Thomas Müller has been excellent for the Whitecaps this season. Photograph: Amy Elle/SPP/Shutterstock When the Vancouver Whitecaps went up for sale, the club was already bruised and bloodied. It was December 2024, and Vancouver had just limped to an eighth-place finish in the MLS Western Conference, which cost beloved coach Vanni Sartini his job. Facing the uncertainty of new ownership, the last rites were performed, the death knell was sounded and the club’s obituary was prepared.