MLS Cup loss motivates Vancouver Whitecaps as new season begins

By Canadian Press on January 15, 2026.

VANCOUVER — Falling short last year left the Vancouver Whitecaps hungry.

Six weeks after dropping a 3-1 decision to Inter Miami in the MLS Cup final, the team is eager to push for a different outcome this season.

“I think when you’ve been so close to really achieving something great and just missed it, it leaves a sour taste in your mouth,” striker Brian White said Thursday. “And I think that’s definitely a more motivating factor than it has ever been, for sure.”

The Whitecaps staged a fairytale campaign last year under rookie head coach Jesper Sorensen.

The Dane crafted a system where his players utilized speed and creativity to dominate possession and poke holes in the opponent’s defence.

Vancouver pushed its way to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final, toppling big-name clubs like Miami before getting trounced by LIGA MX side Cruz Azul in the final.

The ‘Caps fared better in the Canadian Championship, hoisting the Voyageurs Cup for the fourth year in a row.

In Major League Soccer play, the club hovered near the top of the Western Conference standings all season and finished second with a 18-7-9 record — the team’s best showing in the MLS era.

After ousting FC Dallas, San Diego FC and Los Angeles FC from the playoffs, the Whitecaps fell to Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the championship game.

“I think you just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and go again. It’s the only thing we can do,” White said.

“Nothing that we achieved last year means anything this season. So we know that we’re starting from the bottom. And I think it’s exciting that we have so many opportunities to achieve even higher highs than last year.”

Many of Vancouver’s critical pieces remain in play.

German soccer legend Thomas Muller is set to play his first full MLS season after signing with the Whitecaps in mid-August. The 36-year-old midfielder registered nine goals and three assists over 13 games for the club last year, including seven goals and three assists in seven regular-season bouts.

Despite trade rumours, MLS defender of the year Tristan Blackmon is back with the ‘Caps and was spotted at the team’s facility on Monday.

Whitecaps sporting director and chief executive officer Axel Schuster confirmed that the club did get an offer for the 29-year-old centre back from Miami, but said Vancouver did not negotiate because they want to keep Blackmon in the fold.

“We have a really, really good group together. So, obviously, the ideal scenario is to try to keep this group together as much as you can and to go for another try and maybe go for two more tries,” Schuster said.

“As long as the contractual situation and the chemistry in this group is the right one to compete, we’ll go for it again. At the same time, you need always a little bit of changes, you need a little bit of fresh energy, you need a little bit of competition in the team, so we will do this.”

The Whitecaps added free-agent midfielder Oliver Larraz on Thursday, signing the former Colorado Rapid to a contract through the condensed 2027 season.

The 24-year-old American comes to Vancouver following five years with Colorado where he made 87 appearances, amassing three goals and four assists.

Schuster said the ‘Caps will make “three or four” more signings before the season begins, but stressed he expects the roster to look similar to the one that finished last season.

“We believe that we are not done with this group,” he said.

Over the brief off-season, Vancouver extended Yohei Takaoka, a finalist for last year’s MLS goalkeeper of the year award, and dealt pair of Canadian midfielders.

Jayden Nelson was traded to Austin FC where Schuster expects he’ll get more playing time and can make a push for Canada’s World Cup squad.

Ali Ahmed was transferred to Norwich City of the English Championship after expressing a desire to play in Europe.

The ‘Caps will also get some key pieces back from injury, including defenders Ranko Veselinovic and Sam Adekugbe, and captain Ryan Gauld, who missed the majority of last season with a bone bruise in his knee.

The 30-year-old Scottish midfielder returned late in the year but played limited minutes. He expects to be able to play a full game again by the time the 2026 campaign begins.

A new father, Gauld spent his off-season with his family and adjusted his training to accommodate his continued healing.

“I just took some time off the knee, just done a lot of work in the gym that didn’t involve running, and just tried to build everything back up and get it in a strong and stable place,” he said.

The fact that Vancouver’s core group has been together for several years is “huge” as the team pushes for another long season, Gauld added.

“I think when you’ve got a core group of players that have been here and we know each other well, we know each other’s game, it definitely helps,” he said.

“And the fact that we’ve been able to kind of build relationships as well off the pitch, it definitely transfers when you step on the pitch. So it’s been good to have that kind of core spine of the group here for a while. And hopefully we can add some trophies, too.”

The Whitecaps are set to leave for training camp in Marbella, Spain, on Friday and will play their first game of 2026 on Feb. 18 when they visit Costa Rican side C.S. Cartaginés to kick off their CONCACAF Champions Cup run.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2026.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press