Muller scores hat-trick as Whitecaps clinch a playoff spot with win over Union

Thomas Muller scored a hat trick on his 36th birthday, Rayan Elloumi became the youngest player in Vancouver history to score a regular-season goal at 17 years, 193 days, and the Whitecaps beat the Philadelphia Union 7-0 on Saturday night to clinch a playoff spot.

Vancouver (15-6-7) became the seventh team in MLS history to win a regular-season game by seven goals. The seven goals were also a club record.

Philadelphia (17-7-6) came into the game sitting atop the league standings.

The Whitecaps scored four first-half goals for the first time in their MLS history.

Müller, playing in his third MLS game, converted a pair of first-half penalty kicks and scored on a header late in the second half. He added his first MLS assist midway through the second half on a pass to Emmanuel Sabbi at the top of the penalty area.

Sabbi scored twice for the Whitecaps, who secured a postseason berth for the third year in a row. Mathias Laborda also scored.

Yohei Takaoka stopped two shots to record his MLS-leading 12th clean sheet of the season.

Vancouver played without star striker Brian White, who is recovering from a hamstring injury.

Müller signed with the Whitecaps last month following 17 storied seasons with Bayern Munich.

Sounders, Miami set for rematch: The last time the Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami faced each other, things got ugly.

A postgame scuffle in the Leagues Cup championship match Aug. 31 led to sanctions on both teams from both the tournament and Major League Soccer, most notably a three-game MLS suspension for Inter Miami superstar Luis Suarez.

The teams are bracing for what is now a very anticipated rematch Tuesday night in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which could have major ramifications on each team’s MLS playoff seeding.

Seattle pulled away from Miami in the second half that night at home to win 3-0 and secure its first Leagues Cup title. Suarez was suspended for spitting on a member of the Sounders’ staff and will be serving the second match of his league sanction Tuesday.

The Sounders (12-7-9, 45 points) returned to MLS action Saturday night with a 2-2 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Seattle sits in fourth place in the Western Conference and is trying to solidify a top-four spot in order to earn home-field advantage in the first round.

Agencies