Vancouver Whitecaps off to one of the best starts in MLS history
The Vancouver Whitecaps are leading the way atop the MLS table.
The Whitecaps are not only dominating the early part of their MLS schedule, they’re on an extremely strong pace and have the chance to make history with another positive result this weekend.
The club has won eight of its first 11 league matches and lost just one game in that time. Their 26 points through 11 games have them just one victory away from joining some of the best teams in MLS history in the record books.
Only four MLS teams have ever managed to get at least 29 points from their first 12 games. If the Whitecaps beat rivals LAFC on Sunday night at BC Place, they will become the fifth.
MLS
This feat hasn’t been achieved since 2010 when the LA Galaxy got 32 points from their first 12 games, tying the MLS record.
The Whitecaps have never finished better than third in the MLS standings, which they achieved in 2015. They haven’t cracked the top 10 in nearly a decade, last doing so in 2017, when they came eighth.
They’re in a good position to change that this season. The Whitecaps have a two-point lead atop the table and are nine points up on the 10th-place Nashville SC.
MLS
The Whitecaps’ run of good play doesn’t seem to be a fluke. They are not only dominating MLS but are also in the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, North America’s premier club competition.
They beat Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF in the semi-final to earn the right to play Mexican side Cruz Azul. The Whitecaps are the last MLS side standing in the prestigious tournament, proving they’re deserving of their standing in the table.
The Whitecaps are achieving all of this without star Ryan Gauld, who was injured on March 8. The Scottish national is a crucial part of this team, but things have been humming along perfectly fine without him, allowing the midfielder to be patient with his recovery.