Thomas Müller scores on PK in stoppage time to lift Whitecaps over St. Louis City 3-2

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Thomas Müller scored on a penalty kick in the 14th minute of second-half stoppage time to rally the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 3-2 victory over St. Louis City on Saturday night.

Müller, making his first start and second appearance for Vancouver (14-6-7) since coming over from Germany's Bayern Munich, took the PK after Mathias Laborda was fouled by Mykhi Joyner.

St. Louis City jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute when Eduard Löwen used a pass from Conrad Wallem to score his fourth goal of the season. Wallem's helper was his third in his first season in the league.

Vancouver tied it at halftime when Brian White scored on a penalty kick in the fourth minute of stoppage time. White notched his 14th goal after Chris Durkin's foul on Tristan Blackmon led to the PK. White has eight goals in six career matches against St. Louis City, including a hat trick in a win at BC Place last season.

St. Louis City (5-16-6) took a 2-1 lead in the 73rd minute on João Klauss' eighth goal. Sang Bin Jeong notched his first assist in his fourth appearance since coming over from Minnesota United where he had two assists in 70 appearances.

Daniel Ríos subbed in for White in the 77th minute and scored the equalizer in the 79th with an assist from Sebastian Berhalter. It was the second goal for Rios and the career-high sixth assist for Berhalter.

Yohei Takaoka had two saves for the Whitecaps.

Roman Bürki stopped four shots for St. Louis City, which is 1-10-3 on the road this season.

The Whitecaps — trying to make the postseason three years in a row for the first time — are third in the Western Conference with seven matches remaining.

St. Louis City will host the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. The Whitecaps return to league play on Sept. 13 when they host the Philadelphia Union.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

Vancouver Whitecaps Thomas Muller (13) and St. Louis City's Henry Kessler (5) vie for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 23, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis City's Eduard Lowen gets his head on the ball and scores against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 23, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis City's Eduard Lowen celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 23, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis City's Eduard Lowen, centre, tries to move the ball past Vancouver Whitecaps Andres Cubas, left, and Emmanuel Sabbi, back right, during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 23, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis City's Henry Kessler, left, and Vancouver Whitecaps Brian White vie for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 23, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps Thomas Muller, centre, and St. Louis City's Conrad Wallem, right, vie for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 23, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps Thomas Muller, centre, and St. Louis City's Conrad Wallem, right, vie for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 23, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps Thomas Muller, front, controls the ball while being watched by St. Louis City's Chris Durkin during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 23, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps Thomas Muller scores the winning goal on a penalty kick against St. Louis City during the second half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps Thomas Muller, right, celebrates his winning penalty kick goal against St. Louis City during the second half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps Thomas Muller, centrer, celebrates his winning penalty kick goal against St. Louis City during the second half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Kamala Harris “wrote off rural America" during the 2024 presidential campaign and failed to attack Donald Trump with sufficient “negative firepower," according to a long-awaited post-election autopsy released on Thursday by the Democratic National Committee.

The committee's chair, Ken Martin, shared the 192-page report only after facing intense internal pressure from frustrated Democratic operatives concerned with his leadership. Martin had originally promised to release the autopsy, only to keep it under wraps for months because he was concerned it would be a distraction ahead of the midterms as Democrats mobilize to take back control of Congress.

On Tuesday, Martin apologized for his handling of the situation and conceded that the report was withheld because it “was not ready for primetime."

Although the autopsy criticizes Democrats' focus on “identity politics,” it sidesteps some of the most controversial elements of the 2024 campaign. The report does not address former President Joe Biden’s decision to seek reelection, the rushed selection of Harris to replace him on the ticket or the party's acrimonious divide over the war in Gaza.

“I am not proud of this product; it does not meet my standards, and it won’t meet your standards,” Martin wrote in an essay on Substack on Thursday. “I don’t endorse what’s in this report, or what’s left out of it. I could not in good faith put the DNC’s stamp of approval on it. But transparency is paramount.”

A spokesperson for Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The initial reaction from Democratic operatives was a mix of bafflement and anger over Martin's handling of the situation.

“Why not say this in 2024, or bring in more people to finish it, instead of turning this into the dumbest media cycle for 7-8 months?” Democratic strategist Steve Schale wrote on social media.

The postelection report, which was authored by Democratic consultant Paul Rivera, calls for “a renewed focus on the voters of Middle America and the South, who have come to believe they are not included in the Democratic vision of a stronger and more dynamic America for everyone.”

“Millions of Americans are suffering from poor access to healthcare, manufacturing and job losses, and a failing infrastructure, yet continue to be persuaded to vote against their best interests because they do not see themselves reflected in the America of the Democratic Party,” the report says.

The autopsy points to a reduction in support and training for Democratic state parties, voter registration shifts and “a persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters.”

Thursday's release comes as Martin confronts a crisis of confidence among party officials who are increasingly concerned about the health of their political machine barely a year into his term. Some Democratic operatives have had informal discussions about recruiting a new chair, even though most believe that Martin’s job wasn't in serious jeopardy ahead of the midterm elections.

The report found that Harris and her allies failed to focus enough on Trump's negatives, especially his felony convictions. This was part of a broader criticism that Democrats' messaging is too focused on reason and winning arguments, “even in cycles when the electorate is defined by rage.”

“There was a decision in the 2024 Democratic leadership not to engage in negative advertising at the scale required,” the report states. “The Trump campaign and supportive Super PACs went full throttle against Vice President Harris, but there was not sufficient or similar negative firepower directed at Trump by Democrats.”

The report continues: “It was essential to prosecute a more effective case as to why Trump should have been disqualified from ever again taking office. The grounds were there, but the messaging did not make the case.”

Trump's attack on Harris' transgender policies were cited as a key contrast.

Specifically, the report suggested the Democratic nominee was “boxed” in by the Trump campaign's “very effective” ad that highlighted Harris' previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender-affirming surgeries for prison inmates.

Democratic pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position – and she did not – then there was nothing which would have worked as a response," the report said.

The report criticized Harris' outreach to key segments of America while condemning the party's focus on “identity politics.”

“Harris wrote off rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work,” the report says. “You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a significant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen, and then do it again.”

The report also references Democrats' underperformance with male voters of color.

“Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns, and don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color,” it says.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event about loosening a federal refrigerant rule, in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a fireside chat on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

FILE - Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at DNC headquarters, Jan. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert, File)