As far as opening statements go, Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s resounding 3-0 victory over FC Dallas in their Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs opener was emphatic Sunday night.
The Game 1 outcome in their Round One Best-of-3 Series was never in doubt, as the BC Place playoff-record crowd of 32,066 was treated to a show.
"It was unbelievable. I loved it and I know the players did as well," said head coach Jesper Sørensen.
"Coming in and watching all the flags and the excitement and really all the support, all the love of the team, it was such a great game and such a great atmosphere. We really wanted to pay [them] back, and I think we paid back well on the pitch."
Reobund performance
The result comes one week after Vancouver fell short on Decision Day, a 2-1 defeat against Dallas that stymied their chance to finish atop the Western Conference.
But the Whitecaps rebounded by putting 10 of their 22 shots on frame, including when Daniel Ríos opened the scoring two minutes before halftime.
"I was very, very pleased with the way we played," Sørensen said. "Then sometimes in football, the ball goes in and sometimes it doesn't, and also their goalie has had two great games here and done very well.
"It's a little bit frustrating, but on the other hand, I'd rather we had the chances and we were dominating and we were playing well and with the right rhythm of the game instead of not."
Full control
Thomas Müller doubled Vancouver's advantage from the penalty spot on the hour mark, followed by substitute Kenji Cabrera closing out the rout in the 83rd minute.
Meanwhile, Dallas were the second-ever team to finish a postseason match without taking a shot.
“We controlled the game from the beginning. That was our plan, to get the control, to have this fine balance between attacking, being ready for the second-phase balls, being ready also for their counterattacks,” Müller said on MLS Season Pass.
“They have good strength, especially with their deep runs. But we controlled them well, we shared the ball well, and we have an amazing crowd here in BC Place.”
Full steam ahead
The Whitecaps have the credentials of an MLS Cup contender after reaching the Concacaf Champions Cup final, winning a fourth straight Canadian Championship, and finishing the regular season with 63 points.
But they aren’t looking too far ahead, knowing their job continues next Saturday at Toyota Stadium (9:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV). A win would book a Western Conference Semifinal ticket against LAFC (No. 3) or Austin FC (No. 6).
"We can talk about November, December, we can talk about our vacation in January, we can talk about so many things," Müller said.
"But in the end, we have to get our wheels off, go to the garage and make us ready for next Saturday, and then we go on."
