Vancouver Whitecaps emphatically responded to their first defeat of the season midweek with a thumping 6-0 victory over Minnesota United.

The Whitecaps started the game in control of proceedings, pinning Minnesota back into their own area. This allowed Andres Cubas, who was sorely missed on Thursday, to do what he does best and win the ball back. His ball to Jeevan Badwal drew a rash challenge from Loons debutant Kyle Duncan inside the area, allowing Sebastian Berhalter to get the party started and slot home from 12 yards to hand the Whitecaps a 1-0 lead.

Vancouver clearly wanted to avenge their midweek performance, and they doubled their advantage after only 12 minutes. Berhalter clipped a ball in behind to Emmanuel Sabbi, who played it back for Brian White to tap home.

The rampage continued, as the Whitecaps just kept pouring forward. A long ball over the top picked out Badwal through on goal unmarked, but the 20-year-old’s effort ricocheted off the post and away to safety.

Berhalter once again was pulling the strings in midfield. His free-kick from a wide area put the Minnesota defence into a panic, and the ball deflected off Mathias Laborda over the line. 3-0 Vancouver after only 20 minutes.

This performance was the antithesis of their midweek display. Vancouver were sharp, aggressive, and always looked the stronger side.

They added a fourth before half-time, and this goal was a classic Whitecaps move that showed they are still at their best. Badwal and Cubas teamed up to win the ball back and worked it centrally towards Berhalter. The American slipped a delightful through ball to Emmanuel Sabbi, who put the ball into the back of the net.

The first half was absolute domination for the Whitecaps. Minnesota were dire defensively, but they kept creating chances and Vancouver had to be equal to what they offered. It was a very strong response after Thursday.

If you thought that Jesper Sørensen’s side would take their foot off the gas, you would be mistaken, as the second half started in exactly the same vein. A direct run from AZ saw him brought down just inside the area, meaning seven minutes into the second half the Whitecaps were again off to the penalty spot. This time Brian White dispatched it comfortably, notching his brace and handing his team a 5-0 lead.

With a five-goal cushion, Sørensen rotated his side, meaning we saw a debut for Sebastian Schonlau at the back. Cheikh Sabaly also came on and had a chance superbly saved by Drake Callender, while Oliver Larraz looked fairly comfortable replacing Berhalter in the middle of the park.

On the other side, Colombian international James Rodriguez was introduced to try to turn the tide for the Loons, but even the former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid star was unable to prevent the onslaught.

Sabaly would not be denied his first goal for the club, as after Mathias Laborda found him with acres of space in the penalty area, his shot proved to be too much for the defender to deal with on the line. 6-0, completing a perfect afternoon for Vancouver.

Every player on the pitch deserves immense praise for their display, and this was a true team performance. However, the Whitecaps’ academy graduates Badwal and debutant Mihail Gherasimencov particularly showed their ability to thrive at this level, while Rayan Elloumi was lively off the bench. With Vancouver’s squad depth going to be stretched to the limit as they look to compete on all fronts, having these players able to slot in and play as well as this is going to be crucial to their success over the season.

In all, it was a perfect reaction after the disappointment of Thursday. For the second straight season, this team has a perfect MLS record after four games, and they leapfrog LAFC to sit at the top of the Western Conference standings.

Their next test is on Wednesday when they travel to Spokane to take on the Seattle Sounders in the return leg of their Champions Cup tie. It will take a miracle for Vancouver to overturn the 3-0 deficit to advance, but if they play like they did today, then you just never know.

(Image: Mark Zhuang)