VANCOUVER — Reaching the 100-goal plateau is an achievement Brian White is proud of, but the Vancouver Whitecaps striker has higher peaks he wants to reach. White scored his 100th Major League Soccer goal while Ryan Gauld added a goal and an assist as the Whitecaps defeated San Diego FC 4-1 Wednesday night to strengthen their hold on first place in the Western Conference. “It’s a nice achievement, something I’ve always wanted and had my eyes on, if I’m being honest,” said White, who has 98 goals as a Whitecap across all competitions since joining Vancouver in a 2021 trade from Red Bull New York. “These things are nice, but we want to win the MLS Cup. I want to win the MLS Cup. That’s first and foremost on my mind.” White collected his 19th goal of the season across all competitions when he directed in a header off a shot from midfielder Oliver Larraz in the 42nd minute. It ended a five-game scoring drought. “It’s always good to break a little bit of a dry spell, especially at home,” said the 30-year-old. “But more important are the three points.” Midfielder Aleksa Cvetkovic, with 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 liked the effort his team showed. “We were aggressive and played fast,” said Sorensen. “I think the team was on the front foot from the start. We played optimistic and I was happy with that.” Midfielder Onni Valakari scored on a header in the 83rd minute for San Diego (8-13-11), who were eliminated from the playoff race by the loss. The visitors had their winless streak stretched to 10 games (0-5-5). The Whitecaps (17-8-7) lead the Western Conference with 58 points. With two regular-season games left, Vancouver gained some breathing room in the standings when earlier in the day FC Dallas lost 2-0 to the Columbus Crew to drop four points behind the Whitecaps. Sorensen said he’s more focused on how his team is playing heading into the playoffs than where they finish in the standings. “I just have a good feeling about how we played,” he said. “It’s more important we play with the right intensions, the right force and quality. “Today what I saw on the pitch was good to see.” Vancouver finished second in the West last year and went on to lose to Maimi in the MLS final. White said momentum is important heading into the playoffs, but so is the team playing to its potential. “Every time we go on the field we want to win the game,” he said. “For us, it’s focusing on what we can do.” Cvetkovic, who joined the Whitecaps in August after three seasons in the Serbian SuperLiga, opened the scoring in the 24th minute. Defender Mathias Laborda sent a ball into the centre of the box that Cvetkovic directed into net with his left foot. Sorensen likes what Cvetkovic has shown in his short time with the team. “Aleksa has a great engine,” Sorensen said. “He’s a guy who can cover a lot of distance on the pitch. He needs to settle into the way we play. “He looks more and more comfortable. It’s always great to see a young man come in and score his first goal.” White has also been impressed with Cvetkovic. “He’s been a guy who’s (been) waiting for his time to get some minutes,” said White. “He a guy that we see in training every day, the quality he has. “I’m happy for him to get on the scoresheet. I thought he played a great game and hopefully that continues into the playoffs.” Gauld gave Vancouver a 3-0 lead in the 66th minute, heading in a ball shot by forward Rayan Elloumi. He also earned an assist on Cvetkovic’s opening goal. Caicedo scored in the 76th minute, sprinting down the field and firing a right-footed shot from the centre of the box. Earlier in the half, Laborda made a big play around his own net. San Diego forward Cedric Bakambu had two good chances in the 14th minute. He sprinted down the field and fired a shot that Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped. Bakambu collected the rebound and took a left-footed shot that Laborda headed away on the goal line. This report by Jim Morris, The Canadian Press, was first published Oct. 28, 2026.
