The Vancouver Whitecaps have secured their first-ever spot in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final by triumphing over San Diego FC with a 3-1 victory in the Western Conference final on Saturday night. Brian White scored twice, while San Diego’s goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega also contributed a goal before receiving a red card in the 79th minute for a rough tackle on Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Gauld.
Next, Vancouver will face Inter Miami CF, led by Lionel Messi, the winner of the Eastern Conference final, in Florida on December 6 for the chance to claim the MLS Cup title. Inter Miami clinched the Eastern Conference title by defeating New York City FC 5-1 earlier on the same day, marking the first appearance in the final for both clubs.
In the game against San Diego, White scored the opening goal in the eighth minute with assists from Andrés Cubas and Ali Ahmed. The Whitecaps extended their lead to 2-0 shortly after, as Manu Duah’s attempt to clear a shot from Ahmed inadvertently led to an own goal by Sisniega. White then secured a three-goal advantage just before halftime with another goal assisted by Cubas and Ahmed.
San Diego managed to pull one back through Hirving Lozano in the 60th minute, reducing the deficit to 3-1 with an assist from Jeppe Tverskov. Despite their efforts, San Diego was forced to play with a man down following Sisniega’s red card in the 79th minute.
The match saw Takaoka making three saves for the Whitecaps, while Sisniega saved four shots for San Diego. The enthusiastic Whitecaps fans gathered at B.C. Place in Vancouver to witness their team’s historic journey to the MLS Cup Western final.
The Whitecaps, finishing second in the Western Conference with an 18-7-9 record, overcame FC Dallas and Los Angeles FC before their showdown with San Diego. Notably, Vancouver had previously defeated Miami 3-1 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal in April.