The Vancouver Whitecaps missed out on the ultimate goal.
Instead of taking home the Philip F. Anschutz trophy on their flight back to Vancouver, it stays in South Florida. Lionel Messi adds his 48th trophy to his massive collection, and Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets end their careers as champions as Inter Miami defeated Vancouver 3-1.
The Whitecaps were underdogs against Inter Miami but put up a strong fight before things unraveled. As the R.E.M. song says: Everybody Hurts.
What if?
After going down 1-0 early thanks to an own goal by Edier Ocampo, the Whitecaps grew into the game. Late in the first half and early in the second half, they looked like they were in cruise control.
Vancouver’s possession-based game was on full display. Ali Ahmed’s 60th-minute goal tied the game at 1-1 and sent the 2000 Whitecaps fans in attendance and the 20,452 fans back at BC Place into a frenzy.
It looked like the Whitecaps were poised to take the lead. Emmanuel Sabbi sped through the Inter Miami defence, but he hit both goalposts and nearly buried the rebound past goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo.
Sabbi’s shot was reminiscent of Denis Bouanga hitting the post and the crossbar against the Whitecaps in the epic Western Conference semi-final two weeks ago. The soccer gods giveth, the soccer gods taketh.
After Andres Cubas lost the ball to Messi and Rodrigo De Paul beat Yohei Takaoka in the 71st minute, the life was sucked out of the Whitecaps. They had no answer for Inter Miami and were sluggish going forward and leaky at the back.
Now that makes you wonder: What if Sabbi’s shot went off the post and into the net instead of staying out? It is more than likely that the Whitecaps would have lifted the Philip F. Anschutz trophy, and plans for a championship parade would’ve been set in motion. For the most part, the Whitecaps have been great at keeping leads all season. From the way they were dominating Inter Miami in possession, that goal would’ve rattled Messi and company even more, and Vancouver would’ve put the game away.
But that happened in an alternate universe, not this one. In this one, it is another chapter of Vancouver sports heartbreak.
There were several what-ifs in the 2025 MLS Cup. What if Cubas kept the ball from Messi? What if Sørensen kept Ahmed on the pitch? What if Ocampo cleared Allende’s cross? What if White, Müller, or Sabbi converted their first-half chances? Those possibilities remain only hypothetical.
Instead, Sabbi’s double post will go down in infamy in Vancouver sports lore the same way Nathan LaFayette hitting the post in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals does.
There are plenty of what-ifs from the 2025 season as a whole. What if Ryan Gauld stayed healthy? What if there were fewer injuries? What if Allen Chapman didn’t send off Mathias Laborda early on Decision Day? What if Tim Ford didn’t officiate the August 9th game in San Jose? What if the Whitecaps were more prepared in the Champions Cup final against Cruz Azul? What if they had hosted it instead? What if Müller’s debut goal against the Houston Dynamo counted? The list goes on.
The Memorable Season That Was
The 2025 Whitecaps season was a thrilling ride. It will be a season that will be looked back on fondly.
But that will take some time. The MLS Cup loss to Inter Miami was arguably more frustrating than heartbreaking (or both), because the Whitecaps were the better team for most of the game. But history remembers the victors, not the runners-up.
Vancouver wasn’t supposed to be there; no one expected them to be. Before the season began, pundits had the Whitecaps finishing as low as 15th in the Western Conference. Sørensen was hired to replace the popular Vanni Sartini and was a relatively unknown coach. Stuart Armstrong also left after not even five months as a Whitecap to go back to the UK. Plus, the team was up for sale, and their future in Vancouver was in doubt.
But despite all the injuries and setbacks, the Whitecaps had the best season of their MLS era. They finished second in the Western Conference and club records in regular-season wins (18), away wins (eight), goals for (66), and points (63). This was certainly a season to remember.
There were so many memorable games. That includes the two CCC semi-final legs against Inter Miami, defeating the Seattle Sounders 3-0 despite dealing with the stomach virus in the days prior, Jayden Nelson’s opening day masterclass in Portland, and the 7-0 beatdown of the Philadelphia Union (the eventual Supporters Shield winners) in September. The 3-0 first-round playoff win against FC Dallas, the penalty shootout win in Texas to sweep them, the crazy game against LAFC, and beating San Diego 3-1 on the road will also not be forgotten.
2025 was the year that the city of Vancouver fell in love with its soccer team. More fans were attending games at BC Place, Canucks fans were getting interested, and social media interactions surrounding the Whitecaps also increased. Of course, the big signing of Müller was a big boost.
But players such as White, Tristan Blackmon, Sebastian Berhalter, Cubas, and Takaoka became household names. They played an exciting brand of soccer, and people were watching. More people were wearing Whitecaps merchandise more than ever.
Unfortunately, the ride didn’t end the way the Whitecaps and their fans wanted it to. But it was thrilling. With the Whitecaps success and the Vancouver Rise winning the inaugural Northern Super League title, it was a huge year of soccer in Vancouver. Both clubs will continue to build that success into 2026, especially as Vancouver is one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup.
In short, it was a season to be proud of, despite coming up short.
“Today obviously we cry, but I think what is important is proud tears,” said Sørensen to the media after MLS Cup, per Har Johal of Daily Hive. “The tears have to be proud because I know that we have excited a lot of people in Vancouver. We have created something around us that people want to see and watch.”
“It hurts in the best way it could,” said Müller per OneSoccer.
Looking ahead to the Whitecaps offseason
It is hard to reach a championship game, but getting back is even harder.
Nobody knows what 2026 will look like for the Whitecaps. In the league that is MLS, anything can happen. Both of 2024’s MLS Cup finalists, the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls, missed the playoffs in 2025. The Galaxy were the defending champions and ended up being one of the worst teams in the league this year.
Now, will the 2026 Whitecaps end up being like the 2025 Red Bulls and miss the playoffs? Or will they be like 2017 Toronto FC and win the MLS Cup a year after losing it? Obviously, the hope is the latter.
Vancouver has a likable, exciting, and tight-knit squad. But the sad reality about sports is that not everyone can stay together. CEO and Sporting Director Axel Schuster has tough decisions to make.
Müller has confirmed that the club has activated his option, making him a Designated Player for 2026. Cubas has been linked to Brazilian side Athletico-PR. It would be a big loss for the Whitecaps, and while a high fee could help, it would be tough to find a suitable replacement.
Given their stellar performances for the Whitecaps and their respective national teams, Ahmed and Berhalter could be tempted to move elsewhere, like Europe. Both of them have options for 2026. It is possible they stick around to get minutes and could leave after the World Cup.
Takaoka was a finalist for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, losing out to Minnesota United’s Dayne St. Clair. It would be interesting to see if he leaves on a free to go elsewhere or decides to sign elsewhere. Speaking of St. Clair, he is also a free agent with no option. If Takaoka leaves, maybe the Whitecaps could try to get the Canadian international’s signature? Dare to dream!
Mathias Laborda was a huge part of the Whitecaps season, especially in the playoffs. Ideally, the Whitecaps would pick up his option, but he has a base salary of $900,000. Given how complicated the MLS cap situation is, Vancouver would have to shed salary to keep him around.
It doesn’t feel like the Whitecaps will make Daniel Rios’ loan permanent. The Mexican striker scored just four goals in all competitions. They could either rely on Nelson Pierre and Rayan Elloumi behind Brian White or bring in another depth option.
Oh yes, there is still the situation with the Whitecaps and their stadium. The club will play its home games at BC Place in 2026. However, a few days before MLS Cup, MLS commissioner Don Garber once again stated the need for a new stadium for the Whitecaps, a new lease with BC Place by MLS standards, and how the current situation is untenable.
The club has been linked with a new stadium at the PNE fairgrounds. On Friday, it was announced that the Hastings Racecourse has closed after 133 years. That is on the proposed site for a potential soccer-specific stadium for the Whitecaps. On Saturday, Patrick Johnston of The Province reported that the Whitecaps are close to a deal with the city of Vancouver that would give them an exclusive window to assemble a project that includes a new stadium at the site of the Hastings Racecourse. So it looks like there is hope on that front, and with a new investor, as Schuster said earlier this week, there are multiple parties interested.
It would be tragic if the Whitecaps leave Vancouver. They have been a huge part of the city’s identity for generations, but a new stadium is vital so they can stay and remain a part of the city.
After losing MLS Cup, it will be another interesting offseason for the Whitecaps, and they will look for redemption in 2026. As Linkin Park put it: “The hardest part of ending is starting again.”
