Report and Reaction: Whitecaps wow sold out crowd as Messi and his star-studded Miami side sent packing

A near 54,000 crowd at BC Place witnessed one of the best nights in Vancouver Whitecaps’ history on Wednesday evening and a 2-0 CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-final first leg victory that could very well be the making of this team, not just in the city, but on the North American soccer scene.

Brian White and Sebastian Berhalter were the goalscoring heroes on the night, but it was a Whitecaps team that entertained, enthralled, and executed throughout, hopefully sending large swathes of the crowd home converted and just itching to come back and see this team play. This is a team that deserves that support and deserves all of Vancouver to get behind them right now.

Many were there for one sole reason – to see Lionel Messi. We all know that. After his Vancouver no-show last year, the Argentine legend played the full 90 minutes in this one, but apart from some cheers of expectations and even louder boos when he was on the ball, you really wouldn’t have noticed he was there. He, like most of his star-studded teammates had no answer for the Whitecaps and if this was the first time people had seen the ‘Caps in person, they may have gone to the game wanting to cheer Messi, but by the end of it was a very loud and raucous pro-Vancouver crowd.

The cheers for both goals and at full time would have taken the roof off, if it wasn’t already open, but everyone knows the job is just half done. A tough second leg is to come in Miami in just six days and there’s a top-of-the-Western Conference clash in Minnesota sandwiched in-between. But Vancouver took giant strides to reaching their first-ever Champions Cup final. Every box was ticked. They go to Miami with a multiple goal lead, they kept Miami from getting a crucial away goal, and they sent the fans home ecstatic and wanting more.

A night to remember for sure.

Jesper Sorensen made one change from the side that drew 0-0 in St Louis on Saturday, with Daniel Rios coming in up top for Emmanuel Sabbi. Rios has come in and done a great job in these Champions Cup matches, and it was the same again on Wednesday. He cuts a large presence and his experience in the darker side of the game has paid dividends. It also allowed for some frightening pace to be at Sorensen’s disposal come the latter stages of the game against an older and hopefully tiring visitors.

This, like much of the gameplan on the night, was executed to near perfection. It wasn’t a performance without some bumps along the way, as Sorensen’s jack-in-the-box persona on the sidelines conveyed, and if we’re being honest, they’ve played far better, but with what was at stake, it was the workmanlike performance with some touches of flair that we’ve come to expect from Vancouver this season.

The Whitecaps M.O. this year has been to come out strong, on the front foot, and take the game to their opponents. Columbus showed at the weekend that this is exactly what Miami struggle to contend with and the ‘Caps were almost handed the perfect start when Pedro Vite was sprung three minutes in but his low cross just eluded the stretching White.

Rios then had a chance five minutes later when White cut the ball back to him and his goalbound effort was deflected wide by Marcelo Weigandt.

Miami were enjoying more of the ball than Vancouver’s opponents usually do, especially at BC Place, but they weren’t doing anything with it and couldn’t find any gaps in a resolute Whitecaps defence.

Tristan Blackmon headed a Vite corner over in the 17th minute before Messi had his first, and one of few, run at the Whitecaps defence two minutes later. He quickly ran out of room and as he sent a low ball in across goal, it bounced off Blackmon before the bobbling ball was cleared away by Ranko Veselinovic. And that was pretty much the best chance Miami had in the 90 minutes. One with no-one anywhere near getting onto the end of it.

Miami were coming more into the game, but they didn’t look overly comfortable out there, especially their goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, who looked nervy every time the ball was played back to his feet.

Then came the breakthrough in the 24th minute and it was the ‘Caps all-time leading scorer White that got it.

Vite and Berhalter linked up superbly from an Edier Ocampo throw in and their quick interplay cut open the Miami defence, allowing Vite to delicately deft in a cross for White to head past a flat-footed Ustari and send the home crowd into raptures.

GOAL 🏔️

BRIAN WHITE OPENS THE SCORING FOR THE VANCOUVER WHITECAPS 💥

🔴 Watch #VWFC vs. Inter Miami in #ConcaChampions SF LEG 1 on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/8weXjpOeKm

— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 25, 2025

The goal just added to Miami’s frustrations. Tempers were raised and the ‘Caps looked to be loving every minute of it, with Andres Cubas relishing getting into it with both Messi and Luis Suarez, while little nudges into backs was becoming commonplace from both teams all over the pitch.

Messi had a long range shot that was easily saved by Yohei Takaoka, as it started to look like he felt he needed to get Miami back into this all by himself.

Vite and Rios both had chances for the ‘Caps before half time, but Vancouver would have been happy to head into the break with both a lead and keeping Miami off the scoreboard. Miami’s bench on the other hand looked far from happy and whatever was said or changed at half time saw the visitors come out stronger to start the second.

Miami enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, with Vancouver defending deeper and only able to try and hit on the counter as opposed to dictating the play the way they like to. Miami looked the better team and were moving the ball around better, but they still weren’t actually producing any end results and slowly, as the substitutions flowed, Vancouver started to come more into the game and soon started to look the more dangerous threat once again.

Berhalter blasted over from the edge of the box after a quick counter from Vite in the 79th minute, but one of the goalscoring heroes from the last game against Pumas wasn’t to be denied and he got his second goal of the competition and the season in the 85th minute to double the Whitecaps’ advantage.

The pace of Vancouver substitutes Sabbi and Jayden Nelson were causing Miami no end of problems on both flanks and really opened up the game again for the Whitecaps, leading to that second goal.

Sabbi tore forward, touching the ball inside to fellow sub J.C. Ngando. His through ball saw Nelson nip in, take a touch away from the defender, and then send an inviting cross in across goal. It felt like it was going to evade everyone but Berhalter raced in unmarked at the back and blasted it high into the roof of the net and the celebrations began.

GOAL 🏔️🏔️

SEBASTIAN BERHALTER MAKES IT 2-0 FOR THE WHITECAPS OVER INTER MIAMI 🥶

🔴 Watch #VWFC vs. Inter Miami in #ConcaChampions SF LEG 1 on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/0Wek9JN16t

— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 25, 2025

The ‘Caps were now in dreamland and they comfortably saw out the rest of the match, perhaps the only disappointment being they couldn’t find a third from their fresh legs against some tired older ones.

Small gripe.

Messi’s last contribution was to mis-control a pass down by the corner flag in stoppage time, and that basically summed up his and Miami’s night. But let’s not be in any doubt that the Whitecaps will see a whole different animal in the second leg next week. They’re wounded, but they still ooze class, talent, and importantly experience in these tough situations.

Vancouver now have to manage a lead. They’re not used to that in this competition. It’ll be a hostile crowd in hot and humid conditions next Wednesday, but the ‘Caps know, if they can nick just one goal, Miami will need four and that feels a stretch after what we saw in this first leg.

Miami’s second half against LAFC in the last round was spectacular, but LAFC had their chances too, they just couldn’t take them. Vancouver hopefully won’t make that mistake.

Roll on Wednesday. It’s going to be a long six days. The excitement and expectations are tantamount.

FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 2 – 0 Inter Miami

ATT: 53,837

SCORING SUMMARY:
24’ – VAN – Brian White (Pedro Vite)
85’ – VAN – Sebastian Berhalter (Jayden Nelson)

STATS:
Possession: VAN 31% – MIA 69%
Shots: VAN 9 – MIA 10
Shots on Goal: VAN 5 – MIA 2
Saves: VAN 2 – MIA 3
Fouls: VAN 11 – MIA 7
Offsides: VAN 0 – MIA 1
Corners: VAN 3 – MIA 9

CARDS (ALL YELLOW):
45’+2 – VAN – Brian White
48’ – MIA – Federico Redondo
48’ – VAN – Tristan Blackmon
73’ – MIA – Yannick Bright
90’+2 – MIA – Javier Mascherano
90’+4 – VAN – Sebastian Berhalter

VANCOUVER: 1.Yohei Takaoka; 18.Édier Ocampo, 33.Tristan Blackmon, 4.Ranko Veselinović ©, 28.Tate Johnson; 16.Sebastian Berhalter, 20.Andrés Cubas (26.J.C. Ngando 81’), 45.Pedro Vite (7.Jayden Nelson 81’); 14.Daniel Ríos (11.Emmanuel Sabbi 45’), 24.Brian White, 22.Ali Ahmed (13.Ralph Priso 62’) [Substitutes not used: 30.Adrían Zendejas, 32.Isaac Boehmer, 3.Sam Adekugbe, 12.Belal Halbouni, 15.Bjørn Inge Utvik, 19.Damir Kreilach, 27.Giuseppe Bovalina, 59.Jeevan Badwal]

MIAMI: 19.Oscar Ustari; 57.Marcelo Weigandt, 37.Maximiliano Falcón, 32.Noah Allen, 18.Jordi Alba; 5.Sergio Busquets, 55.Federico Redondo (42.Yannick Bright 70’); 10.Lionel Messi, 8.Telasco Segovia (30.Benjamin Cremaschi 74’), 21.Tadeo Allende; 9.Luis Suárez [Substitutes not used: 1.Drake Callender, 2.Gonzalo Luján, 6.Tomás Avilés, 7.Fafa Picault, 14.David Martínez, 17.Ian Fray, 22.Leonardo Afonso, 29.Allen Obando, 81.Santiago Morales]

REACTION:

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

JESPER SORENSEN

On the match:

“We had some speed up front that we knew we could play and get behind them, because they also play high up the pitch. We had some good moments, we had some good chances, created some good chances. But overall, the play we had… lacked some, to be honest. But the result was amazing, the collective effort, and everybody hanging in there for each other. We had to defend more than we had anticipated beforehand. I think that everybody leaned on each other, and helped each other out in a very difficult game.”

On the team work rate and the crowd:

“We had to put in a lot of work, because Miami was moving the ball well. It was a great and amazing evening, and amazing atmosphere, and playing in an amazing stadium for great fans. And everybody coming out and it was exciting obviously. And if you can’t be excited about a night like tonight, then it’s difficult. It was great, great support. I think it was everybody [who] put all the energy in that they had. And of course, I’m very proud of every player who stepped on the pitch because we also knew that this was a special occasion and we had to put everything on the pitch, and every player put everything on the pitch.”

Is the pressure on Vancouver now, as per Mascherano’s postgame comments?

“I think we should not speculate on how this game is going to go.”

On Tate Johnson:

“It’s a great story, to be honest. I think Tate has proven to be ready for every task we give him. He’s never let us down. He obviously also gets great help from his teammates around him, but he is really a guy coming in, drafted, and was maybe not supposed to play a big part on this team, this early. He was a guy that we thought that we would work with for a while, then make him ready to play. We threw him into the water, and he just swims this guy.”

MIDFIELDER SEBASTIAN BERHALTER

On winning as the underdogs tonight:

“It’s always been our identity. We don’t expect much from anyone, we just know we’re good players, and we just want to go out there and win.”

On Tate Johnson:

“I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it. I think he’s literally gone from college six months ago [to now]. You know, it’s really incredible, playing against one of the best players ever and really holding his own, looking comfortable. He looked like he’s been playing for the last ten years. So he’s someone that I’m really excited for, and I just want to see him do well.”

FORWARD BRIAN WHITE

On the match:

“It was a good performance from the guys. Obviously we were under pressure a lot, they had a lot of the ball. We were well disciplined defending. We’re happy to get out of there with two goals, and we’ll take that into Miami.”

On scoring in front of nearly 54,000 fans:

“It’s nice to have those kind of moments. Obviously these kind of numbers don’t always come around. Hopefully they enjoyed what they saw on the field, enjoyed the performance and continue to come to games.”

On adapting to having less possession:

“We have some speed demons out on the wing, guys that can go one-v-one really well. So as long as we stay disciplined as a team defensively, we have the players to break and create chances.”

HEAD COACH JAVIER MASCHERANO
(Selected quotes):

“They were better than us and deserved to win. We have to analyze what happened and we’ll try to come back. It’s difficult, but not impossible.”

“We must learn as a team from tonight and find a way to come back on Wednesday. We lost today, and I’m the one primarily responsible. I continue to believe in this team.”

“We have nothing to lose. We have to win the game. We know we have to score at least two goals and not concede. We’ll try. The pressure is on Vancouver.”

“The problem was that we weren’t winning on the first and second balls. It’s difficult when you can’t win the first ball. We have to think about how to play in Miami and how we can hurt them. I think we can do a better job than we did today.”

“We were much better in the second half, pressing high. We knew we had to take some risks. Pressing high means you have to play one-on-one, but our defence was better.”