Once again, the Vancouver Whitecaps were playing the biggest game of their MLS era. And once again, it was a night to remember.
It was going to be tough in the second leg of this CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-final tie. Inter Miami were going all out. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets all starting once again. The four of them have made comebacks in cup competitions before and were determined to reach another final together.
But the team that was supposedly the best in MLS was denied by a team that wore blue and white from Vancouver. No, Vancouver is not a village but it did take a village for this famous victory to happen. Heading into the tie, many were predicting it would be close. But a 5-1 aggregate win (3-1 in leg two) happened and it is sending shockwaves throughout the soccer world.
The Whitecaps came to Miami and conquered. Dare to dream Whitecaps fans, your team is in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.
First half: Poor start but slowly got settled in
It was a less-than-ideal start. Heading into the game, the first goal was going to be crucial. But it took just 10 minutes for Inter Miami to awaken from their slumber.
There was some really passive defending by the Whitecaps. Space cannot be given to Jordi Alba or any other Inter Miami player. Plus, there were some turnovers in the opening minutes and Miami were collecting them like Mario collects mushrooms. Yohei Takaoka also could’ve handled the ball better. The tie was on and Inter Miami were not going down quietly into the night.
Luckily, the Whitecaps woke up, too. But Emmanuel Sabbi ended up hitting the post and Brian White and Pedro Vite had their shots easily handled by Oscar Ustari.
Vancouver started to get settled into the game with their press. Like leg one, the transitions were the key. Pedro Vite and Ali Ahmed’s overlapping runs were creating havoc for Inter Miami.
But the giveaways were hurting Vancouver and Messi and his band of brothers were always willing to pounce. However, Edier Ocampo, Tate Johnson, Ranko Veselinovic and Tristan Blackmon were doing well to prevent Inter Miami’s attackers from shooting. Andres Cubas and Messi were battling it out like Anakin and Obi-Wan on Mustafar.
It was a nervy and physical half and it could’ve been worse. But it could’ve been better as well. They needed to finish ’em.
Second half: Whitecaps punch their ticket to the final
The Whitecaps needed to come out guns blazing and they did.
First, it was White. Sebastian Berhalter found the MLS player of the month for April in a pocket of space and White did what he does best.
Two minutes later, Ahmed used his pace to get around Maxmilliano Falcon and Berhalter teed it up for Vite. The Ecuadorian international fooled Ustari with a cheeky lob. Inter Miami and their fans were stunned. The fans in attendance were probably thinking: “I’m not here, this isn’t happening.”
For Whitecaps fans, they were drinking it all in.
But it wasn’t over until the fat lady sung. Inter Miami still looked dangerous. Suarez started showing shades of his younger self. However, he was missing close chances and had a good one blocked by Ocampo. Messi too was desperate to salvage Inter Miami’s chances.
Berhalter continued his great run of form with a goal himself. This was a well-taken one-time shot. In the two legs against Inter Miami, he was scoring, assisting, making tackles and winning the ball back.
They should’ve played Nearer My God to Thee inside Chase Stadium because Inter Miami’s Champions Cup chances sank faster than the Titanic.
Despite Inter Miami’s pushing, they had no answer. Drink it in folks, the Whitecaps are off to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.
Stat of the match
Berhalter had two goals and an assist. Unfortunately, he will miss the final due to picking up yellow cards in both legs.
Here is a bonus stat that will certainly blow minds.
What was said
“I’m just so happy for everyone in the club,” said Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen after the match. “I’m relatively new and I’ve not had the struggle to come this far with the club, but I know that a lot of people have. A lot of people who have been working for many, many years at this club have not seen this moment [before] and I think it’s great for everybody in the club, and for the fans.”
Sørensen was asked about the team’s ability to never give up.
“There are some things you can train that you can try and simulate in daily work, but there are also things that you can’t,” he said. “You need experience. You need to go down to Monterrey and perform a result to get that confidence that you can do it again…It comes from the opportunities we have to be in those moments, to get that kind of confidence out of having been there and having prevailed in moments that are very, very tough for the team, I think we are still a relatively inexperienced team in that regard.”
“It’s a special night,” said White to OneSoccer’s Kristian Jack. “Hopefully we can continue this way and come away with a trophy in the final.”
When being interviewed by Jack, Berhalter was so happy he was at a loss for words.
“So proud of this group,” he said. “From our first game to this game, how much we progressed…I’m so proud to be a part of this group, we deserve this.”
“The resilience, the character…this group is so close. I have never been part of a group like this. To come here against a great team in a tough condition to win this game is what it is all about.”
Tweet of the match
The fact that White had more goals in a two-legged tie than both Messi and Suarez is wild. Imagine telling that to someone two years ago. Maybe Suarez should’ve focused on staying on his feet too.
The Whitecaps have come a long way
Let’s go back five years ago.
The Whitecaps were a mess. They were dysfunctional on and off the pitch. They were losing fans and the media ripped them apart.
There were the narratives that they were cheap. Losing became routine and fans wondered if the ownership group cared enough about the club. Some even called for the club to be sold.
Well, flash forward five years later and fans got their wish: The club is being sold by Greg Kerfoot and his consortium. But another wish was granted: a good team.
Scratch that, the 2025 Whitecaps so far have been a great team. Axel Schuster deserves a ton of credit. It took a few years but he built a great team that loves to play for each other.
White was acquired for over $500,000 in General Allocation Money from the New York Red Bulls in 2021. The following year, Berhalter arrived from the Columbus Crew for just $50,000 in GAM. The Whitecaps did not need to splurge like Inter Miami did on their DPs as Ryan Gauld and Cubas are among the best players they ever had in their MLS era. Oh yeah, the Whitecaps did this without Gauld too. That makes this run of form even more impressive.
Then there is the youth of Ocampo and Johnston. Ocampo was acquired for 1.75 million dollars last summer from Atlético Nacional and Johnson was taken in the first round of last winter’s Superdraft. Now despite being 21 and 19 respectively, both were integral in stopping Messi and his crew. Well done to Schuster and the scouting and recruitment staff.
It was a tough decision for Schuster to let the popular Vanni Sartini go last fall too. But Sørensen has lit a fire under the club and taken them to new heights. He ignited them from an ember to an inferno.
The Whitecaps in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final. It’s surreal to write that. The light at the end of the tunnel has arrived. To Whitecaps fans who endured trips to Seattle and Portland only for them to get destroyed, endured bad results at BC Place or got ridiculed for supporting them, if you stuck around, you deserve this. A night like Wednesday is one fans have been dreaming of since they entered MLS in 2011.
The sun is shining and the weather is sweet in Whitecaps land. Let the good times roll. Hopefully, that means a trophy in a few weeks.
Wrap-up
The final will be held on June 1. It is possible the Whitecaps can host it at BC Place.
However, for that to happen, the game between Cruz Azul and Tigres UANL needs to end in a draw after 90 minutes. They play their second leg on Thursday in Mexico City and they are tied 1-1.
For the Whitecaps, it’s back to MLS action. Real Salt Lake comes to visit BC Place on Saturday and kickoff is at 6:30 pm Pacific.
