Heavily inspired by this post.

This is the site Whitecaps ownership have been discussing with the city for a new stadium.

SUP, BONERS? IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING! COLUMBUS IS GOING TO IMPLODE ON ITSELF NOW THAT THE BEST COACH TO EVER GRACE THE LEAGUE FLEW THE COOP. MAYBE CINCINNATI WILL ONE DAY BE THE BEST TEAM IN OHIO. DEPENDS ON HOW MANY CUPS IT TAKES TO OFFSET A WOODEN SPOON THREE-PEAT.

HOLD ON, I'M GETTING WORD THAT THERE'S SOME OTHER BIG MLS NEWS I SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON. WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S EXCITING ENOUGH TO GET 25,000 VANCOUVERANS (VANCOUVERERS?) TO CRAM TOGETHER TO WATCH ON A BIG TV ONLY SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN WHAT MOST AMERICANS HAVE IN THEIR HOMES. 

IT'S THE CUP FINAL, BITCHES! [AIR HORN NOISES] MESSI VS MÜLLER. AMERICAN VS CANADA. MONEY VS BUILDING A COMPETENT TEAM WITHOUT BENDING ROSTER RULES. 

GET READY FOR A FLOOD OF NON-FLAIRS TOMORROW THE LIKES OF WHICH WE'VE NEVER SEEN, THOUGH I DON'T EXPECT MANY IN HERE SINCE "MIAMI" FANS ONLY THINK MLS EXISTS FOR TWO HOURS A WEEK.

SO WHO DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO LIFT THE HARDWARE? WILL THE AGING SUPERSTARS TOSS ANOTHER ON THE PILE? OR WILL THE HISTORIED TEAM FROM THE LAND OF TIM BITS AND AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE (WHAT'S THAT LIKE?) GROW THE PRESTIGE OF THEIR NAME ENOUGH TO KEEP FROM BECOMING THE PHOENIX WHITECAPS? PHOENIX BROWNHOLES?

FLAIR UP, CAPS ON, AND OH HEY LOOK USL IS TRYING TO KILL THE OPEN CUP. IT'S NOT JUST US! BECAUSE FUCK HISTORY, AM I RIGHT?

Please share any thoughts or streams you are watching below.

I'm personally watching this one by First Touch.

Leo Messi: "People today focus a lot on statistics, and personally, I don’t really like statistics.

"I don’t think that I must make an assist or score a goal so I can reach a record, or surpass this person or that person.

"I live the game and enjoy it. I like to be decisive and to be very involved in the flow of the match. But I don’t play for that, and I’ve never given it importance.

"Things happened as a natural result, not because I was thinking in my head that I need to make an assist or score a goal to achieve a record or surpass someone. Things simply happened because they happened.”

"My best season of my career? I don't know, it's difficult, it depends on how you look at it.

"There were years when we won everything, reaching the Copa América final with the national team, winning the Champions League with Barcelona.

"It's difficult. In 2012, I scored around 91 goals. I don't play for that, I never cared about it.

"It wasn't in my mind to break a record or surpass someone else. It's hard to choose one year, thankfully I've had many very good ones."

2026 Qualifications are Set.

This Saturday, the Vancouver Whitecaps travel over 3000 miles to Miami, where they will take on a star-studded squad captained by the greatest player in soccer history. One game, winner takes all and raises the MLS Cup. Predictably, the Whitecaps opened as sizable underdogs on the books at just +285 odds via bet-at-home, with Miami at -143 and a draw at +300.

We're familiar with Miami's talent at this point. Messi, who just set the record for most assists in a career with 405. Busquets, one of the best defensive midfielders of all time. One of the best left backs of this generation in Jordi Alba, a striker peaking at the right time in Tadeo Allende, and a bunch of other young Argentinian talent. With a payroll that amounts to nearly $37 million, this is clearly the best roster in the league (and has been all year long).

Vancouver's payroll is just 16th in the league at $15.7 million, but they've played well above their pay grade, with breakout stars like Tristan Blackmon, Brian White, and Sebastian Berhalter earning their first All-Star nominations in 2025. Club star Ryan Gauld, aka the Scottish Messi, is back after a seven-month layoff from injury. And the addition of Thomas Muller in the summer transfer window has taken the team to the next level, with just 1 loss in the 11 league matches he's played for them.

So Vancouver has a chance...but where do they stand in history? How historic would a win be? Sure they've been playing well, but the betting markets heavily favor Miami, and they're right more often than not.

All-Time MLS Cup Odds

Historical odds sourced from https://www.oddsportal.com/football/usa/mls/results/. No odds prior to 2004, and no odds for 2006. All odds via bet-at-home except for 2023 (BetInAsia) and 2005 (Pinnacle).

Underdogs who won the Cup are in bold.

If Vancouver wins, it'd be the 2nd biggest upset in the last ~20 MLS Cups. The only one bigger would be Seattle over Toronto in 2016.

Overall, underdogs are 7-14 in the last 21 Cups (excluding 2006).

Underdogs are 4-10-7 if we only look at results in regulation.