Ali Ahmed shines, Rayan Elloumi scores 1st goal as Whitecaps destroy Union - ICYMI
It was a statement performance by the Vancouver Whitecaps, who dismantled the Philadelphia Union 7-0 at BC Place on Saturday.
A battle of two teams vying for the Supporters Shield, with Philadelphia sitting atop MLS’s regular season table heading into this match, the Whitecaps, who themselves sat eight points back of the Union heading into this game, narrowed that deficit to just five points with this win (and they still hold two games in hand on the Union and all of the other four teams ahead of them).
Naturally, as he’s done since his arrival in Vancouver, Thomas Müller stole the show in this match, as he had a hat trick and an assist on his birthday to help lead his team to victory, earning MLS’s Player of the Week honours - but it was overall a strong showing from the rest of his team, too.
In particular, a pair Canadians shone in this one, as Ali Ahmed and Rayan Elloumi both played a key role in this victory.
To begin, Ahmed had a performance to remember at left wing, slotting in nicely in the Whitecaps 4-2-3-1. Making just his first start for the Whitecaps since playing against Cruz Azul in the Concacaf Champions Cup final on June 1st, having since missed time on international duty and then with an ankle injury, he showed signs of being back to his best after being eased into recent Whitecaps matches off the bench.
Granted, that wasn’t that surprising to see after the performances he put in for the CanMNT in this September international window, as he was one of Jesse Marsch’s best players against Romania and Wales in a pair of starts in that camp, even picking up his first Canada goal vs. Romania.
He picked up where he left off in this game, and that was bad news for the Union, as he laid waste to their starting right back, Alejandro Bedoya, putting the out-of-position 38-year-old into the spin cycle several times, forcing him to exit at half time.
Come for the Ahmed speed and skill. ⚡
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 14, 2025
Stay for the Sabbi flip. 🤸♂️
Vancouver out to a 2-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/4TwOdapC7w
As a result, Ahmed finished with two dribbles (per OPTA, WyScout had him at seven successful dribbles), also winning a penalty that Bedoya gave away, to go along with one assist, two chances created and two shots offensively - and he also won eight out of 14 duels, while chipping in with two tackles, three recoveries and one interception defensively. 
All of what WyScout counted as Ahmed's successful and unsuccessful dribbles from this match, showing his desire to attack the box with the ball (WyScout)
He did have a few chances he’d want back offensively, as he squandered two great opportunities inside the box that were worth 0.72 xG, but that didn’t put a damper on his overall performance, even if it serves as a reminder that he wants to be more productive in front of goal.
To be fair, when seeing that he’s now up to seven assists on the season, he’s more than made up for his lack of goals (he has just one in 2025) with his chance creation, so the Whitecaps won’t mind his shooting woes if he can continue to produce assists at a similar rate - although they’ll be excited to imagine what he can do if he can start chip in goals more regularly, too, with his recent CanMNT goal perhaps boosting him in that quest.
Otherwise, though, Ahmed wasn’t the only Canadian to watch in this game, as Rayan Elloumi had a moment to remember off the bench.
Just days after signing a homegrown contract with the Whitecaps, the 17-year-old came on and scored a great header for his first MLS goal, showing why he’s quickly risen through the Whitecaps ranks in the last few years.
Set piece perfection 😯
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 14, 2025
17-year-old Rayan Elloumi scores his first career goal for Vancouver to make it 6-0! pic.twitter.com/H7EcE45f5X
In the midst of an MLS Next Pro season where he’s scored an astonishing 10 goals and added six assists in just 1056 minutes across 17 appearances with Whitecaps FC II, that play earned him an MLS deal, and it looks like he’ll stick at this level around if this goal, which came in just his second appearance with the Whitecaps first team, is any indication. 
Elloumi's player radar from his MLS Next Pro season, compared to his other striker peers. Not bad at all for a 17-year-old (American Soccer Analysis)
He may still have some seasoning to do with Whitecaps II, but it appears that he’ll get a chance to become a first-team regular going forward, which is good news for the CanMNT, who will be keeping a close eye on the high-potential dual-national.
Certainly, CanMNT head coach Jesse Marsch will enjoy tuning into Whitecaps games if they continue to play like they did with the Union, so look for them to build off this, with the likes of Ahmed, Elloumi, Jayden Nelson, Ralph Priso, Jeevan Badwal and their other Canadians continuing to play a role in that success.
For a full round-up of Canadians playing abroad, check out Mitchell Tierney’s Form Guide
