If you are a Vancouver Whitecaps fan, it feels like everything is coming up Millhouse right now. You are probably waking up every day singing: “Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day, I got a beautiful feeling everything is going my way.”
Who could’ve predicted this at the beginning of the season? With the club being up for sale and Stuart Armstrong leaving for Sheffield United in the winter, there was so much uncertainty and fear heading into the 2025 season.
But it is now May and the Whitecaps have an 8-2-1 record and are two points ahead of the Columbus Crew in the Supporters Shield race with 26. Not only that, they will play for CONCACAF’s biggest prize as they will face Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final on June 1 in Mexico City. The players and first-year head coach Jesper Sørensen deserve a ton of credit.
Imagine telling that to someone back in January or February. The standings don’t seem real, but you don’t have to pinch yourself, they are.
Vancouver is also now ranked as the second-best team in CONCACAF. What a time to be alive. This is very remarkable given the amount of games they have played, travel and injuries they have endured.
Statistics are tools that tell stories in sports. Many stats tell the great story of the 2025 Whitecaps. So here are seven of them courtesy of FootballReference and FotMob.
#1: The Whitecaps have the highest expected goal differential per 90 in MLS
The Whitecaps have scored in bunches and haven’t given up many goals either. The eye test and stats back this claim up.
That is also true for chances created for and against. Vancouver is creating quality chances and turning them into goals. They are also doing a good job limiting high-danger chances against them.
At the time of this writing, the Whitecaps have a +0.98 goal differential per 90 minutes, which is the best in MLS. The second best is Nashville SC, as they have an xGD per 90 of 0.74.
Vancouver is also putting up historical xGD per 90 in their MLS era.
They have come a long way since the negative xGD per 90 days under Marc Dos Santos.
#2: They have had 13 different goal scorers in all competitions
For the last few years, the goals for the Whitecaps have mostly come from two players: Brian White and Ryan Gauld.
This year, the goals are all spread out. 13 different players have found the back of the net. White has 12 goals in all competitions but unlikely names have put the ball in the back of the net.
That includes defenders Belal Halbouni, who scored in the first leg against Monterrey, Tate Johnson against Montreal, two goals from Sam Adekugbe before his injury and three in all competitions from Tristan Blackmon.
“I think the depth of the squad is what you make of it,” said Sørensen after Saturday’s win over Real Salt Lake. “If we start playing people and they perform and they do well, all of a sudden, we have a deep roster. I think it’s all about what you make of it.”
#3: Vancouver has the lowest expected goals against in MLS
Let’s circle back on high-quality chances against. There isn’t much fear when the opposing team goes on the attack nowadays.
That’s because the formidable backline of Ranko Veselinovic and Tristan Blackmon, plus Johnson and Ocampo have really stepped up. Blackmon is already looking like an MLS Defender of the Year candidate. Yohei Takaoka has also been a calm presence between the sticks. There will be more on him later.
As a result, no one in MLS has a lower expected goals against rate than the Whitecaps. They have an xGA of 10.6. That’s just ahead of the Seattle Sounders, as their xGA is 10.8. Seattle has been known for being a stingy defensive team.
#4: Sebastian Berhalter is second in the league in tackles
Sebastian Berhalter has taken his game to a different level this season.
When he arrived in 2022 for just $50,000 in GAM from the Columbus Crew, he was seen as a depth piece. Flash forward three years later and he is now a consistent starter and one of the important players on the Whitecaps.
Berhalter has done a lot: goals, assists, tackles, blocks, you name it. Speaking of tackles, Berhalter makes a lot of them. He is tied for second in MLS in players tackled with 31. Berhalter is tied with LAFC’s Sergi Palencia and NYCFC’s Jonathan Shore.
Berhalter has proved he can do it all and is a contender for Whitecaps player of the season.
#5: Jayden Nelson and Ali Ahmed are first and second in MLS in goal-creating actions per 90
Vancouver has been doing a good job of creating scoring chances all season. Many players have contributed to that but two Canadian internationals also deserve some plaudits.
Jayden Nelson has a goal-creating actions per 90 rate of 1.37. Ali Ahmed’s GCA per 90 is 1.19. That is first and second in MLS.
Nelson’s numbers might be inflated as he missed some time with injury and has played 395 minutes, but that is still impressive. His sensational debut against the Portland Timbers definitely played a role. Ahmed has found a lot of creative freedom as a winger this season and has really shown it.
#6: Yohei Takaoka is second among MLS goalkeepers in goals against per 90
Takaoka hasn’t faced a lot of shots this season. In MLS play, he has only made 26 saves over 990 minutes. However, he has been one of the best goalkeepers in MLS with six clean sheets (tied for second) and has given up only eight goals.
What is more impressive is that he is second in the league in goals against per 90 among goalkeepers at 0.73. Only New England Revolution’s Aljaž Ivačič has a lower GA per 90 with 0.70.
Yes, Takaoka has a great defence in front of him. Plus, the team in front of him is also one of the best possession-based sides in MLS. But Takaoka has been reliable when he was called upon and has been a calming presence at the back with his shot-stopping and ball-playing ability.
#7: Pedro Vite has the most big chances created in the Champions Cup
Pedro Vite has been amazing this season. He has taken his game to not just one level above but multiple. He looks more confident and plays with swagger, displaying his creativity and pace.
People outside of Vancouver are taking notice. Apple TV analyst Sacha Kljestan has even made his case for Vite being in the MVP race.
Vite has been an instrumental part of the Whitecaps success in MLS and the Champions Cup. In fact, he leads the Champions Cup in big chances created with five. He has risen to the big occasion as well.
Vite’s contract runs out at the end of the season. Will he leave in the summer for Europe? He’s been linked to AS Roma and Panathinaikos, and surely, more links will follow in the coming weeks and months. Or could Vite extend his contract? Those questions will surely be answered in the summer.
For the Whitecaps, it’s been a fun season, but they are nowhere near done yet. This is just the beginning. With the Champions Cup final, the Canadian Championship and more MLS games coming up, it’s going to get tougher.
