VANCOUVER — Brian White scored twice as the Vancouver Whitecaps earned a dominant 6-0 home win over Minnesota United FC on Sunday afternoon.
White became the first Whitecaps player to log 100-goal contributions across all competitions in the Major League Soccer era. Sebastian Berhalter, Mathias Laborda, Emmanuel Sabbi and Cheikh Sabaly also scored for Vancouver (4-0).
Yohei Takaoka earned his third shutout of the year in MLS competition with a diving save off a Minnesota free kick in the dying minutes of regulation time.
The Loons fell to 1-2-1 in MLS play this year.
The ‘Caps return to form was welcomed by their supporters after the squad dropped a 3-0 decision to the Seattle Sounders in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 play at B.C. Place on Thursday. They’ll need another big outing if they hope to advance in the second leg Wednesday in Spokane, Wash.
On Sunday, the Whitecaps built a four-goal first-half lead for just the second time in their MLS era.
Berhalter started things off in eighth minute, confidently converting from the penalty spot in the eighth minute after Minnesota’s Kyle Duncan fouled Vancouver’s Jeevan Badwal in the box.
Sabbi set up the second goal in the 13th minute, chasing down a ball at the goal line and threading a perfect pass into the box for White, who connected for his fourth of the year.
In the 22nd minute, Laborda beat Loons keeper Drake Callender down low to give the Whitecaps a 3-0 lead with his first of the year.
Minnesota didn’t get its first good scoring chance until late in the first half, when Nectarios Triantis hammered the ball off the left goalpost.
The Whitecaps made it 4-0 just before halftime, when Berhalter fed a streaking Sabbi for his first of the season.
Minnesota’s Jefferson Diaz was shown a yellow card after a hard collision with Jackson in first-half stoppage time. The Whitecaps’ Andres Cubas also received a yellow card in the 64th minute.
In the second half, White added his second of the game on a penalty in the 54th minute and Sabaly bounced a shot off Loon defender Morris Duggan and into the net in the 74th minute for his first MLS tally.
Berhalter received a warm ovation when he was subbed off in the 65th minute with a goal and two assists for the day.
Less than three months before Vancouver hosts its first 2026 FIFA World Cup match June 13, Sunday’s game carried the anticipation of some historic World Cup flavour. For the first time ever in MLS competition,two Golden Boot winners took to the field in the same match.
After signing with Minnesota in February, Colombia’s 2014 Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez made his MLS debut Sunday. He squared off against 2010 winner Thomas Muller of Vancouver.
The pair were also teammates in Germany earlier in their careers, earning a pair of Bundesliga titles during their two seasons together with Bayern Munich.
Both international legends started Sunday’s match on the bench. James came in for the Loons in the 64th minute and Muller joined him 13 minutes later.
NOTES: Sebastian Schonlau made his Whitecaps debut when he subbed into the game in the 65th minute … The Whitecaps drew 23,885 for their first-ever Cherry Blossom match, celebrating a long-standing spring tradition in Vancouver. Sunday marked the team’s 10th-straight weekend game with more than 22,000 fans in attendance, a streak that dates back to last summer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2026.
Carol Schram, The Canadian Press
