Behind Enemy Lines: Scouting Vancouver Whitecaps 🔎

Decision Day is upon us here this weekend as FC Dallas heads to Canada to wrap up the 2025 season against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The two sides squared off back in March in Frisco, with the Caps coming away with a 1-0 win.

Let’s dive into the Caps to see what kind of team we should expect in the Decision Day finale.

Key Player: Thomas Muller

I was a bit hesitant to think that Muller would do this well in MLS, but Vancouver has proven to best the perfect landing spot for him in this league. Since arriving, he's scored six goals and added three assists in league play.

Key Matchup: Andres Cubas vs Patrickson Delgado

I still believe that Cubas may be one of, if not the best defensive midfielder in MLS right now. The way he commands the midfield is a big reason why Vancouver has had the season that they're enjoying. Delgado has struggled against some players like this in 2025, but if he can find some space to open up the attack for Anderson Julio or even a Sam Sarver, it could go a long way in helping Dallas get into the playoffs.

Availability Report1:

Suspended: none
Out: Sam Adekugbe (Achilles), Tristan Blackmon (knee), Sebastian Schonlau (Achilles), Ranko Veselinović (knee), Brian White (hamstring), Adrían Zendejas (illness)
Questionable: Joedrick Pupe (hamstring)
On Loan: none
International duty: none

Quick Notes:

All-time at home vs Dallas: The Caps are 7-3-6 in all-time meetings at home against FC Dallas, including a scoreless draw last year.

Recent form: Aside from winning another Canadian Championship recently, the Whitecaps are one of the hottest teams in MLS right now, with a 5-0-3 record in their last eight matches.

Where they're at in the standings: Currently, the Whitecaps sit atop the Western Conference. A win or a draw on Saturday will clinch the top seed in the conference. Should they lose to Dallas, they'll need San Diego FC to lose their finale at Portland to secure the top spot.

Comparing the two clubs: It really shouldn't be a shock to see how the Whitecaps are so much better in attacking and defending areas this season than FC Dallas. This game could really come down to whether or not FC Dallas can catch a break on a counter attack.

Potential Lineup:

After dealing with international duty last weekend, Vancouver should have a pretty stacked roster to go into Decision Day.

Takaoka, Ocampo, Laborda, Halbouni, Johnson; Cubas, Berhalter; Badwal, Muller, Sabbi; Rios

Keys To Three Points over Vancouver

1. Hold the line defensively: Vancouver is insanely good at home this season, scoring 17 goals in their last five home games. With Ramiro out, both Bernard Kamungo and Shaq Moore will need to be sure to cover back a bit more with Lalas Abubakar and Sebastien Ibeagha starting in the middle next to Osaze Urhoghide. I also think we will need to see Kaick be a bit cleaner with the way he defends in the midfield, too. There is no need to give this Whitecaps team easy chances off set pieces.
2. Don't play timid: One of the best things Eric Quill has gotten out of his club in the last two months has been treating every game as a final. It helped them go eight games without a loss before last weekend's game in LA. They'll need a similar mindset this weekend in Vancouver to not play too tight or timid, with the playoffs on the line.
3. Pick your moments: With a game like this, there will be moments for FC Dallas to get forward with their speed along the wings. We saw last weekend in LA, that with the right counterattack and movement, Dallas can get forward and do some damage in the transition game. The key here will also be finishing those few moments that the Whitecaps give them.

1 Note: MLS has a injury report deadline that doesn’t hit until the day before each game. Our scouting reports will include last week's report and will be fully updated the day before with our injury report for FC Dallas.