Müller Scores A Hat-Trick, And Adds An Assist On His 36th Birthday
MLS Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Müller Scores A Hat-Trick, And Adds An Assist On His 36th Birthday

Published on September 14, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC News Release


VANCOUVER, BC - It was a historic night at BC Place, as Vancouver Whitecaps FC put in a dominant display, dismantling Philadelphia Union 7-0 in front of a third straight sell-out crowd.

Whitecaps FC started the match strong, with Thomas Müller getting an early chance inside five minutes after his first-time volley was well saved by Union 'keeper Andrew Rick. Tristan Blackmon came close to opening up the scoreline five minutes later, getting on the end of a flicked header from Mathías Laborda off a corner kick, but Blackmon's header went just wide. Daniel Ríos was millimetres away from breaking the deadlock after a slick 'Caps play, with Édier Ocampo teeing up the striker with a drilled pass across goal, but Ríos was just a fraction of a second behind the play.

After all that pressure, Whitecaps FC finally found the opener through Laborda in the 18th minute. Sebastian Berhalter whipped in a perfect cross from the corner to which Laborda leaped and thundered in the header.

The 'Caps then made it 2-0 in the 24th minute thanks to a wonderful run from Ali Ahmed. The Canadian international tore down the left side, leaving two defenders in his wake and cut it back for Emmanuel Sabbi to fire it into the roof of the net.

Whitecaps FC made it 3-0 in the 30th minute, after winning a penalty inside the box. Müller stepped up and clinically dispatched his penalty to celebrate his 36th birthday.

Philadelphia thought they pulled one back in the 40th minute, after Alejandro Bedoya squared it for Mikael Uhre, but the play was deemed offside after VAR review.

Ahmed nearly got the 'Caps a fourth just before halftime, after a scramble in the box, but his toe-poke was picked up by Rick. However, Ahmed did contribute to a fourth goal just moments later, after he was taken down in the box on yet another great run. Up stepped Müller once again to make it 4-0, and the German cooly finished his penalty for his third goal of the season.

The 'Caps went into the break with a cushioned lead and plenty of momentum.

The Blue & White kept that groove going into the second half, with Müller almost getting his hat-trick just five minutes into the second half. Some good give-and-go on the edge of the box played the German in behind. Müller tried to chip it over Rick but the Union 'keeper did well to close the shot down and put it behind for a corner.

Müller turned provider in the 61st minute, after he flicked a pass on the right for Sabbi to curl first time into the top right corner for 5-0.

Ahmed nearly made it 6-0 two minutes later, after another incredible passing play put Ocampo in behind on the right. The Colombian cut it back for Ahmed, whose first time shot went agonizingly past the far post.

Jayden Nelson came close to extending the 'Caps' lead in the 80th minute, bursting past two defenders and bearing down on goal, but his shot was well saved.

Rayan Elloumi, on his home debut, did make it 6-0 after Berhalter curled in a cross for the youngster to flick his header goalwards.

Whitecaps FC made it a record 7-0 in the 89th minute as Müller rounded out his hat-trick. Jeevan Badwal had a brilliant volley saved, but Nelson was there to pick up the rebound and cross it towards the back post. Giuseppe Bovalina got on the end of it and headed it back across goal for Müller to nod the 'Caps' seventh goal of the evening.

Whitecaps FC are right back in action this coming Tuesday, September 16 as they host Forge FC in the second leg of the TELUS Canadian Championship semifinals at BC Place. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. PT. For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.

MATCH DETAILS

Attendance: 26,031

Referee: Allen Chapman

Scoring Summary

18' - VAN - Mathías Laborda (Sebastian Berhalter)

24' - VAN - Emmanuel Sabbi (Ali Ahmed)

29' - VAN - Thomas Müller (penalty kick)

45'+1 - VAN - Thomas Müller (penalty kick)

61' - VAN - Emmanuel Sabbi (Thomas Müller, Sebastian Berhalter)

80' - VAN - Rayan Elloumi (Sebastian Berhalter, Jayden Nelson)

88' - VAN - Thomas Müller (Giuseppe Bovalina, Jayden Nelson)

Statistics

Possession: VAN 59.3% - PHI 40.7%

Shots: VAN 20 - PHI 9

Shots on Goal: VAN 12 - PHI 2

Saves: VAN 2 - PHI 5

Fouls: VAN 15 - PHI 23

Offsides: VAN 1 - PHI 1

Corners: VAN 9 - PHI 1

Cautions

8' - VAN - Thomas Müller

16' - VAN - Tristan Blackmon

68' - PHI - Milan Iloski

74' - VAN - Tate Johnson

75' - PHI - Tai Baribo

87' - PHI Jovan Lukić

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

1.Yohei Takaoka; 18.Édier Ocampo (28.Tate Johnson 68'), 12.Belal Halbouni, 33.Tristan Blackmon (27.Giuseppe Bovalina 87'), 2.Mathías Laborda; 16.Sebastian Berhalter, 20.Andrés Cubas (59.Jeevan Badwal 81'); 11.Emmanuel Sabbi, 13.Thomas Müller ©, 22.Ali Ahmed (7.Jayden Nelson 68'); 14.Daniel Ríos (75.Rayan Elloumi 68')

Substitutes not used

32.Isaac Boehmer, 6.Ralph Priso, 17.Kenji Cabrera, 26.J.C. Ngando

Philadelphia Union

76.Andrew Rick; 11.Alejandro Bedoya (27.Kai Wagner 45'+2), 5.Jack Glesnes, 26.Nathan Harriel, 39.Francis Westfield; 33.Quinn Sullivan, 4.Jovan Lukić, 8.Jesús Bueno (21.Danley Jean-Jacques 45'+2), 19.Indiana Vassilev (20.Bruno Damiani 62'); 7.Mikael Uhre (9.Tai Baribo 45'+2), 32.Milan Iloski (44.Neil Pierre 70')

Substitutes not used

31.George Marks, 6.Cavan Sullivan, 14.Jeremy Rafanello, 15.Olivier Mbaizo

- whitecapsfc.com -

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Major League Soccer Stories from September 14, 2025


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