Thomas Muller, Vancouver Whitecaps Make Mls Playoff History Vs. Fc Dallas

Opening nan MLS Cup playoffs pinch a triumph is ever nan goal. Dominating? A bonus. Having your marquee midseason signing people his first playoff extremity successful his first-ever postseason appearance? The cherry connected top.

Few teams put successful arsenic commanding a capacity arsenic nan Vancouver Whitecaps did successful a 3–0 triumph complete FC Dallas in crippled 1 of their best-of-three bid connected Sunday night. 

In beforehand of 32,066 people, nan largest playoff crowd successful nine history, nan Whitecaps outshot FC Dallas 22–0, pushing past an outstanding goalkeeping capacity from Michael Collodi pinch goals from Daniel Ríos, Thomas Müller and Kenji Cabrera. 

The triumph puts nan Whitecaps connected nan brink of advancing to nan Western Conference semifinals for nan first clip since 2017. An added jolt of belief for a nine that has consistently fallen short of their eventual goals, moreover if nan triumph is conscionable nan first of 5 needed to assistance nan MLS Cup. 

“There’s a different emotion this year, and a different belief heading into these playoff matches,” Whitecaps winger Ali Ahmed said. “The past fewer years, we didn’t cognize what to expect, but this year, everybody is assured successful each game, and I deliberation it’s nan aforesaid for crippled 2 successful Dallas.”

The Whitecaps were coming disconnected a 2–1 nonaccomplishment to nan aforesaid Dallas broadside connected Decision Day a week prior, but proved conscionable really overmuch playing pinch 10 men connected that nighttime mattered, pursuing a 12th-minute reddish paper to Mathiás Laborda.

On Sunday, nan Whitecaps controlled possession and nan gait of play, and didn’t fto up done nan night, moreover though it took until nan 43rd infinitesimal for Ríos to find nan breakthrough. 

By nan last whistle, nan ‘Caps had posted 3.47 xG to Dallas’s 0.42, had not allowed a azygous changeable and had 568 passes compared to Dallas’s 272. Meanwhile, Müller’s extremity marked his ninth successful 9 games successful each competitions.

“Decision time near a flimsy bitter taste. We wanted that first seed, but man, I still deliberation we did a really bully occupation of playing our style—pressing, keeping nan ball, and creating chances,” Ahmed added. “We needed to get connected nan beforehand ft successful crippled 1 and group nan standard  for nan remainder of nan playoffs.”

Vancouver had a grounds crowd to being their playoff journey. / Rich Lam/Getty Images

The violative onslaught and complete capacity put upwind successful nan sails of nan Whitecaps’ postseason hopes, claiming nan city’s sporting focus, moreover pinch nan NHL’s Vancouver Canucks playing crossed nan street. 

“I was getting goosebumps erstwhile we were stepping retired seeing nan flags and everybody,” Ahmed added. “The vibe and ambiance and nan maturation of this club... conscionable nan nickname that we’re getting from nan city, I deliberation it’s been deserved pinch nan success, but it was genuinely beautiful to spot nan fans travel retired for illustration they did tonight.”

Although nan Whitecaps had complete 54,000 successful nan stands for a Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal against Inter Miami earlier successful nan season, there’s caller dream successful nan fall, pinch Müller signed successful August and nan North American familiarity pinch end-of-season playoffs. 

“We controlled nan crippled from nan beginning, and that was our plan,” Müller said aft his first playoff game. “We had an astonishing crowd present successful BC Place, and I deliberation it was a beardown performance, but arsenic it is successful sports, it was conscionable portion one.”

Looking for nan Sweep successful Texas

Kenji Cabrera came disconnected nan chair and scored 3rd extremity of nan game. / Rich Lam/Getty Images

If it were a one-game knockout aliases a two-legged series, nan Whitecaps would beryllium sitting pretty—head coach Jesper Sørensen could moreover see rotating for nan 2nd leg. But that’s not nan lawsuit successful nan MLS Cup playoffs, and nan lone Canadian broadside successful nan postseason will dream to expanse nan bid adjacent weekend. 

“We person to get our wheels off, spell to nan garage, make ourselves fresh for adjacent Saturday and past we spell on,” Müller quipped. “If I were not a player, and I were an expert, I would spot this squad pinch this power and opportunity this squad has a beardown bond, and you tin spot that they activity together, but I’m a player, and I don’t stock immoderate much secrets.”

Should Vancouver advance, it would people nan first clip nan Whitecaps person secured a best-of-three bid triumph since nan format was introduced successful 2023. 

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