Thomas Müller signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps because he wanted to pursue the championships.
He and the ‘CAPS obtained another title on Wednesday, demolishing Vancouver FC 4-2 to win the Canadian championship for the fourth consecutive year.
“It is very good to have this winning feeling, confirm that we are capable, not gain trophies, but to maintain in difficult times,” said Müller. “I know that perhaps the Canadian championship, we now won four years in a row. And you also play against teams that are in the low leagues. But, you still have to finish the work.”
It was a historical victory for the WhiteCaps, who play in Major League Soccer, marking the first time in the modern era of the tournament that a team has raised the Voyageurs Cup four years in a row.
Founded in 2008, the Canadian championship presented only three teams until 2011, when FC Edmonton joined. The format expanded in 2019 with the incorporation of six teams of the Canadian Premier League, and this year’s iteration includes 15 teams in six leagues.
“It seems that every year improves,” said Whitecaps midfielder Ali Ahmed. “We are excited. We are happy.”
Ahmed was named the most valuable player in the tournament after scoring twice in Wednesday’s final. Müller had a goal and assistance to Vancouver, and Ryan Gauld, playing his first game in almost seven months, the scoreboard completed.
Thierno Bah and Nicolas Mezquida had a goal and assistance to the CPL Vancouver FC side.
The WhiteCaps were dominant from the beginning and controlled 74 percent of the possession throughout the game. The team surpassed Vancouver FC 20-4 visitor, with a 7-2 advantage in shots in the target.
VFC’s interim coach Martin Nash was proud of his team’s effort.
“The boys never surrendered,” he said. “We pressed them at times. We had a couple of ball losses in which we were close to having a good counter. So there are many good times. We can keep our heads up. A better team beat us in the day.”
Ahmed opened the scoring five minutes, collecting a Müller ball, and dripping from the top of the penalty area. The Canadian midfielder launched an sharp angle shot in the lower right corner of the network.
The local team doubled its advantage less than five minutes later after Kunle Dada-Like of VFC was called to take Ahmed at the top of the six-yard box.
The referee Drew Fischer quickly hastened in the place, and Müller stepped forward to take the kick. The German football legend sent a shot with the right foot in the post to give the ‘CAPs a 2-0 advantage.
The strike scored the 300 goal of Müller’s historic race. He also won the 35th trophy of his career, breaking a tie with Toni Kroos for the most decorated German player of all time.
“Today I feel more to win the Canadian championship and not my personal trophies collection,” said Bayern Munich’s former star on the achievement. “It is a good number, but in the end, it is the feeling with the children, with the crowds, what I am looking for and what is pleasant to me.”
Vancouver FC went up to the board in the 35th minute after Mezquida, a former Whitecaps midfielder, sent a pass to Bah, and the defender flew through the field with a getaway.
Whitecaps goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer, went well from his line to challenge, but Bah gave him a chance, sending the ball rolling to the open network and reducing the VFC deficit to 2-1.
The ‘CAPS recovered their two -goal cushion minutes later.
The midfielder Sebastian Berhalter floated a ball towards the goal, and VFC goalkeeper Callum Irving hit the shot. The ball went to the six -yard box, where Ahmed hit her for her second goal of the game.
“Happy to help my team somehow,” said Ahmed. “Marking goals is fun, but winning is better. And I only try to help the team, and that is what we did.”
The cheers sounded around BC Place in the 79th minute when WhiteCaps Captain Gauld arrived in Müller.
It was the action of the first game of the attacker midfielder since March 8 when he suffered a knee injury in a MLS game against CF Montreal.
Four minutes later, the crowd got up once again when Gauld, parked at the top of the area, sent a shot with the right foot that bounced at the bottom of the network.
“It was good to hear that recognition when I arrived, and then adding an objective to that was also really pleasant,” Gauld said. “But the most important thing is the work that these boys have put throughout the season. And it is good to have a trophy show for that. And I hope there are more trophies in the future.”
VFC responded in the 85th minute when Bah sent the ball to Mezquida, and took a shot in Boehmer passing to seal the score in 4-2.
“We can talk about many things, which we should win a game like this against Vancouver FC and, of course, we were great favorites,” said WhitecaPs chief coach, Jesper Sorensen, about victory. “But it’s never easy.
“No matter how much you talk about that, you have to do it. I think it was great that the boys could do it.”
