White scores his 100th MLS goal as Whitecaps beat San Diego FC 4-1

VANCOUVER — Brian White scored his 100th Major League Soccer goal, while Ryan Gauld added a goal and an assist, as the Vancouver Whitecaps beat San Diego FC 4-1 on Wednesday night to strengthen their hold on first place in the Western Conference. White has scored 98 goals for the Whitecaps across all competitions since joining Vancouver in a 2021 trade from Red Bull New York.

White called the milestone an achievement he had long wanted, but said winning the MLS Cup is foremost on his mind. The 30-year-old scored his 19th goal of the season across all competitions in the 42nd minute, redirecting a header off a shot from midfielder Oliver Larraz. It ended a five-game scoring drought. White said it was good to break the drought at home, but that the three points mattered more.

Midfielder Aleksa Cvetkovic scored his first goal as a Whitecap, and forward Bruno Caicedo also scored for Vancouver before a crowd of 21,718 at BC Place Stadium. Head coach Jesper Sorensen praised the team's aggressive, fast start and said he was pleased with its effort.

San Diego midfielder Onni Valakari scored with a header in the 83rd minute. San Diego fell to 8-13-11 and was eliminated from the playoff race by the loss. The visitors' winless streak reached 10 games, with a record of 0-5-5 over that span. The Whitecaps are 17-8-7 and lead the West with 58 points. With two regular-season games left, Vancouver gained some breathing room in the standings when FC Dallas lost 2-0 to the Columbus Crew earlier in the day, leaving Dallas four points behind.

Sorensen said he is more focused on how the team is playing heading into the playoffs than on its final position in the standings. He wants the players to compete with the right intentions, force and quality, and said what he saw on the pitch Wednesday was good. Vancouver finished second in the West last year before losing to Miami in the MLS final. White said momentum matters going into the playoffs, as does playing to the team's potential; the players want to win every game and are focusing on what they can control.

Cvetkovic joined the Whitecaps in August after three seasons in Serbia's SuperLiga. He opened the scoring in the 24th minute, directing a ball from defender Mathias Laborda into the net with his left foot. Sorensen said Cvetkovic has a great engine and can cover a lot of ground, but needs time to settle into the team's style. He added that Cvetkovic looks increasingly comfortable and that it was good to see the young player score his first goal. White said Cvetkovic had been waiting for playing time, and that his quality is evident in training. White was happy to see him score, called it a great game and said he hopes Cvetkovic carries that form into the playoffs.

Gauld headed in a ball off a shot by forward Rayan Elloumi in the 66th minute to make it 3-0. Gauld also assisted on Cvetkovic's opening goal. Caicedo scored in the 76th minute, sprinting downfield and firing a right-footed shot from the centre of the box.

Earlier in the half, Laborda made a key play near his own goal. San Diego forward Cedric Bakambu had two good chances in the 14th minute: he sprinted downfield and fired a shot that Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped, then collected the rebound and took a left-footed shot that Laborda headed away on the goal line.

This report by Jim Morris of The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2026.