It was seventh heaven for the Vancouver Whitecaps as they demolished MLS league leaders Philadelphia Union 7-0 in front of a raucous sell-out crowd.
The win means the Whitecaps have clinched a playoff spot in the MLS Western Conference.
Birthday boy Thomas Müller feted himself with a hat-trick while Emmanuel Sabbi grabbed a brace. Mathías Laborda added one, and academy homegrown product Rayan Elloumi added the other with a debut goal.
Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen said there was “a playoff vibe in this.”
“Philadelphia, I respect them a lot,” Sørensen said. “It’s difficult not getting carried away after this. Of course, when we’ve seen what we’ve seen and won 7-0. But I think the players came out really strong, wanted to play the right way with the right mindset [and] keep attacking even though we got off to a good start.”
Daniel Ríos had a chance in the 14th minute that he will want back. Encouraging build-up manifested through Sebastian Berhalter in the middle. His ball to the right found Édier Ocampo, who quickly crossed it inside the 6-yard box for Ríos coming in hard.
But a Union defender got enough of a toe on the ball, disrupting its path to the striker.
The Whitecaps continued their relentless pressure. Off a won corner, Berhalter found Laborda fighting for space at the near post.
The headed ball was Laborda’s fourth goal of the season, a perfect placement over Union keeper Andrew Rick.
A second goal was quickly added in the 24th minute by Sabbi. Continuing his excellent form from international duty with Canada, Ali Ahmed blew past Alejandro Bedoya as he cut inside the box.
Rios let the ball go by as he took his defender with him, giving space for Sabbi cutting in from the right. The winger’s one-time shot left Rick no chance.
Müller added a third at the 30-minute mark. A penalty was called due to a handball inside the 18-yard box. The captain coolly placed the ball into the corner, completing the half-hour rout.
Müller completed the brace of penalties in the 45th minute. Ahmed undressed Bedoya at the edge of the 18-yard box, cut inside and was brought down. The German captain shot towards the same corner.
The four-goal first half was the Whitecaps’ best in the MLS era.
Sabbi nabbed a brace of his own in the 61st minute. His eighth goal of the season was created by Müller, whose play outclassed three defenders around him to get the ball to the open American.
Rayan Elloumi, who came on as a second-half substitute for his debut performance, added a debut goal as well in the 80th minute. The Whitecaps academy product became the first homegrown player to score on his debut.
Müller completed his hat-trick in the 88th minute. Jayden Nelson scooped up a loose ball and recycled it back into the box to Giuseppe Bovalina. The Australian headed it towards Müller.
The German headed it past Rick to complete the dominant Whitecaps performance.
“It should give us a good confidence boost,” Sørensen said after the game. “We know what standard we can set. We know how we can play.”
Ahmed’s days as a Whitecaps player numbered?
Throughout this season, Ahmed has shown. But since returning from his post-Gold Cup injury, he has propelled himself to new levels.
He was electric down the left tonight, assisted on one of Sabbi’s goals, won a penalty and came close to a goal of his own in the second half.
“He was unbelievable. And I think that he’s a good player. Ali is not perfect, but what he contributes to the team is massive,” Sørensen said.
Given his work with CanMNT, speculation is mounting about the upcoming MLS offseason. Several Canadian players have made the jump to Europe already under Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch.
Is Ahmed the next is a question many Whitecaps fans will be asking as January nears.
The number: 26,031
Tonight’s match marked three home games in a row with sell-out crowds. It is the first time the Whitecaps have had three consecutive 26k+ sellouts in the MLS era.
Up next
It’s a quick turnaround for the Whitecaps. They play this Tuesday, September 16, in the Canadian Championship. Forge FC is in town for the second leg of the semi-final.
Kick-off is at 7 p.m.
