The MLS Cup Playoffs will feature a blockbuster matchup on Saturday when Thomas Muller and the Vancouver Whitecaps host Son Heung-min’s LAFC at BC Place for a spot in the Conference Final
Thomas Muller (center) has scored nine goals since joining the Vancouver Whitecaps(Image: Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Having swept FC Dallas in the First Round of the MLS Cup Playoffs, Thomas Muller’s Vancouver Whitecaps will now look for revenge against Los Angeles FC in the Western Conference Semifinals on Saturday at BC Place for a spot in the Conference Finals.
And thankfully for the Canadian side, the German soccer star is confident they know the key to keeping LAFC at bay.
For the past two seasons, LAFC has ended the Whitecaps’ hopes of a franchise-first MLS Cup, with the Black and Gold beating their Canadian rivals in the First Round across three games in 2024 and sweeping them the year before.
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This will mark the first time these two sides have met in the Playoffs beyond the First Round, with LAFC having only joined the MLS in 2018, seven years after the Whitecaps.
However, this time, the Whitecaps have Muller at the heart of their attack, having scored nine goals and notched four assists in 10 games across all competitions since arriving as a free agent from Bayern Munich in the summer, helping lead Jesper Sorensen’s side to a Canadian Cup win in his debut season as head coach.
Not only will Muller take on LAFC in a strong vein of form, but he does so without any baggage from their last two Playoff exits to the side now powered by record-signing Son Heung-min, who arrived from Tottenham in the summer for $26.5 million.
“I was not in there the last years, so I have no bad memories or anything else,” the ever jovial Muller commented on Thursday. “For me, it’s just my first Conference Semi. And we’re going to beat them. And that’s what I’m thinking about this game.
“If you go into the details for sure, we know how good this team can be, but if you look back at the last couple of weeks, they are very reliant on [Denis] Bouanga and Son. So if they’re not scoring, they don’t score.
“So, it’s very tough to keep these two very quiet during the game. But, if we get it done, then we have a good chance.”
Like Muller, Son has been a revelation since moving to the MLS and taking on the Designated Player roster spot previously occupied by Olivier Giroud, who largely struggled to adapt to the league.
The South Korean international has scored 10 goals and added four assists in 12 games across all competitions, while Bouanga has 13 goals and four assists since Son made his debut in a 2-2 draw against the Chicago Fire in August.
Keeping tabs on both Son and Bouanga will be no mean feat, but thankfully for the Whitecaps, their 38 goals allowed during the regular season were the fewest in the Western Conference, while they only conceded one in regulation during their two First Round games against Dallas.
Despite the high stakes and the knowledge that they’re going up against a player of Son’s caliber, Muller remained cool, calm, and collected, saying he was simply “looking forward to it.”
Son Heung-min (left) and Denis Bouanga (right) have been electric since joining up at LAFC(Image: Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
“At the moment I’m really calm and I hope it’s a memorable match,” he said. “At the moment, it’s just a matchup. Maybe it’s a boring game. Maybe a low-key result. I don’t know. So we don’t know yet. But it seems to be a great matchup.
“For us, it’s just a game against a really good opponent. And I’m looking forward to meeting our crowds and interacting with them. And if we win this game and if we get to the next round, it means a lot for us, and that’s what we are working for.”
Whichever side emerges from BC Place will take on either newcomers San Diego FC or Minnesota United for a spot in the MLS Cup.
