was an incredible sequence from Cubas to create the first goal—both in winning the ball back and in playing in White (OK, maybe it was a misplaced shot, but still). He also started the move that resulted in the own goal. Cubas brought that same energy throughout the match.

Ali Ahmed: 8

He took some remarkable touches and his final ball let him down at times…until his assist, where he absolutely obliterated Ian Pilcher before putting it on a platter for Brian White. Ahmed was the clear 1A option when building out of the back, and the fact that San Diego kept giving him 1v1 opportunities was wild.

Thomas Mueller: 6

He worked his rear end off defensively and in the press, but was disappointing on the ball. One moment saw him labour in transition and catch the ’Caps out; another saw him play Sabbi in a couple of beats too late. It was more of a working-man’s DP performance from Mueller.

Emmanuel Sabbi: 7.5

Sabbi showed flashes of danger, either holding the ball up for Ocampo or taking on defenders himself. He was aggressive in the press and didn’t shy away from the physicality (trying to hurdle a defender is next-level). Sabbi didn’t have the box-score stats to show for it, but his Energizer-Bunny energy helped set the tone.

Brian White: 9

White wasn’t heavily involved in the quarterfinals against LAFC, but he wasted no time here—winning second balls to spring the ’Caps into space and, of course, scoring the opener. He was in the right place at the right time for his second, and it was vintage White to take a driven cross off the chest without blinking.

Ryan Gauld: 8

Gauld came on and made an immediate impact, teeing up two big chances within minutes. It was refreshing to see him back in the middle of the park, and his relentless energy helped draw a red card. He ultimately came within inches of grabbing a goal of his own, and it would have been well deserved.

Kenji Cabrera: 7

Cabrera produced one of the filthiest touches you’ll see to absolutely cook a San Diego defender, proving that if Ali Ahmed does end up in Europe, the ’Caps have a worthy replacement for highlight-quality 1v1 ability.

Giuseppe Bovalina, Jayden Nelson, Jeevan Badwal: N/A

I didn’t even notice Bovalina getting subbed on, but all three helped spell the yellow-card contingent and ensure the ’Caps will have a full complement of players for MLS Cup this week.