The Vancouver Whitecaps moved into a tie for the top spot in the MLS Western Conference after a 4-1 win against San Jose Earthquakes at BC Place.
Sebastian Berhalter capped a man-of-the-match performance with two goals and an assist. Thomas Müller and Rayan Elloumi rounded off the rest of the scoring.
Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen credited second-half chances for the win.
“We talked about pushing for the next goal,” he said. “They needed to win this game. They opened up very fast in the second half…it opened up for us, and in the second half we played better and created a lot of chances. I was happy with that.”
The Whitecaps had the majority of control throughout the first half. Müller hit the post, and Jayden Nelson skied another opportunity.
It was not until the 39th minute that the deadlock was broken.
Rayan Elloumi attacked the far post on a Sebastian Berhalter free kick. The set-piece delivery was spot on as the young Canadian sacrificed his body on the upright to tap the ball across the line.
Elloumi almost had the late-half brace a few minutes later, but he was unable to keep the ball down.
The Earthquakes entered the second half with a sense of urgency, their playoff hopes on the line. But as the game wore on, the Whitecaps took advantage.
The Whitecaps doubled their lead in the 57th minute. Ahmed received the ball from Berhalter and quickly played it across the edge of the 18-yard box to Muller. The German had loads of space and time, unleashing a well-placed shot across the goal and into the far corner, leaving Daniel unable even to react.
Berhalter added a third for the Whitecaps in the 74th minute. Ahmed’s hold-up play allowed his teammates to catch up as he cut the ball back to Jeevan Badwal.
Badwal found his midfield partner in Berhalter, and the American unleashed a 25-yard blast that beat Daniel high.
An unfortunate deflection off Giuseppe Bovalina in the 89th minute gave the Earthquakes a consolation goal. But Berhalter helped the Whitecaps retake the jovial feeling with his second on the afternoon, another banger from distance in stoppage time.
It was a dominant performance aside from a lull in the first half. The 4-1 win placed the Whitecaps on 60 points, tied with San Diego FC but with a game in hand.
Berhalter’s growing influence
When Berhalter came to the Whitecaps from the Columbus Crew in February 2022, there was a lot unknown. For a player who cost only $50K in GAM, there were not many expectations, but Berhalter has never let that define him.
“It’s about helping the team all the time against the ball, playing with the right intensity, showing in the front space just behind [the opposition’s] pressure, and playing with a lot more calmness,” Sorensen said of his midfielder. “So, now he plays and runs instead of runs and plays. And I think he utilizes all his energy much better.”
For Berhalter, he said it’s about “trying to get better every day.”
“You put in your work in training so that I can go out and perform,” he said. “I think every year, it’s been a constant build-up. From season to season, you just get a little bit better… It’s never come all at once. It’s just steadily grown upon itself. And now I’m here, and I want to keep getting better.”
It has been a record season so far for Berhalter. Across all competitions, he now has eight goals and 15 assists, tied with Brian White for goal contributions.
He is also now tied with Pedro Morales for the most assists in the MLS era for the Whitecaps at 26.
Up next
The Whitecaps will play during the international break as they travel to Orlando. This is a rescheduled match that was originally set to take place on August 30. Orlando City’s advancement in the Leagues Cup forced a date change.
The match will take place on Saturday, October 11. Kick-off is at 4:30 p.m.
