Thomas Müller marked his 36th birthday with a hat trick, while 17-year-old Seymour Reid became the youngest player in Vancouver Whitecaps history to score in a regular-season match, as the Whitecaps thrashed the Philadelphia Union 7-0 on Saturday to secure a playoff berth.
With the victory, Vancouver (15-6-7) became only the seventh team in MLS history to win a regular-season game by a seven-goal margin, setting a new club record. Philadelphia (17-7-6), who entered the match atop the league standings, were stunned by four first-half goals—the first time in club history the Whitecaps scored four before halftime.
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In just his third MLS appearance, Müller converted two first-half penalties and added a second-half header. He also provided his first MLS assist, setting up Emmanuel Sabbi for a goal from the top of the box. Sabbi scored twice in total, while Mathias Laborda and Rayan Elloumi also found the net.
Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka made two saves to record his MLS-leading 12th clean sheet of the season. Vancouver played without star forward Brian White, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury. Müller joined the Whitecaps last month after 17 successful seasons with Bayern Munich.
Source: Agency