Alphonso Davies knew that Sunday afternoon's home finale at BC Place would be his last match in a Vancouver Whitecaps jersey.
With the Whitecaps eliminated from playoff contention prior to Decision Day, and with Davies departing Vancouver for the next phase of his career at Bayern Munich, the Whitecaps knew the match would be a tribute even before the opening whistle. They even created a hashtag, #FarewellPhonzie, to help fans acknowledge the 17-year-old on social media. Davies even returned the love before the game:
What the team didn't know, however, was that Davies would fully own the moment once the whistle blew, scoring a brace within three minutes in the middle of the first half, leading his team to a 2-1 win over their Portland Timbers rivals to close out the season.
Davies' first goal, coming in the 28th minute, saw him weave through the Portland defense and fire a shot from outside the box, despite three Timbers players locking in on the threat he was presenting. The second goal, in the 31st minute, was less adventuresome and more opportunistic, with Davies pouncing on a ball that Timbers defender Bill Tuiloma set rolling free in front of goal for a definitive finish. With the brace, Davies got to the eight-goal mark on the season to add to his 11 assists (tied with Yorda Reyna for the team lead).
The Whitecaps' team account declared the match a "storybook ending" for Davies:
Other reactions from fans and league observers made it clear Davies will be missed:
