FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – It’s been a long and laborious road for Vancouver Whitecaps FC to reach MLS Cup 2025 presented by Audi on Saturday against Inter Miami CF (2:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV; FOX, FOX Deportes; TSN, RDS).
But if there’s anyone well-equipped enough to navigate a strenuous path like that, it’s Sebastian Berhalter. He’s used to the challenge.
“I think we’ve been ready for this the whole season," the 24-year-old said Thursday. "The pressure it comes with, it’s a privilege and it’s fun and I think the guys are going to lean into it and enjoy it.
“Home team, away team, I don’t think it matters."
Long road
Since the beginning of his professional soccer journey, the Whitecaps star has had to forge his own path. The son of current Chicago Fire FC head coach and former USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter, the young midfielder’s name bears added weight and pressure in the United States soccer world.
His first two years as a pro proved difficult, as he was unable to hold down a spot with the Columbus Crew, where he’d spent his academy days, or later on loan to Austin FC. The stress and struggle became so taxing that Berhalter faced the prospect of quitting the sport altogether.
Fast forward to early December 2025, and Berhalter is in a position that perhaps even he would not believe.
“I think it’s just been a steady build on every year of my career," he said. “I don’t think it’s ever came all at once. I think I had to work hard to get where I’m at.
"So for me, it’s just been a steady continuation of what I’ve been doing each year, and now it’s nice to see taking the next step.”
Always learning
After nearly leaving the game, Berhalter refused to hang up his boots, instead pulling his career from the ashes to embark on a spectacular revival.
His head coach, Jesper Sørensen, is certainly grateful that Berhalter, now in his fourth season with the Whitecaps, continued on his journey.
“When you have a player who's so committed to his football, to his career, and to his development as a player, and so committed to his team and his teammates, then of course, you hope always the best for a player like that," said the Danish manager.
“I think the steps he's been taking throughout this season, I think it's the steps he's been working so hard for. He puts in the work every day, and I think Sebastian – it’s really easy for him to pick up advice. He wants to get all the information he can get, and he also wants so badly to develop.”
Breakout year
Not only has Berhalter emerged as a crucial part of Vancouver’s historic season, but he's secured MLS Best XI and MLS All-Star honors. Still, he won’t let this meteoric rise distract him from the ultimate goal of lifting the club’s first-ever Philip F. Anschutz Trophy.
“It’s been a good year, but nine months ago, we’re sitting there with the buddies in preseason saying, ‘our goal is to win MLS Cup.’ So, that’s what we want to do here,” Berhalter stated.
That excellent play caught more than just the eye of MLS fans, coaches and pundits. In May 2025, ahead of the Concacaf Gold Cup, Berhalter was called in to the USMNT for the first time in his career.
As he did with the Whitecaps, Berhalter grabbed his USMNT opportunity and didn't give it back. He started five of six matches at the Gold Cup and contributed two assists, including a stunning free kick to help open the scoring in the tournament final.
His set-piece brilliance, passing ability and tenacious spirit have helped separate him from head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s other midfield options as he battles for a coveted place on the USMNT’s 2026 FIFA World Cup roster.
“I think that he's got the confidence also now that he can play at a level, for instance, for the US men’s national team, where he's done very well," Sørensen added. “Last time, he scored a beautiful goal and put his mark on the game. I think sometimes it's just small things that will be able to take you to the next level, give you the confidence that you can play there, and I think Sebastian's brought that in.
“… I also hope that he will be included in the US World Cup squad, but we have to figure out that's not my call. But I think he's definitely done well, and I also think that he can take his talent and his career even further.”
Miami rematch
Now in Saturday’s MLS Cup, Berhalter will face off against an Inter Miami squad he knows well. It’s the matchup where, to many, he first broke through on a national level. In their Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal clashes earlier this year, Berhalter stood out amongst a litany of stars, scoring a goal in each leg as the ‘Caps cruised to a 5-1 aggregate victory.
“Those two games give us confidence that we can go out there and do a good job, compete and work hard and get the job done," he said. "Two good games just gives us the belief, the fact that we can go out and do it.”
But Berhalter knows as well as anyone that the past is the past.
After a whirlwind 2025, Berhalter is set for what's likely the biggest game of his young career. But if his path to reach this moment means anything, he’ll be ready for the challenge.
“They [Miami] are a little bit of a different team now than they were however many months ago," said Berhalter. "For us, again, it shows that the hard work and intensity is going to be our starting point. With those two things, I think there’s no reason why we can’t go out there and do what we do.
“We showed that, if we have every single guy coming in and working 100%, we’re going to be alright."
