The Vancouver Whitecaps returned from a two-month MLS hiatus on Wednesday night, but they did so without arguably their best player. During the Whitecaps’ chaotic 4-3 loss to FC Cincinnati, they entered the pitch without star midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. Berhalter blossomed into one of the league’s best midfielders in Vancouver after joining the team in February 2022 on a transfer from Austin FC. Last season, the 25-year-old was named to the MLS Best XI, along with being tabbed as the Whitecaps MVP. The Whitecaps acquired Berhalter for US$50,000 back in 2022, before selling him for a reported US$2 million on Thursday.