‘It has been a remarkable season’: Whitecaps still pleased despite MLS Cup loss

VANCOUVER – Jesper Sorensen’s first season as a head coach in Major League Soccer was full of big moments. 

There was the moment his Vancouver Whitecaps signed one of the world’s best soccer talents. And the one where they defeated a playoff foe in dramatic fashion. And the one where they played the league championship against Lionel Messi and his club.

Each is memorable, Sorensen said Monday — and so is the way the city of Vancouver rallied around its soccer team. 

“The fact that we have been able to excite so many people and gain that support from the whole city of Vancouver, is definitely something that I take close to heart,” he said. “I think that’s what it’s about, what sport’s about.”

Sorensen was named head coach of the ‘Caps just hours before the team embarked for training camp in Spain back in January. Since then, he’s been caught up in a whirlwind of tactics and training, lineups and games. 

“It has been a remarkable season,” said the 52-year-old Danish bench boss. “It’s been a season with many more ups than downs. And you cannot always expect to get those kinds of seasons. You have to appreciate it.”

Vancouver’s season came to a heartbreaking end Saturday when the Whitecaps fell 3-1 to Inter Miami in the MLS Cup final. 

The team feels that they allowed the final to slip away, Sorensen said, but that shouldn’t diminish the success they had throughout the year. 

“Looking back at it, yeah, it’s painful when you don’t get the last bit out of it. But on the other hand, I think we’re all grateful for the journey and for having this journey together,” he said. 

“We will be back strong, ready to compete again.” 

Few onlookers expected Vancouver to be an MLS Cup contender when the season began. 

Under Sorensen, though, the group grew together and excelled in a possession-dominant, attack-heavy brand of playing that unlocked a creative freedom previously unseen from some on the roster. 

Success came quickly. 

There was a 15-game undefeated streak across all competitions and the team earned a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final. 

The ‘Caps ultimately lost to Cruz Azul, and returned home with a gastrointestinal virus that plagued some players for weeks. Others joined their national teams, leaving Vancouver woefully undermanned. 

It didn’t matter. 

The Whitecaps continued to hover near the top of the Western Conference standings and finished the season with an 18-7-9 record, the team’s best showing in the MLS era.

“I think maybe the most important thing … is that we never this whole year — never, ever, at no moment — have looked for excuses,” said ‘Caps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster. “And there would have been a lot of reasons that we could have brought forward why it was harder for us than for other teams.”

Vancouver dispatched FC Dallas in a best-of-three first-round playoff series, setting up a clash with playoff rivals Los Angeles FC in the West semifinal. 

The ‘Caps advanced in dramatic fashion, giving up a 2-0 lead, going down to nine men, and ultimately winning on penalties. 

A convincing win over expansion side San Diego FC in the West final followed, giving the club its first conference title and their first MLS Cup appearance. 

Falling to Messi and Inter Miami was difficult, Sorensen said, but the ‘Caps have a lot to build on next year. 

“We are not starting over. We are starting from a very high foundation. And we will be able to push it,” he said. “Everybody’s motivated, everybody knows how it works and how we’d like to go forward. It’s not going to be difficult for us to start out from a better starting point than last year.” 

Vancouver announced Monday that it had picked up options on a number of players, including star midfielder Thomas Müller. 

The 36-year-old German soccer legend signed with the team in August and quickly provided both an offensive spark and a charismatic face fans were happy to rally behind. 

The club will keep the core together next season, Schuster said, and there are no pending salary cap issues. 

“But I would say, is it really what we want to do, to keep everything together and keeping everything the same? I would question that,” he said. “I don’t think we want to do this. 

“We want to get some fresh energy, we want to get a little bit new competition.” 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2025.