FORT LAUDERDALE — Dancing to ‘Mr. Brightside’ and embracing the glory of a win over LAFC in front of over 53,000 fans at BC Place in the Western Conference semifinal, the Vancouver Whitecaps felt unbeatable.
They were on the brink, but advanced after LAFC hit the post three times in critical moments. On Saturday, they felt the other side, hitting the woodwork three times with MLS Cup on the line against Inter Miami en route to a 3–1 loss.
And that was it. “That’s football,” as both Whitecaps manager Jesper Sørensen and center back Ralph Priso said in the moments after, ruing the chances they had to take the lead.
“It hurts, but in the best way it could hurt,” German superstar and Whitecaps midfielder Thomas Müller said after the match. “We could be proud to be part of this process... A little bit unlucky with the moment when [Emmanuel] Sabbi hit the post.”
OH MY. Vancouver almost get another!@WhitecapsFC // MLS Cup pres. by Audi pic.twitter.com/LIC93ZzGDN
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 6, 2025
It was Vancouver’s third final of the year and second time they fell short of a championship, even if the 3–1 loss with scoring chances was exponentially better than the 5–0 humbling to Cruz Azul in the Concacaf Champions Cup final.
“I told the team that when you reach out for something, it hurts even more when you don’t get it,” said Sørensen. “It could have been 4–1 for us, it was very close, and it could have been different, but that’s football.”
2026 Visions: Never Too Soon
The Cinderella run and iconic campaign may have ended in an emotional crash, but Müller couldn’t help but beam as he pondered the future after his first four months in MLS.
“Maybe it is too early to speak about next season now,” he told reporters, before going on to mention “next season” in nearly every answer. “We have a young group, a very talented and hungry group, a very hungry group. With big losses, it gives you a lot of energy for the future.”
While he has not lost many finals in a career that has seen him lift 35 trophies, he has witnessed a city’s transformation firsthand, even without its crowning moment in South Florida.
His arrival, effervescent personality and the best season in club history brought soccer to the front of Vancouver’s sporting conversation in a way it had not been since the 1979 NASL Soccer Bowl.
Over 2,000 Whitecaps supporters flocked to Chase Stadium on one of the longest away days in global soccer. Over 20,000 people packed into a watch party at BC Place back in Vancouver.
Rallying behind our squad at BC Place 💙
— X - Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) December 6, 2025
Presented by Erdinger#VWFC | #OwnTheSummit pic.twitter.com/kma2abtKLg
“I think we won a lot of people’s hearts because of the way we do it, and our group is so lovable. We have so much respect for the fans, the whole city, and the people in the city, and we will continue this journey as we do it,” the 2014 World Cup champion added.
“In a city like Vancouver, a hockey city, we created the buzz. That’s very nice to experience that myself and with the group. The connection with the fans was as close as it can get at the moment, so we are happy for every support.”
Standards Raised With Uncertain Future
The 2026 campaign isn’t long away and the excitement for the Whitecaps and soccer in Vancouver has never been higher.
Yet, the 2025 season came amid a dark backdrop: The club is for sale, and MLS Commissioner Don Garber said “tough decisions” could loom if a new stadium situation doesn’t develop.
On the eve of the final, Hastings Racecourse, a potential stadium location, announced that it would halt horse racing effective immediately, opening the space for the Whitecaps to pursue a soccer-specific stadium.
Yet the fear of relocation remains, even as they look ahead to a 2026 campaign, where they will not only have Müller from the start but also have their eyes on MLS Cup revenge.
“We want to play for Vancouver. Vancouver is a great city for soccer,” added Sørensen. “These fans mean everything, because football, this beautiful game, is not just for the players, it’s for the fans interacting, it’s for the atmosphere, the tension and the excitement, and we’ve been able to create that in Vancouver.”
With the season behind them, the Whitecaps can lean on the fact that they were right there. It came down to three posts, and as former manager Carl Robinson, who led the club’s 2017 MLS Cup playoff run, used to say: “fine lines.”
Those lines, though, have been raised. The Whitecaps want to stay in Vancouver, and their fans now expect something great, like never before.
“We have created something around us that people want to see and watch,” said Sørensen. “There’s a togetherness that has been a joy to be part of, and really, it’s been a joy to be a part of the culture... We will work hard and see if we can continue this great run together with the fans.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Thomas Muller Hails Vancouver Whitecaps Accomplishment Amid Club Sale Uncertainty.