The Vancouver Whitecaps advanced to their first-ever Western Conference final after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over LAFC at B.C. Place. The Whitecaps initially took a 2-0 lead with first-half goals from Emmanuel Sabbi and Mathias Laborda. However, LAFC staged a comeback led by mid-season arrival Son Heung-min, who scored twice—including a stoppage-time equalizer shortly after Vancouver’s Tristan Blackmon was sent off.
Despite playing with 10 men, Vancouver held on through extra time. In the ensuing shootout, Son hit the post and Marco Delgado missed, allowing Laborda to clinch a 4-3 win with the final kick. This victory continues a historic season for coach Jesper Sorensen’s squad, which features German star Thomas Muller. Vancouver will face either San Diego or Minnesota next, while the Eastern Conference semi-finals kicked off on Sunday.