Overview
- On Thursday Thomas Müller came off the bench in the 74th minute for the Vancouver Whitecaps in a 4-1 home win over San Diego FC, marking his first appearance since a thigh injury in early October.
- Vancouver's victory kept the team atop the Western Conference and reinforced a multi-point cushion with two regular-season games remaining, and the club has already secured a place in the MLS playoffs.
- Local reports say Ryan Gauld's goal to make it 3-0 was the Whitecaps' 67th regular-season goal and the most the club has scored in a single campaign, though that tally is reported rather than independently verified.
- The Whitecaps had shown a clear dip in form during Müller's absence, winning just one of four away matches and scoring three goals on that run, a contrast supporters pointed to as evidence of his importance.
- In the Eastern Conference Lionel Messi's Inter Miami drew 2-2 with FC Cincinnati and now faces a decisive away match at New England that will affect final seeding and potential home-field advantage in the playoffs.