Latest news with #JesperSorensen
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
German great Mueller signs with MLS Whitecaps
Bayern Munich and Germany forward Thomas Mueller has signed with Major League Soccer's Vancouver Whitecaps, the Canadian club announced on Wednesday. The 35-year-old has signed through the end of the 2025 MLS season with an option for 2026, Vancouver said. Mueller announced earlier this year that he would be departing from Bayern Munich - his home for 25 years. His tenure included 13 Bundesliga titles and two Champions League triumphs. "I'm looking forward to coming to Vancouver to help this team win a championship," Mueller said in a statement. "I've heard great things about the city, but first and foremost I'm coming to win. "I've had great conversations with Axel Schuster and Jesper Sorensen, and now I can't wait to play in front of the supporters and to see all of the fans come out to BC Place as we head towards the playoffs." Mueller arrives at a Whitecaps team currently second in the Western Conference, one point behind leaders San Diego but with one match in hand. "He not only brings a winning pedigree and exceptional football intelligence, but also a tireless work ethic that will elevate the entire team," Whitecaps chief executive Schuster said in a statement. "Thomas is a natural leader whose passion for the game is infectious. This is a statement signing by our club and our ownership -- a transformative moment for our club and our city. We are proud to welcome Thomas to Vancouver." Restricted mainly to a substitute's role in the 2024-25 campaign, Mueller made 49 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals. He retired from international duty in 2024, having won the World Cup with Germany in 2014. He finished his international career with 131 caps, scoring 45 goals. There had been brief speculation that he would land with Los Angeles FC, but the Whitecaps announcement came on the same day that LAFC were expected to confirm the signing of South Korean star Son Heung-min. rg/bb/ea
CTV News
25-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Vancouver Whitecaps juggle lineup ahead of battle with Sporting Kansas City
Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, right, collects the ball with Colorado Rapids midfielder Cole Bassett in pursuit in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, July 12, 2025, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) VANCOUVER — Another major injury is forcing the Vancouver Whitecaps to once again rotate their lineup as the club tries to climb back atop the standings. The 'Caps (12-5-6) announced Tuesday that stalwart centre back Ranko Veselinovic will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. 'It's, of course, horrible for Ranko. I feel, we all feel, with him and for him, because getting an ACL rupture is very bad,' said Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen. 'Ranko is doing OK. But of course, we have to figure out what to do without him, because he's been also a key part of the season so far.' The injury means Sorensen will field a different defensive corps when Vancouver hosts Sporting Kansas City (6-11-6) on Saturday. The 'Caps head into the game sitting second in Major League Soccer's Western Conference standings, just one point behind San Diego FC — a club they battled to a 1-1 draw last week. Lineup changes have become routine for Vancouver's first-year bench boss as the Whitecaps weather a string of long-term injuries. Attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld has been sidelined with a knee injury since March 8. Canadian defender Sam Adekugbe saw his season cut short when he tore his Achilles tendon playing for the national team last month, and midfielder Ali Ahmed has been sidelined since spraining his ankle while playing for Canada. Several of Vancouver's players have also missed league games while competing for their national squads. A deep player pool has helped fill the holes, Sorensen said. 'We have players who know what to do when they step on the pitch,' he said. 'And I think that's the most important thing, that we work with them in the daily work, and give them the best options to do well when they play on the pitch by having teammates around them in a good structure who can help out.' Four crucial pieces are expected to return to the 'Caps lineup for Saturday's game after representing the club at MLS all-star festivities in Austin this week. Striker Brian White, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, defender Tristan Blackmon and goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka all returned to training with their teammates on Thursday. Getting back into the swing of team play can be a challenge, White said. 'I think it's a bit difficult. Obviously, you go from playing games a lot with guys you're familiar with to really not playing a whole lot, to come back, and then you find that rhythm again,' he said. 'I think it takes a little bit of time, but it's not like learning how to ride a bike again, you know? You try to pick up where you left off.' The Whitecaps sent a league-high four players to the all-star game, and the players had an impact, with White scoring to lift the MLS all stars to a win over their Liga MX compatriots. Takaoka also hit the crossbar in a skills competition to secure an MLS win. There's a high standard at an all-star event, Blackmon said, and the players all want to bring that mindset back to Vancouver — starting with a strong outing against SKC on Saturday. 'Obviously, you're playing with, arguably, the best in the league this year so far. So you try to come back and show that you have that quality,' he said. 'We had four guys there, that was incredible. But how can we all come back here and try to help as much as possible, keep that same level and increase it going into this final stretch?' SPORTING KANSAS CITY (6-11-6) AT VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (12-5-6) Saturday, B.C. Place HISTORY BOOKS: Sporting holds a 12-8-5 edge in all-time matchups between the two clubs, but the 'Caps won both meetings last season by a 2-1 margin. HOME SWEET HOME: The Whitecaps have played their last five league games on the road and will close out the regular-season campaign with seven of their next 11 matchups at B.C. Place. The team is 6-2-2 on home turf this year. FULL SLATE: Saturday will mark Vancouver's 35th game this year across all competitions, including league play, the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the Canadian Championship. The MLS regular-season campaign consists of 34 matchups. This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press, was first published July 25, 2025.
Canada Standard
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Canada Standard
Whitecaps, Rapids seek to end slumps
(Photo credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images) The Vancouver Whitecaps and Colorado Rapids will set out to reverse some recent poor form in MLS play when they meet Saturday night in Commerce City, Colo. The Whitecaps (11-4-5, 38 points) have dropped three of their last four games to lose their grip on the top spot in the Western Conference to San Diego FC. But Vancouver coach Jesper Sorensen is well aware of the toll a busy, largely successful season has taken on his club. After reaching the CONCACAF Champions Cup final on June 1, Vancouver spent most of the month without leading scorer Brian White and wingers Jayden Nelson and Sebastian Berhalter, who were all on international duty. That trio was back for Wednesday's 2-1 win over Valour FC in the Canadian Championship quarterfinals and should be available on Saturday. Playmaker Ryan Gauld remains out with a knee issue. 'I think that we'll be picking up again,' Sorensen said after that win. 'Right now, we've also been relying a lot on a lot of the same players performing, and it's normal that it's not just a straight line, that it's up and down in the season, and we'll pick up again.' Meanwhile, the Rapids (7-10-5, 26 points) have lost five of their last seven games in the league to slide out of the playoff places after a promising start. Most recently, Colorado fell 3-0 Wednesday at Los Angeles FC -- a match in which Jackson Travis was issued a red card for violent conduct in the sixth minute and Denis Bouanga put the hosts in front by halftime from the penalty spot. The Rapids have scored multiple goals only twice in their last 13 MLS games while going scoreless in five. Djordje Mihailovic has eight goals and Rafael Navarro seven, but the rest of the squad has only nine combined. 'The main thing for us is that we have to understand that there's going to be no easy games, and this is a huge opportunity for us, at home, against a good team,' Rapids coach Chris Armas said during a Thursday interview with Denver's Altitude Sports Radio. 'But we're a good team, and we welcome the challenge. We've got to focus on the controllables. ... You can't look externally for solutions.' --Field Level Media
Canada News.Net
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
Whitecaps, Rapids seek to end slumps
(Photo credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images) The Vancouver Whitecaps and Colorado Rapids will set out to reverse some recent poor form in MLS play when they meet Saturday night in Commerce City, Colo. The Whitecaps (11-4-5, 38 points) have dropped three of their last four games to lose their grip on the top spot in the Western Conference to San Diego FC. But Vancouver coach Jesper Sorensen is well aware of the toll a busy, largely successful season has taken on his club. After reaching the CONCACAF Champions Cup final on June 1, Vancouver spent most of the month without leading scorer Brian White and wingers Jayden Nelson and Sebastian Berhalter, who were all on international duty. That trio was back for Wednesday's 2-1 win over Valour FC in the Canadian Championship quarterfinals and should be available on Saturday. Playmaker Ryan Gauld remains out with a knee issue. 'I think that we'll be picking up again,' Sorensen said after that win. 'Right now, we've also been relying a lot on a lot of the same players performing, and it's normal that it's not just a straight line, that it's up and down in the season, and we'll pick up again.' Meanwhile, the Rapids (7-10-5, 26 points) have lost five of their last seven games in the league to slide out of the playoff places after a promising start. Most recently, Colorado fell 3-0 Wednesday at Los Angeles FC -- a match in which Jackson Travis was issued a red card for violent conduct in the sixth minute and Denis Bouanga put the hosts in front by halftime from the penalty spot. The Rapids have scored multiple goals only twice in their last 13 MLS games while going scoreless in five. Djordje Mihailovic has eight goals and Rafael Navarro seven, but the rest of the squad has only nine combined. 'The main thing for us is that we have to understand that there's going to be no easy games, and this is a huge opportunity for us, at home, against a good team,' Rapids coach Chris Armas said during a Thursday interview with Denver's Altitude Sports Radio. 'But we're a good team, and we welcome the challenge. We've got to focus on the controllables. ... You can't look externally for solutions.'
CTV News
28-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Vancouver Whitecaps look to snap two-game skid against Los Angeles FC
Vancouver Whitecaps' Tate Johnson, front, is upended by Los Angeles FC's David Martinez during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press) VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps are in unfamiliar territory — looking to snap a losing skid. A 5-3 defeat to expansion side San Diego FC on Wednesday marked Vancouver's second loss in a row. It's the first time this season the team has dropped back-to-back games. The result saw the Whitecaps (10-3-5) slip to the No. 2 spot in Major League Soccer's Western Conference. They'll strive to reclaim first place Sunday when they visit Los Angeles FC (7-4-5). Even after a pair of losses, there's no panic among the 'Caps, said head coach Jesper Sorensen. 'It's about believing in what we should be good at and what we should be doing well,' he said. 'We're in a very good position. We've earned our position. So we earned the right to step aside a couple of times. But we, of course, have to get back into winning things as well. But it's a difficult position.' There are lessons to be taken from Wednesday's loss, he added, including that the team needs to play with courage and without hesitation. 'Of course we got punished pretty hard,' the coach said. 'That's what it is. But also that we shouldn't wait to start taking initiative — we should take it right away.' LAFC is a team Vancouver knows well — Sunday's matchup will mark the 14th time the two sides have clashed since April 2023. The last bout came May 11 at B.C. Place, where the 'Caps fell behind early before rallying to earn a 2-2 draw. The Whitecaps need to play with more intensity to collect all three points this time out, said defender Mathias Laborda. 'We have to step forward and do a good game,' he said. With elite players — including striker Denis Bouanga — on the roster, L.A. presents a number of offensive threats, Laborda added. 'They're a really good team. They have really good players with quality. So we expect a really good game,' he said. L.A. is coming off a tough run at the FIFA Club World Cup where they finished at the bottom of their group with two losses and a draw, but is unbeaten in the club's last nine MLS games (4-5-0). The club is one of the better teams Vancouver has faced this season, Sorensen said, and Sunday's contest will be a difficult one. 'We know that they have some players we have to give special attention to. We know they have some things in their play that they're very good at and we have to take care of,' the coach said. 'But we also know we're a pretty good team ourselves and we have to also believe and trust in what we are doing. And then believe that that's how we're going to win the game.' VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (10-3-5) AT LAFC (7-4-5) Sunday, BMO Stadium GOODBYE GIROUD: Olivier Giroud is set to play his final game for LAFC on Sunday. The club announced Friday that is has 'mutually parted ways' with the famed French striker. Giroud signed with L.A. in May 2024, but has struggled in MLS, putting up five goals in 37 games across all competitions. HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE?: LAFC has been solid at BMO Stadium this year, posting a 6-1-1 record in MLS play. The Whitecaps have been one of the league's best road teams, though, and are 4-1-3 away from B.C. Place. LOCKED DOWN: Despite giving up five goals on Wednesday, Vancouver has conceded the fewest goals in the Western Conference (19) and is tied with San Diego for the best goal differential (+15) in the West. This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith of The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
