Match Preview: Vancouver Whitecaps vs Inter Miami – the battle to be in the pink and in a final

Well, it’s been quite a while since I did one of these match previews. If I’d been told before the season that my first time back in the saddle would feature the team with the best record in MLS, I might have guessed that Inter Miami was involved. What I would not have guessed, however, is that it would be the Whitecaps holding that top spot!

It’s almost impossible to not wax poetic about these first couple months of the season, as despite massive fixture congestion and poor injury luck, the ‘Caps have somehow managed to only lose two of their first 15 in all competitions. Those two losses – in the very first game of the season on the road against Saprissa and against Chicago while down over half the typical starting lineup – have been more than overshadowed by a series of massive results.

None have been bigger than the two in Mexico, slaying Monterrey and Pumas. Tristan Blackmon’s heroics earlier this month have now set up a meeting with Miami in the Champions Cup semifinals, beginning with the first leg at BC Place on Thursday night.

Now, this is not the first time that the ‘Caps have been in the semi-finals of this competition, but it certainly feels very different. The calibre of opposition defeated to reach this stage back in 2017 was not nearly as high, and 2025 also brings with it the theatrics accompanied by Lionel Messi and Miami.

Ownership and the front office in Vancouver have to be thrilled with an unexpected chance to have the Messi show back in town after the (fairly ridiculous) public outcry that happened last year. The crowd will be massive, the stakes high, and the ‘Caps will certainly be confident that they can go toe-to-toe with the visitors.

Now, it feels almost blasphemous to say that the ‘Caps might match up well against a team that employs Messi, but if he and Luis Suarez both start up front then there will not be the same type of defensive pressing that St. Louis used effectively on the weekend, especially since the two aging stars have already both started five games in the last three weeks.

Just a few days ago Columbus Crew took on Miami and dominated in most areas on the stat sheet (including holding 59% possession) but just couldn’t finish any of their high number of chances and lost 1-0. Vancouver certainly hasn’t been immune to performances like that (the home leg against Monterrey springs to mind), but on the season as a whole they rank second in MLS in goals.

The ‘Caps are also fourth in average possession (54.9%), and will surely want to hold the ball as much as they can on Thursday. If they can dictate the tempo, get their fullbacks high up in dangerous areas and spread the ball around, they’ll certainly cause a lot of problems.

Defensively, this feels like a matchup where a great Andrés Cubas performance is essential. With so many dangerous attackers on the side of Miami, defensive solidity will be of the utmost importance, and the DP midfielder has formed a formidable triangle with Ranko Veselinović and Blackmon this season.

Jesper Sørensen did make an interesting move this past Saturday, and that was starting his pretty much unquestioned best available XI. Jayden Nelson and Sam Adekugbe should be in the matchday squad for this one which is a big boost, but a start (especially for the latter) feels unlikely.

That means another game on the ledger for most or all of the big guns for the ‘Caps, who must be fatigued at this point but have rarely shown it. Édier Ocampo and Tate Johnson in particular have done admirable work on the flank, with Johnson starting six matches in a row and Ocampo five. Sebastian Berhalter has somehow started all but one match the entire season, and the same goes for Veselinović.

The trio of Brian White, Ali Ahmed and Emmanuel Sabbi have all had their moments up front in recent outings, and while it’s a shame that we’ve not been able to see Ryan Gauld for ages (especially against St. Louis when the match was crying out for him), it’s also encouraging that the ‘Caps have been able to fairly consistently produce offence without him.

Overall, based on what we’ve seen to this point this year, Sørensen is not going to alter the formation or approach too much regardless of the opponent. The 4-3-3 system he’s implemented has certainly fared well so far, and we’ll have to see how it holds up against another top-tier opponent.

There certainly will be a balancing act, as the Whitecaps will want to take advantage of home field to take a win in the first leg, but also won’t want to be giving up away goals and giving Miami a potential edge in that regard. It’s been four ties in a row on the scoreboard in the previous two rounds, but with the chance to make a lasting impression in front 50,000+ in the stands and many more watching on TV, you have to hope for a more decisive first leg result.

** You can find more photos from Miami’s MD-1 training session in Vancouver on the AFTN Flickr page HERE. **