VANCOUVER — There’s no such thing as a meaningless game for the Vancouver Whitecaps. While the team has already clinched a post-season berth, captain Ryan Gauld said the team still has lots to play for as Major League Soccer’s regular season winds to an end. “We want to finish the season as strong as we can, and we do that by winning games,” he said after the ‘Caps thumped their regional rivals the Seattle Sounders 5-1 on Sunday. “Obviously, it was nice to have the first seed kind of wrapped up before today, but we still wanted to win today. We want to win next week. So, there’s not too much thought going into playoffs. We’ll focus on (next week’s) game and get ready for it.” The ‘Caps (18-8-7) clinched the No. 1 spot in the MLS Western Conference on Saturday thanks to the out-of-town scoreboard. The squad will begin their playoff run at home against a yet-to-be-determined opponent on Nov. 22. Vancouver wants to collect every available point in order to bolster its chances of keeping home-field advantage all the way through the MLS Cup final, said head coach Jesper Sorensen. The club played in last season’s title game away to Inter Miami, ultimately falling 3-1 and watching Lionel Messi’s side hoist the trophy. “We want to win the MLS Cup. We were close last year, and now we have the chance again,” Sorensen said. ”It’s going to be extremely difficult and hard because of the format — you cannot allow yourself any mistakes. But having played games like we’ve done this week, I think definitely gives you confidence heading into the playoffs.” The Sounders (11-12-10) are still fighting for a playoff berth and finished Sunday in ninth spot, setting up a potential play-in game with the eighth-place Colorado Rapids. Yet it was the ‘Caps who came into Sunday’s contest with fire, seizing control of the game early. Bruno Caicedo collected a ball from Gauld and chipped a cross to Brian White near the back post. The American striker headed it into the top corner of the Seattle net just 57 seconds in, lifting the announced crowd of 32,111 from their seats. Edier Ocampo set up the second tally of the game eight minutes later, fighting off contact outside the penalty area and sending a ball into Gauld. The Scottish midfielder ticked a quick left-footed shot off from just above the six-yard box, putting it up and in over Sounders keeper Andrew Thomas to give the home team a 2-0 lead. “It’s obviously great to get a start like that to come out,” Gauld said. ”We always try and make a point of coming out strong in games and starting well, and you can’t do it much better than what we’ve done today. So it put us in a good position. “And then I think Seattle kind of settled into the game a bit better and controlled the ball a little bit better than us. So there’s still plenty to work on. But the fast start definitely set us up.” Seattle maintained possession through large swaths of the first half but struggled to create scoring chances. Dejan Joveljic got a prime opportunity in the 22nd minute when Vancouver midfielder Aleksa Cvetkovic gave the ball away at the top of the penalty area. Joveljic picked it up and took a shot, only to see Vancouver netminder Yohei Takaoka calmly dive and turn the blast away. Gauld helped boost Vancouver’s lead before the half, lobbing a cross into Mathias Laborda. Stationed at the side of the six-yard box, the centre back headed it down and in to put the ‘Caps up 3-0. Seattle made four changes at halftime in a bid to sway the game’s trajectory, but saw little change on the field. In the 53rd minute, Caicedo steamed toward the goal line with the ball at his foot before dishing off to White at the top of the six-yard box. The sniper sent a left-footed shot in past Thomas for his 20th tally in MLS play this year and his 100th goal in a Vancouver jersey. He’s the first player in Vancouver’s MLS era to score 100 goals across all competitions. White came into the week without a goal in his last five games. He snapped the skid on Wednesday, scoring in Vancouver’s 4-1 victory over San Diego FC, then added to his account on Sunday. “He’s not fragile mentally,” Sorensen said of his star forward. ”We know that we all can miss, and that’s just how it works sometimes. And now he’s scored three in the last two games, and we are happy. And he should be happy as well, right?” The Sounders got on the board in the 69th minute when Jordan Morris took a pass from Albert Rusnak, dashed up the field and blasted a right-footed shot in past Takaoka from the top of the penalty area to make it 4-1. Vancouver wasn’t done yet, though. Cvetkovic restored the home side’s four-goal lead in the 69th minute, stretching his left leg out to send a shot off Thomas’ outstretched fingertips. Now, with another win on the season, the Whitecaps are looking ahead to next week, when they’ll close out the regular-season campaign on the road against CF Montreal. A weeklong international break follows before Vancouver begins its playoff run. The group doesn’t need to change anything heading into the post-season, Gauld said. “I think it’s important that you carry the momentum into the playoffs,” he said. “And I don’t think you know chopping and changing too many things in your own habits and the way that we do things is the right way to go about it. So it’s just carrying on doing the same things.” UP NEXT Sounders: Host Los Angeles FC on Saturday. Whitecaps: Close out the regular season on the road against CF Montreal on Saturday. This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press, was first published Nov. 1, 2026.
