"We don't need to adjust a lot": Jesper Sørensen preaches patience as Whitecaps get set to tackle crucial stretch of MLS play

After a disastrous Leagues Cup campaign, the Vancouver Whitecaps are looking to hit the reset button as they turn their attention back to MLS play. 

With an away Cascadia Cup matchup against the Seattle Sounders on the docket this Sunday, no better way for the Whitecaps to recapture the form they had earlier in the season, when they were among the best teams in MLS. 

They still remain one of the best teams in MLS, make no mistake, but after going winless in seven straight games across all competitions, winning just one of the eight games they’ve played since returning from the World Cup, questions are being asked about their form and what has caused it. 

Is this just a normal midseason slump, one that can happen to any team? The Whitecaps had a similar stretch in June and July of 2025, but that ended up being a small blip on an otherwise very successful season. 

Or is this a sign of the challenge that these Whitecaps face going forward, as they adapt to a world without star midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who was recently sold to EFL Championship side Middlesbrough? 

𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲. 💙

Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter has been transferred to English Championship side Middlesbrough FC.
For every moment, every memory, and for everything you gave to this city, thank you, Seba. We wish you the best in this next… pic.twitter.com/8tDEltcMrd

— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) July 28, 2026

Given that this Whitecaps team has found a way to overcome some other key departures over the last year and a bit, such as Pedro Vite last summer and Ali Ahmed this past offseason, it’s hard to say that Berhalter’s departure is the sole reason for the slump. Yes, it’s easy to point out that Berhalter might have single-handedly become the most important player to Jesper Sørensen’s system over the past 18 months, but to say that discounts what Sørensen’s system has done, which is to maximize the strengths of his players, no matter who is available.  

Just because it maximized Berhalter in the way that it did doesn’t mean that no one else will be able to hit that same level now that he’s gone, even if he leaves a gaping hole behind. 

What it does mean, though, is that the Whitecaps are going to have to be creative in replacing him, which is where Sørensen’s going to have to flex his managing chops. 

This is nothing new to him - since his arrival, he’s proven to be flexible in his tactics even if very consistent in his game model, and no better example of that than the way he adjusted this team to welcome in Thomas Müller when the German superstar arrived in a surprise signing last summer. 

Thanks to some key adjustments made by Sørensen, Müller has fit in rather seamlessly, which is a credit to the manager, even if Müller’s flexible nature as a player also made things easier than they typically might’ve been when it came to fitting in a star of his calibre. 

Now, though, Sørensen will have to repeat the same trick in the wake of Berhalter’s departure, finding a way to both lean on some internal and external replacements. 

The good news? He has options.

Internally, Jeevan Badwal has been touted as a potential candidate to fill Berhalter's shoes long-term, and since his departure, he has started to see more time in midfield after playing more as a winger and a #10 earlier in the season. Given that he’s scored two goals and added one assist since the World Cup break, that could be a sign that he’ll be soon ready to replace some of the output that Berhalter, who had seven goals and four assists in 2026, is leaving behind. 

Then, of course, there is Ryan Gauld, who is finally back after a string of knee injuries ruled him out of most of 2025 and 2026. That he has scored two goals since his return and is finally starting games again (even when he returned for part of the 2025 season, his role never expanded past playing as a supersub), shows that he can be counted on in a big way in the second half of the season.

(Fitting that he’s mentioned here because the way that Sørensen has adjusted to life without Gauld, who was the Whitecaps' most important player before his arrival, is another example of Sørensen’s flexibility as a coach). 

Just between Badwal and Gauld, the Whitecaps should hopefully be able to replace some of Berhalter’s output, given Badwal’s improved attacking numbers and Gauld’s reputation as someone who would regularly contribute double-digit goals and assists before his injury - and it doesn’t hurt that both are hard workers who can also help fill some of what Berhalter did defensively. 

And that’s just two internal options. 

Externally, the Whitecaps have already brought in one new name, as they signed Serbian midfielder Aleksa Cvetković this week, bringing in the 21-year-old as a U22 initiative player. A player known for his work rate, he produced decent attacking numbers in the Serbian league, profiling as a rawer, less polished version of Berhalter. 

From Serbia to Canada 🇷🇸🔥
Welcome to Vancouver, Aleksa 🤝

We have acquired 21-year-old Serbian box-to-box midfielder Aleksa Cvetković via transfer from OFK Beograd on a U22 Initiative contract through the 2029-30 season.

📰 | https://t.co/A2SzPn7Zix#VWFC pic.twitter.com/avFCUB35v3

— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) August 12, 2026

Given Sørensen’s reputation as a coach who develops players, he’s an intriguing option to keep an eye on, because while he might not seem ready to slot in right away, you could see him slowly becoming an option as he eases into action. 

And, more help could be on the way, as the Whitecaps look to be on the verge of signing young Canadian Premier League standout Emrick Fotsing, although it remains to be seen whether he'd immediately join the Whitecaps once his transfer is complete, or if he'd stick with Vancouver FC on a loan. 

REACTION: Emrick Fotsing to Vancouver Whitecaps ✍️

Why a move to #VWFC makes a whole lot of sense for this Vancouver FC & CanMNT 🇨🇦 U-20 star, who already has 39 pro #CPLsoccer appearances to his name at just 18 years old 💪 pic.twitter.com/SXcPIcooQU

— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 12, 2026

Once again, though, it all ties into Sørensen, who will continue to search for answers when it comes to finding the spark that this team had earlier this year. Whether that’s tweaking his lineup to find a way to get the most out of Müller and Gauld, who haven’t played much together since the former’s arrival, or pushing to develop youngsters like Badwal and now Cvetković, Sørensen will be busy over the next few months. 

Plus, for the most part, the club remains in a good position, all things considered. Their early exit from the Concacaf Champions Cup continues to sting months later, especially given that it came at the hands of rivals Seattle Sounders, and you have to say their Leagues Cup elimination was bittersweet, as most would’ve hoped the Whitecaps could’ve earned more than the one point they got (which was the lowest among MLS teams) despite the rotation they did for those games. 

Yet, given that they are still first in the Western Conference standings, third in the Supporters’ Shield race (six points behind first with a game in hand), and into the semi-finals of the Canadian Championship, they still have a lot to play for. 

If they can defend the Canadian Championship for a fifth straight year, which is a bare minimum accomplishment, push as far as they can for the Shield, and then go and try to exact revenge on their defeat to Inter Miami in the 2025 MLS Cup final when the playoffs start, this recent stretch will be quickly forgotten. 

Of course, it’s a sign of their improved standards that a stretch like this has attracted the concern and criticism that it has, which is more than valid, but that doesn’t mean that the Whitecaps should forget the big picture. 

And when looking at the big picture, things still look good, especially if they can go and take care of business against the Sounders. Given that they can win the Cascadia Cup for the third time in four years with a win or draw, that would be a good way to get some momentum going - after all, it can’t be forgotten that in MLS play, the Whitecaps have lost just three times at the halfway point of their regular season campaign. 

In a sense, though, it’s fitting that this Seattle game officially kicks off the second half of their regular season campaign - it’s another good reminder that for all of the frustrations of this recent slump, the Whitecaps truly still have a lot to play for. 

At the end of the day, more time on the pitch will only help them work through their struggles and to find the best version of themselves once again, one that has looked like one of, if not the best, teams in MLS since the start of 2025. 

That team didn’t disappear overnight, so even if they take a few games to get back to that level as they adjust to life without Berhalter, they’ll feel they know what it takes to return to their top form for the rest of the campaign and beyond. 

“Right now, when we make mistakes, we are punished very hard, and that's sometimes the way it is in this game,” Sørensen said recently. “Of course, we can always say that we should not make them, but we will continue making mistakes, not on purpose, but because that's just what happens in this game, so we'll have to see how we can adjust small things. But in the greater picture, we don't need to adjust a lot.”