Vancouver sports fans have endured years of frustration with the Canucks, Whitecaps, and BC Lions.
Not to mention, the city also lost their NBA team, the Grizzlies, to Memphis in 2001 after six years of poor management and ownership. Vancouver hasn’t won many championships either. Yes, the Lions have won six Grey Cups, but their last one was in 2011. Every CFL team except for them and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats has won a Grey Cup since then.
The 1979 Soccer Bowl, won by the NASL Whitecaps, remains the biggest championship win in Vancouver’s history to this day. Over 100,000 people attended the parade. Anyone old enough to read this article was probably there.
But other than the Grey Cups and the Soccer Bowl, Vancouver has seen more disappointment and heartbreak. The Canucks are the only team in NHL history to lose Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals twice. Both times, there were riots. 55 years and counting Canucks fans are still waiting for the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. But that most definitely won’t happen anytime soon, as the team is stuck in mediocrity and continues to refuse to rebuild, even if captain Quinn Hughes leaves in free agency in 2027.
The MLS-era Whitecaps have had their struggles, too. From failed Designated Player signings, underwhelming playoff runs, off-pitch scandals and more losing than winning. In the late 2010s and early 2020s, it seemed the Whitecaps could never get out of the MLS basement.
But they did. Under Sporting Director and CEO Axel Schuster, who arrived in late 2019, the club slowly got better on the pitch and off it. Remember in 2019, the Whitecaps finished the season 12th in the Western Conference with an 8-16-10 record. That season included an embarrassing Canadian Championship elimination at the hands of Cavalry FC, and the club was marred by a scandal regarding abuse from a former coach. At the time, many lost interest in the Whitecaps due to that and the fact that they were one of the lowest spending teams in MLS.
Flash forward to 2025, and so much has changed.
Whitecaps magical season continues with thrilling playoff win
2025 has been an amazing year for the Whitecaps. They finished second in the Western Conference, made it all the way to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final and won their fourth straight Canadian Championship.
The club kept breaking record after record, and slowly, the eyes of the city turned to them. First-year head coach Jesper Sørensen has galvanized the squad with his exciting possession-based soccer, and Vancouver was one of the highest scoring teams in MLS during the regular season. They were also one of the best defensive teams in MLS.
Despite numerous injuries, sickness and international call-ups, the Whitecaps kept showing their resilience. Brian White was one of the top strikers in MLS as he scored at least 15 goals for the third straight season. Sebastian Berhalter has wowed fans and pundits with his defensive play and set-piece deliveries. Andres Cubas continued to show why he is one of the best defensive midfielders in MLS. Ali Ahmed has caught the eyes of many with his speed and tenacity. Tristan Blackmon was named MLS Defender of the Year, and Yohei Takaoka was runner-up for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.
Vancouver had an excellent season despite being without their captain, Ryan Gauld, for six months. Oh yeah, they also signed German legend Thomas Müller in August, and the Whitecaps became more well-known internationally.
Müller has been everything the club and fans have asked for on the pitch and off the pitch.
There were many great games from the 2025 Whitecaps, but it would be hard to top Saturday night. Facing their playoff foes, LAFC in front of a record crowd, the Whitecaps slayed the dragon as John Shorthouse famously once said.
But it wasn’t easy. After a 2-0 halftime lead evaporated thanks to a brace from LAFC and South Korean star Son Heung-Min. (Which included a beautiful free kick to tie the game in stoppage time.) And they were down to ten and then nine men in extra time. As the old saying goes, they bent but didn’t break.
Luck also helped too as notorious Caps killer Denis Bouanga hit the post and crossbar deep into stoppage time of the second half of extra time. Son also hit the post in the penalty shootout.
But when Mathias Laborda scored his winning free kick, over 53,000 people at BC Place erupted. After two straight playoff defeats at the hands of LAFC and years of disappointment, the Whitecaps were in the Western Conference Final for the first time.
When Laborda scored his winning penalty, it brought even more hope that the Whitecaps could win MLS Cup this year. It was so over, but the Whitecaps were so back.
“You have to believe that you can do it,” said Sørensen after the win. “You have to believe that you can put something up. And you have to trust that we also have a structure that has to help you when things are difficult, not just when it’s easy. Then everybody can play. But when it’s difficult. And it was difficult today, and then you need a little bit of luck in the end. But we got that, and we will not complain about that.”
Vancouver’s penalty shootout win over LAFC was one of the greatest games in MLS history. In fact, it is probably the greatest game in the history of Vancouver sports. The Whitecaps looked like they were going to pull off a choke of the ages, but the resilience they showed all season prevailed.
Is the tide changing for Vancouver sports?
The ‘Caps are two wins away from lifting MLS Cup.
For the first time in ages, there is hope among Vancouver sports fans. As Andy Dufrense famously once said, “Hope is a good thing and no good thing ever dies.”
It isn’t just the Whitecaps that are giving Vancouver sports fans hope. The Vancouver Rise became the first-ever NSL champions over a week ago. The Vancouver Goldeneyes won their inaugural game 4-3 in overtime and, even before the game, were seen as the favourites to win the PWHL championship. Now wouldn’t that be something?
The Whitecaps will have to go through San Diego FC or Minnesota United to advance to the MLS Cup Final. Given the teams left in the MLS Cup Playoffs, it is fair to say the Whitecaps can beat any of them. They look like the team of destiny right now, and the win over LAFC could potentially be the springboard to the club’s first MLS Cup.
Should Minnesota beat San Diego, Vancouver will host the Western Conference Final. There is no doubt BC Place will be sold out once again, should that be the outcome.
Vancouver isn’t a city that has had much experience with winning. Back in September, before the Canadian Championship final against Vancouver FC, Müller talked about how Vancouver needs to get away from the loser mentality.
“When I talked to some people… they are [saying,] ‘we are never winning something,” he said per Har Johal of Daily Hive. “The Whitecaps are not winning, the Canucks are not winning. I have the feeling that Vancouver people they accept not winning. I’m not used to that, I want to change that so people care a little bit more about winning or even if we do not win, that they care a little bit more.”
Müller, of course, became the most decorated German player of all time after the ‘Caps won the Canadian Championship. Over the course of his illustrious career, he has won 13 Bundesliga titles, two UEFA Champions Leagues and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, among other trophies.
Sure, the Whitecaps were a good team before Müller arrived, but he turned them into an even better one. Vancouver has only lost once since the German star arrived, and he displayed his spatial awareness and leadership within the squad. So it is fair that one of soccer’s winningest players demands more from the fans of his new home.
Müller was the athlete the Whitecaps and the city of Vancouver needed. He brought newfound hope and optimism, and belief in the fans.
But it isn’t just Müller; all the players have done their part all season. Son’s free-kick goal deep into stoppage time struck the Whitecaps down, but they became more powerful than LAFC could possibly imagine.
Other than the Canucks, being a Vancouver sports fan feels good right now. The Whitecaps are leading the way, and their power is over 9000. Winning is contagious, and the Rise have already have won a championship. Perhaps the Whitecaps can do the same, and just like 1979, there could be a parade on Robson Street.
