A Different Perspective - A Photographers Recap of the Record Breaking Vancouver Whitecaps 2025 Season

A lifetime ago, I actually played the game. As a child growing up in Nova Scotia, there wasn't a whole lot else to do other than play sports. We played hockey in the winter, and soccer and baseball in the summer. I still have a box of medals from our local Timbits House Soccer Association (you have to be Canadian to understand this), I still have some fond memories of playing striker and midfielder, and eventually made my way onto the Varsity Soccer Team as a Freshman at Naples American High School, as a keeper.

Unfortunately my numerous ankle injuries meant that I was forced into playing less and less contact sports, and after returning to Canada, I finished my High School career as a 1st string volleyball middle, and was a part of the team that advanced from our regional tournament to play in the Provincial Championship (State Title equivalent) as a Sophomore.

While living overseas, I was often given a camera to be kept busy, or from being an annoyance to the adults (understandable honestly). I had been surrounded by the world of sports since I was a child, but I never made the jump to professional photography until recently.

As someone who understands the game, but who's also less invested in the MLS / footy culture, I know enough about the mechanics of the game to know how to shoot it, and there's a unique perspective to be brought to the table when you look back at the season that the Whitecaps began with, to how they finished.

When I joined Cascadia FC, the Whitecaps were 8-1-2, a very impressive start to the season, but at the time, nobody really imagined the Whitecaps would end the season in the MLS Cup Final. A 2-2 draw against LAFC, and a 0-0 draw against Minnesota as my first two home games covered weren't exactly high points either. Sure, not a loss, but not really putting yourself in a contending position either. Various injuries meant that players like Ryan Gauld and Ranko Veselinović weren't available to be played for most of the season. Many players had to embrace the "next man up" mentality, playing roles they may not have been in traditionally. The Whitecaps middle part of the season, while having some success, didn't really seem to have a direction, and a lot of the away games ended in draws or losses that felt underwhelming in terms of what this team was, or what the end of season expectation was going to be.

Game pace seemed to vary, and rotating pieces meant that plays felt broken or scrambled at times. The Whitecaps style of play developed into a very "swing ball" style of play; run or lob the ball up field, try to maintain possession, and swing the ball 2-3 times across the field before pushing into the corners to get a cross attempt. Cross attempts were favoured from left to right, and it felt very predictable to someone watching the same attack come up field. In this sense, it's surprising to me that opposing teams didn't, or couldn't, come up with a strategic defence plan against the Whitecaps. To the Whitecaps advantage, the surmounting injuries meant that new, unseen players would end up getting more chances than you might expect, players like Rayan Elloumi, and Jeevan Badwal saw more pitch time that you might expect; Coach Jesper optioning to have a higher rotation of strategic playing time and rest periods to maintain as healthy of a lineup as possible.

To say that the signing of Thomas Müller was a defining moment or turning point in the Whitecaps season would diminish efforts elsewhere in the lineup, but it's hard to ignore the impact, both on and off the pitch, that signing a player with the experience and expertise that Thomas Müller has. It's exponentially more apparent the impact that Thomas Müller has had not only on the team, but the city, when you consider that the Whitecaps' Canuck neighbours across the street, who typically hold the near entirety of the sports marketshare in Vancouver, are having one of the worst season franchise starts ever. The Canucks are currently plagued with injuries, trade rumours, the lack of a practice facility, and an ownership group that is so disconnected from reality, it's trickled down into the locker room, and the lack of motivation and accountability is worlds apart from the Whitecaps organization.

Thomas Müller has been repeatedly seen across the city, bringing teammates along, and spending time with the Vancouver Rise FC, attending multiple Canuck games, and showing up with a desire to win no matter the cost, filling a hole where a larger market organization is simply unable to do so. He commented about wanting to bring a winning culture to a market that had set lower standards than he was willing to accept, and certainly kept his word with his efforts both on and off pitch.

The Whitecaps continued success into the back half of the season turned into multiple sell outs, and a much larger supporting movement for the team. Even away games drew additional fans; I covered a match in Seattle, and the amount of fans, young fans at that, who were sporting Bayern Müller jerseys seemed much much higher than you would likely have expected.

On pitch, Thomas Müller's effect was felt immediately. His experience gave him credibility to his on pitch directions, often giving team mates tips, or direction on where to put the ball or position themselves to receive a ball. An on pitch extension of Jesper Sørensen, Müller's ability to direct traffic and get creative with playmaking allowed younger less experienced players to be put into position to make big plays, and have a bigger impact on the larger goal of each match; winning.

When the rumours of Ryan Gauld's return started popping up, it felt like not a matter of "if", but "when", and the serious consideration that the lineup at Jesper's disposal was beginning to look much much deeper than other teams, and a genuine playoff contending team. Winning the Cascadia Cup, as well as the Canadian Championship further added legitimacy and confidence to the team internally, and the fans externally, that this team was aware of the possibility of success, and would immediately capitalize on the additional sports marketshare they were gaining. The quiet benefit as well would be the additional valuation of the team for potential future investors, and cementing the need for a Whitecaps specific stadium and facility if this seasons success is going to be anything to build on.

Going into the playoffs, the Whitecaps were heavy favourites to go the distance, of which they nearly did. Domination of FC Dallas, and San Diego FC, with a brief hiccup of nervousness against LAFC (insane match by the way), the Whitecaps were, to no surprise, headed to the MLS Cup Finals. What could have or would have been aside, what the Whitecaps were able to do this season should be considered nothing short of impressive. Gaining massive marketshare and support, cementing Vancouver as the soccer capital of Canada, and gaining larger international footy culture support all but legitimizes what the staff at the Whitecaps are doing; creating a world class organization that is determined to win, by creating internal and external cultural importance, building a deep roster full of internally developed players ready to make immediate on pitch impacts, and making key trades and moves to keep the bench deep when the inevitable chaos comes into play. What Jesper has built with his coaching staff and what the Whitecaps front office has been able to achieve is setting a very high bar not only for Whitecaps teams to come, but for other MLS markets looking to grow themselves.

Ultimately loosing the MLS Cup Final was not how the team envisioned the end to this season. But unlike other teams in the market, there isn't a major concern that they won't have the ability to "run it back" next year and continue to build on the success of the 2025 season. With key players staying in the lineup, the future is bright for the Whitecaps.