Vancouver has already bested Inter Miami in a big competition this year, so the Whitecaps feel there's really no reason they can't do it again in the MLS Cup final.
Back in late April, the Whitecaps downed Lionel Messi & Co. 5-1 on aggregate in the two-legged CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals. The first game ended in a 2-0 Vancouver victory at B.C. Place, followed by a 3-1 win in Florida.
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Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Gauld (25) and defender Édier Ocampo (18) hold up the trophy after winning the MLS Western Conference final soccer match against San Diego FC, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
Vancouver Whitecaps' Mathias Laborda (2) celebrates with his teammates after defeating Los Angeles FC during penalty kicks in the MLS Western Conference semifinal playoff soccer match, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Whitecaps' Thomas Muller looks at the MLS Cup trophy as he arrives for a news conference Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., ahead of Saturday's of the MLS Cup soccer match against Inter Miami. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via
Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen walks past the MLS cup trophy as he leaves after a news conference Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., ahead of Saturday's of the MLS Cup soccer match against Inter Miami. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via
“We’ve just got to trust our game. We’ve gone down there before and played them here, too, this year and put on a great performance, got two really good results. So we’ve proved that we can do it when the stakes are already high in a semifinal. Now, it’s the final," midfielder Ryan Gauld said. "So we have to go do it again.”
At that time, Vancouver was on a roll, sitting atop the league standings with just one loss through 10 games. Striker Brian White already had six of his team-leading 16 goals this season.
The Whitecaps would go on to finish 18-7-9, second in the Western Conference to FC San Diego — the team they beat 3-1 in the conference finals last weekend to reach Saturday's championship match in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
It is the first time Vancouver will play for the MLS Cup. Gauld and his teammates already know the challenges posed by a team featuring Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez.
“I think the threat they bring is obvious with the individuals that they’ve got that can make a piece of magic out of nothing. They’re the kind of players you can keep quiet for eight, nine minutes, and then they just spark into life," Gauld said. "So it’s going to be about staying switched on and then doing our job for the 90, 120 minutes, whatever it is.”
Last season, the Whitecaps finished eighth in the standings and routed Portland in a wild-card game before falling to LAFC in the first round of the playoffs.
Vancouver has qualified for the playoffs in three of the past five years but hasn't advanced out of the first round in that span. Since the Whitecaps joined the league in 2011, the furthest they’ve gone is the quarterfinals, in 2015 and 2017.
This is Vancouver's first season under Danish coach Jesper Sørensen, who has kept the team focused amid the uncertainty of a possible sale and the addition of a German superstar.
Vancouver's owners announced late last year that the club was for sale. Greg Kerfoot has been the owner since 2002, when it was part of the North American Soccer League. Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett and former NBA star Steve Nash joined Kerfoot in 2008 before the Whitecaps became part of MLS in 2011.
Mallett suggested in August that the group's strategy may have shifted to adding a new partner.
The Whitecaps also added World Cup winner Thomas Müller this summer after 17 seasons with Bayern Munich. But rather than upstaging his teammates, Müller has taken on the role of facilitator.
“We have not only one player, we have so many strong guys, so many qualities,” Müller said after the victory over San Diego. “We have to bring it together, and we are growing, we’re learning. I’m very happy to be part of this, to bring my experience to the group.”
Sørensen said he never really expected the Whitecaps to be playing for the MLS Cup.
“But as the season went by, you start seeing that you have the quality to maybe take it far," he said. "And now here we are.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Gauld (25) and defender Édier Ocampo (18) hold up the trophy after winning the MLS Western Conference final soccer match against San Diego FC, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
Vancouver Whitecaps' Mathias Laborda (2) celebrates with his teammates after defeating Los Angeles FC during penalty kicks in the MLS Western Conference semifinal playoff soccer match, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Whitecaps' Thomas Muller looks at the MLS Cup trophy as he arrives for a news conference Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., ahead of Saturday's of the MLS Cup soccer match against Inter Miami. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via
Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen walks past the MLS cup trophy as he leaves after a news conference Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., ahead of Saturday's of the MLS Cup soccer match against Inter Miami. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Andrei Svechnikov jammed in a puck on a six-on-four power play with 1:42 left to complete a furious four-goal comeback by the Carolina Hurricanes and force overtime at 4-4 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Teams that trail by at least four goals in a Cup Final game are 0-108. Now the Hurricanes have an opportunity in sudden death to become the first.
The Golden Knights seemed to have the game in hand after scoring four times in the second, including a natural hat trick by Mitch Marner.
But Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall and Jordan Staal scored goals for the Hurricanes to turn what appeared to be a party atmosphere into a white-knuckler for the Golden Knights. Their goals, occurring 39 seconds apart, are the fastest in a Cup Final game
Marner scored the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history, igniting a four-goal second period in for the Vegas Golden Knights, who held off a furious Carolina rally to beat the Hurricanes 4-3 lead and take a 2-1 series lead.
Marner's scoring outburst came over a 6:10 stretch of the period, and he had four points in the second. He had the secondary assist on Tomas Hertl's goal midway through the period.
The last time a player had four points in a period of the Cup final occurred in 1919 when Frank Foyston of the Seattle Metropolitans pulled off that feat.
Marner nearly added to the total in the third period, but failed to capitalize on a breakaway and a penalty shot. Those missed chances came back to bite the Golden Knights.
The Hurricanes made the comeback after changing goalies to open the third, going with Brandon Bussi, who stood tall in making all nine saves. Frederik Andersen had given up those four goals on 16 shots.
Vegas' Carter Hart has made 19 stops on 23 shots.
Vegas twice thought it took the lead early in the second period, but the Hurricanes successfully challenged both goals to keep the game scoreless.
Mark Stone's goal from the slot 36 seconds into the period was overturned when Brett Howden was determined to be offside after a video review. Another review wiped off Jack Eichel's rebound goal four minutes in when Rasmus Andersson was called for goalie interference.
It's not the first time this series went against the Golden Knights.
An unsuccessful video challenge by Vegas coach John Tortorella in Game 2 on Thursday night led to a power-play goal by Jordan Staal, whose goal helped the Hurricanes rally to win 4-3 in overtime.
The series is 1-1. Teams that take a 2-1 series lead in the final went on to win the Cup 46 of 57 times, or 80.7%.
The Golden Knights received a major boost when defenseman Brayden McNabb took the ice. He took a puck in the face in the first period Thursday night at Carolina and didn't return to the game. McNabb, who had on a cage to protect his face, is Vegas' best defensive defenseman. He was on the first defensive pair with Shea Theodore.
“I wish I could say it’s shocking, but it’s not," Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said on the ABC broadcast. "Just the way he comes to the rink every day, it’s like nothing happened. He’s one of a kind. They don’t make them like that anymore, that’s for sure.”
This series has been, if anything, unpredictable.
Each team blew two-goal leads in the first two games, with the Golden Knights rallying in the opener and Hurricanes responding with a Game 2 victory in overtime.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov, center, celebrates his goal with defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, left, and center Sebastian Aho during the third period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) celebrates his goal with right wing Seth Jarvis (24) and center Jordan Staal (11) as he steps over Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (5) during the third period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, center, celebrates his goal with center William Karlsson, left, during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, left, celebrates his goal with center Tomas Hertl during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, left, celebrates his third goal for a hat trick with center Tomas Hertl during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen, right, stops a shot by Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, left, celebrates his goal as Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker, right, skates behind during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb is seen with a cage on his helmet during the first period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Carolina Hurricanes right wing Seth Jarvis shoots the puck during the first period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights' Mark Stone (61) celebrates with Pavel Dorofeyev (16) after scoring against the Carolina Hurricanes to tie in the third period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Martinook (48), Seth Jarvis (24), Shayne Gostisbehere (4), and Logan Stankoven (22) ceelbrate after Jarvis scored the game-winning goal against against the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
