THOMAS Muller was on the scoresheet as the Vancouver Whitecaps delivered a commanding 4-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday.
The former Germany international found the net with a 57th-minute strike from the edge of the penalty area.
Muller has now scored six goals in seven appearances across all competitions since joining the Whitecaps.
This latest win moved Vancouver level on 60 points with San Diego at the top of the Western Conference.
Vancouver has played one fewer game than San Diego and can clinch the conference by winning their two remaining fixtures.
Rayan Elloumi opened the scoring for the Whitecaps with a well-crafted goal in the 39th minute.
Muller then doubled Vancouver’s advantage with his second-half effort.
Sebastian Berhalter added two spectacular long-range strikes in the 74th and 92nd minutes to complete the rout.
Beau Leroux managed a late consolation goal for San Jose in the 89th minute.
The result also confirmed postseason berths for both Austin FC and the Portland Timbers.
In another match, Los Angeles FC secured their fifth consecutive victory with a 1-0 win over Atlanta United.
Denis Bouanga scored the decisive goal in the 86th minute for his 24th of the season.
Bouanga now shares the league’s scoring lead with Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi.
LAFC sit fourth in the Western Conference, just four points off the pace with games in hand. – AFP