VANCOUVER 鈥� The Vancouver Whitecaps continue to prove doubters wrong as the Major League Soccer season winds on.
The 'Caps battled visiting Minnesota United to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday, extending the club's unbeaten streak to 15 games (7-0-8) across all competitions.
鈥淚t shows that we鈥檙e a strong team, especially in this league," defender Tristan Blackmon said of the stretch. "What we鈥檝e been able to do this far is really impressive, I think. What鈥檚 even more impressive is that we have a lot of things we can work on and get better at.鈥�
Before the season began, several analysts predicted a lacklustre showing from Vancouver, with many forecasting the squad would miss the playoffs.
After Wednesday's draw, the Whitecaps (9-1-5) remain atop the Western Conference standings and sit a single point back of the Philadelphia Union for the league's No. 1 spot.
The 'Caps are also set to play one of the biggest games in club history on Sunday when they face LIGA MX side Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final in Mexico City.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy we are here now and I鈥檓 happy we鈥檙e in the state we are in," Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen said of the looming matchup. 鈥淣ow we can focus on the game in Mexico on Sunday. We have not been talking much about that game. We can do that now. But everybody knows that it鈥檚 been there.
"It is a special game. And if it鈥檚 not a special game, special games don鈥檛 exist. We are looking forward. And we think we鈥檙e ready for it.鈥�
With a packed schedule to start the season, the team has been focusing on whichever game was up next, Blackmon said, but Sunday's final has long played at the back of everyone's mind.
鈥淲e want to win," he said. "Even right now, after the game, we wish we would have won this game. But the message is we have a big game this weekend and now we have all focus toward that game and we want to go out there and come back with the trophy.鈥�
Vancouver was the dominant side from the outset on Wednesday, but couldn't get a ball past Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. The Canadian national team member stopped two shots for the Loons (7-3-6) en route to his eighth clean sheet of the season.
Fellow Canadian Jayden Nelson gave St. Clair his toughest test of the night in the 80th minute, blasting a right-footed shot from the centre of the box that the 'keeper had to dive to turn away.
鈥淲e lacked maybe the last touch in final moments. 鈥� That鈥檚 just sometimes how it is," Sorensen said. "I think also Minnesota defended well and did everything they could to get behind the ball with all their players. And that鈥檚 also a thing that you have to try and handle.鈥�
The home side dominated 56.5 per cent of possession across the game, held a 21-4 advantage in shots and had seven corner kicks through the match.
鈥淚 think it was not a spectacular game, I would say. But we couldn鈥檛 break the deadlock," Sorensen said. "And then you have to be pleased as a coach that they didn鈥檛 create anything.鈥�
At the other end of the field, Vancouver's Yohei Takaoka made one save for his seventh shutout of the campaign.
Minnesota nearly headed into halftime with an advantage after Bongokuhle Hlongwane picked up a loose ball in the 45th minute and fired a shot over the Vancouver net.
Defending has been a strength for the 'Caps this season, with the team allowing one or fewer goals in 17 of the 24 games it has played across all competitions.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e more of a collective this year than years past. I think we鈥檙e working together as a unit," Blackmon said. "We have specific roles that we work on every week in training and are part of our principles. I think everyone鈥檚 taken that job on really well so far and it shows in big moments, how well we defend as a group.鈥�
The Whitecaps will return to MLS action on June 8 when they host a regional rival, the Seattle Sounders.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
