Two late goals lift Whitecaps to 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Timbers

Vancouver Whitecaps' Sebastian Berhalter (16) celebrates his goal against the Portland Timbers with Thomas Muller (13) during the second half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, on Saturday, April 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

The Vancouver Whitecaps believe in one another, and the team proved Saturday why exactly that unwavering faith is warranted.

After falling behind 2-1 just moments before halftime, the ‘Caps rallied with a pair of stoppage-time goals for a 3-2 victory over their regional rivals, the Portland Timbers.

“It doesn’t matter the score, we can always get the three points,” said midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who put away the game-winning strike in the 95th minute. “It’s a testament to the culture, I guess, that we’ve built ... that everyone still believes and no one panics.

“And it’s our identity, it’s who we want to be. We want to be people that, even if we’re winning 3-0, want to get the fourth. If we’re down 2-1, we want to get the 3-2.”

The Whitecaps improved to 5-1-0 on the season while the Timbers fell to 1-4-1. Portland has not won a game since Feb. 21 when the Columbus Crew 3-2 to open the season.

Vancouver controlled 61.1 per cent of possession across the game and outshot Portland 22-9, with a 9-4 edge in on-target shots.

It took the home side until nearly the final whistle to seal the win.

“You can never draw up a game. You can hope for something and prepare something, but you know, this game is so unpredictable,” said Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen.

“For a neutral (fan), I think it was very entertaining. For our fans, I think they left the building very happy. And they should, because it was. I think we played a very good game in general.”

The ‘Caps got off to a solid start, with Edier Ocampo scoring six minutes in.

Vancouver ‘keeper Yohei Takaoka sent a long kick up the field and his Portland counterpart James Pantemis came up outside of the penalty area to challenge. Ocampo collected the ball before Pantemis could get to it and took a couple of strides before rolling a low shot in to give the home side an early 1-0 lead.

The Whitecaps controlled play through much of the first half, but the visitors pushed late in the frame and capitalized on their chances.

Juan Mosquera levelled the score at 1-1 in the 37th minute, sending a rocket of a shot soaring into the top corner of the net off a corner kick.

He then helped out on David Da Costa’s tally in first-half injury time. Vancouver defender Mattias Laborda blocked a cross but couldn’t clear the ball and Mosquera was there to pick it up and get it off to Da Costa, who sent a sharp-angle shot in from the side of the six-yard box to give the Timbers a 2-1 lead.

The Whitecaps didn’t take advantage of their chances during the first half, Sorensen said.

In the locker room at the break, the coach said he told his team to stay focused and not panic.

“Just keep believing. We need one moment to equalize and then we needed to push for the rest of the game. And today we managed,” he told reporters. ”But there was no need to panic. It would have been worse if we had played a very bad first half. Then we would have needed to change a lot. But there was no need for this.”

Vancouver pressed in the second half, hemming the Timbers in their own end and creating several chances that Portland blocked or quickly headed out of harm’s way.

A corner kick in the 89th minute proved fateful for the ‘Caps.

Berhalter swung the ball in and Ocampo drilled a shot into a defender at the top of the penalty area, who was called for a handball. Referee Joe Dickerson signalled for a penalty kick.

Thomas Muller stepped up to take the shot in the first minute of injury time, stutter stepped, then fired a left-footed shot in past Pantemis for his third goal of the season.

Four minutes later, Berhalter chipped a left-footed shot off from the top of the penalty area, sailing the ball in to give Vancouver a late 3-2 lead with his fourth goal of the season.

“I knew I needed to get in the box. I just got fortunate it fell to me, and then once it fell to me, I knew I was going to score,” said the American midfielder. “So it’s a good effort by the whole team. Honestly, I just looked at it — that was the 91st and 95th minute. And to score two goals in stoppage time shows a lot.”

Even after collecting an important victory, the Whitecaps have work to do, Takaoka cautioned.

“It’s a massive win for us, and we showed our mentality,” said the ‘keeper.

“We never give up until the end. It’s a massive win, but we have to look back at the end of the first half, we’ve conceded two games in a row. We have to be solid and we can’t allow a goal in the end of the first half. So I think we should be better, but it’s a great win.”

NOTES

Saturday marked the second meeting between the two clubs this season. The ‘Caps beat the Timbers 4-1 in Portland on March 7. Striker Bruno Caicedo made his Whitecaps debut, coming on for Cheikh Sabaly in the 71st minute. An announced crowd of 25,465 took in the game at B.C. Place.

UP NEXT

Timbers: Host Los Angeles FC on Saturday, April 11.

Whitecaps: Host New York City FC on Saturday, April 11.

This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press, was first published April 4, 2026.