Vancouver Whitecaps & Thomas Müller eye Canadian Championship four-peat | OneFootball

By Jaime Uribarri

For all their recent dominance in the Canadian Championship, Vancouver Whitecaps FC aren’t taking anything for granted ahead of Wednesday’s final against crosstown rivals Vancouver FC (10 pm ET | TSN, OneSoccer).

The three-time defending champions can make it a Voyageurs Cup four-peat in this unprecedented derby at BC Place that will feature a finalist from the Canadian Premier League for just the second time in tournament history.

“It’s a big night for us, but it’s maybe even a bigger night for Vancouver FC,” Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen told reporters on Monday. “I think it’s a great achievement they’ve reached the final.

“… It’s fair to say that they have a lot more to gain than to lose, but on the other hand, I think we have a lot to gain as well. So, I think it’s up to us to make sure that big surprise will not be in this game.”

Battle-tested

Beyond the silverware at stake, the Canadian Championship also grants an automatic berth into the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup. The Whitecaps want nothing more than to secure their spot in the continental competition, following a runner-up finish this year.

The lessons learned from that remarkable run, which ended with a 5-0 loss at LIGA MX titans Cruz Azul, will be visible when the Whitecaps take the pitch on Wednesday night.

“The approach, of course, will be maybe slightly different from the approach we had against Cruz Azul, where we were playing away and also playing up against both an opponent and also some circumstances, with playing in Mexico City and altitude stuff that we are not used to,” said Sørensen.

“Now we are more used to the pitch and to playing at home. We’ll go for it and not wait any seconds to try and be the better team in the game. We will try to do that from the beginning.”

White, Gauld in the mix?

What’s less clear is how Sørensen will deploy his starting XI for the final. Ravaged by injuries all season long, the Whitecaps may once again have to rotate players – most notably leading scorer Brian White.

The USMNT striker exited Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Seattle Sounders FC with an apparent hamstring issue, in just his second appearance since missing a month due to injury.

“Brian, I don’t have an update yet,” Sørensen said. “We have to figure out how bad it was. Didn’t seem that bad, but we have to see.”

The good news is that captain Ryan Gauld, sidelined since March with a knee injury, could make the matchday squad for the first time in over six months.

“Ryan, there’s a possibility that he’ll be able to be in the rotation, in the squad Wednesday,” said Sørensen. “We have not ruled that out.”

Müller's date with history

Fortunately for Sørensen, superstar summer signing Thomas Müller is fit and looking forward to his first final with the Whitecaps.

A win would give Müller his 35th career title, making him the most decorated German player ever. The Raumdeuter is currently level with fellow FIFA 2014 World Cup winner and former Bayern Munich teammate Toni Kroos.

“It’s maybe my 35th title. I’m not playing for titles, I’m playing for the competition, to compete for titles,” Müller said. “For sure, in the end, you want to do it to present your fans and the crowds some silverware and to have a party. But in the end, I’m not focused on making history. I’m focused on having this winning feeling.”

Like Sørensen, Müller refuses to underestimate an opponent currently last in the CPL standings and playing its first-ever tournament final.

“I feel that we’re ready for it. We are ready for it,” Müller said. “So I’m not scared or no doubts, I have no doubts that we are ready for this challenge. But it will be a challenge, 100%.”

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